Which still responds to market forces and manipulation. I've been living near the Gulf Coast long enough to watch gas prices surge every time there's a mention of a hurricane. Price gouging is common amongst oil companies, distributors, and retailers. Denying it and professing the altruism of oil producers doesn't make it any less so.
It happens at the supplier level, because the markets (speculators) drive it up. All a guy has to do is watch Bloomberg energy and you'll see what fuel prices are doing. I've also seen prices during Gulf hurricane scares go up 20 cts/gallon intraday, then when a threat is not eminent they go right back down as soon as the threat passes, once again, intraday.
I'm always amazed at the people's ignorance on this subject, and these same bunch of folks go inside the c-store and buy $1 12oz bottles of watter that cost 5cts to make, buy $5 cans of snuff, $7 sandwiches, etc. Gasoline is a loss leader to get folks inside to buy this overpriced crap.
