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Monday October 23, 2006

Allow me to clear up a certain amount of confusion: Charging too much during a civil emergency is price gouging (the wrongness of which is established by law, though debatable). Charging too much all the time is called having a business in a free motherfucking country. Gas prices on South Beach too expensive for you? Drive over to the mainland, or open up your own gas station, charge less, and make a killing.

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  1. Biscayne Bystander    Tue Oct 24, 07:33 PM #  

    BULLSHIT!

    It is illegal in the state of Florida to sell gas below your competitors.

    The Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association (yes they do exist) does not tolerate price discrimination. Infact, this little known and well organized lobbying group had the Motor Fuel Marketing Practices Act
    enacted into law in 1985.

    This law effectively protects gas station owners from being undersold by the Citco down the block. I’m assuming the “free motherfucking country” mentioned above by our articulate host, was in reference to our free market economy. However, no state in the union employs an absolute free market economic approach. Florida’s law fosters an enviorment that will continue to turn in windfall profits to the oil companies and their ain’t a damn thing we can do about it.

    And if the truth in that doesn’t get you mad enough to get off your ass and vote, hopefully this will.



  2. alesh    Tue Oct 24, 09:44 PM #  

    BB, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. There are gas stations all over the place who sell gas cheaper then another station down the street. Generally it’s only if there’s some other reason for them not to increase their rates (like they don’t have Credit-card-at-the-pump machines, or they’re a bit off a main drag), but it DOES happen. Duh. I can’t seem to open PDF’s without crashing my computer, but even if it limits the price difference to a dime or two, that’d be enough to steal all the business from the (Admittedly overpriced) SoBe gas stations.

    You may have a good point, but it sure doesn’t appear to contradict MY point.



  3. Manola Blablablanik    Wed Oct 25, 09:52 AM #  

    of course I would love gas prices to be competitive with the mainland, but what’s news here? Things like gas have historically ALWAYS been more expensive on the beach … and is true of most high-density major tourism destinations … Is there a mentality here that you can’t drive a little further to get cheaper gas and other goods? People elsewhere do it all the time. the beach is no different. it’s not like the causeway is crossing the Atlantic or anything.



  4. Alex    Wed Oct 25, 09:55 AM #  

    I put exactly one gallon of gas in the Shell on 5th street, just enough to get me to the mainland. It got as high as 3.75 for premium. That owner must be happy counting small purchases like mine forever. Then again, I’m sure he gets plenty of Ferraris filling up.



  5. alesh    Wed Oct 25, 10:44 AM #  

    FYI, the two gas stations on 5th street and the ones on Alton Rd are expensive, but there’s I think a BP on 14th and Collins which is still expensive but usually much more reasonable.