Cheap Gas

a question we all ask! has anyone ever done the math on additional cost of gas vs crossing a 1408 ft bridge?

As far as I know everything that gets transported across the bridge gets an added surcharge. When I was ordering booze etc. for the pkg store I worked at our "zone" was priced .20 cents per case more than the other 2 zones- and the reason was because of the bridge. stupid eh? but it's been going on for so long and it's not just spirits- it's everything- groceries, produce.

That Lukoil in Wareham was $3.25 this morning when I filled up, and they also have Whoopee Pies.

Stunning Steve knows all about this stuff, actually. If someone in Sandwich or Mashpee is paying $3.79 or so when they can be paying $3.29, that's like, ummm, 50 cents a gallon. 25 gallon tank on some trucks, that's like 12 bucks savings per tank. Subtract the 6 dollars it takes in fuel to cross the bridge, and you're still like 6 dogs ahead. Multiply times 52 weeks, and that's 300 and change... and even a Senator from a rich family can't sneeze at $300 a year savings.

That's why I'm a Senator, bitch...

our christy's regular today is $3.29 plus if you pay cash you get 10 cents per gallon off. the exxons we operate are 10 cents higher because we pay for the gas as a dealer not as a distruibutor. Wait on second though---they don't have Wicked Whoopie pies of maine freshly delivered. I'll go to war on that one!!!!

Check out who the suppliers are. Those are the guys that essentially set the rates due to the trucking charges.

mmmmmmm. whoopie pies....:p

I have heard the "over the bridge" explanation for 30 years. I believe that the station owners are in silent collusion and have agreed to a spread of 6 cents. They don't need to actually get together and plot and plan to collude. The over riding question is why has the AG of Mass ignored or at best given it only perfunctory attention? We as residence have to share the blame because we historically have groused among ourselves but accepted it as a cost of living on the cape. If we can get flag men to replace the cops we can get the gas stations to charge us without the price fixing that I am absolutely convinced is a reality.

that's the most stupid thing I have ever heard. there are eight gas sites in buzzards bay within 1.5 miles. its just so competitive. look at the cost to operate there as opposed to the cape.
we're at 3.29 today plus the 10 cents off if you pay in cash.

One guy owns like 9 of 10 stations once you cross the bridge... he can charge whatever he can get away with.

BTW.. "prices are cheaper over the bridge" has been my lead line for every Cheap Gas entry since April or so....no trying-to-muscle-in-on-my-turf stuff, please.

There is no doubt that gas prices on the Cape are significantly higher than non-Cape outlets while costs are only about a cent per gallon higher but that's the way its been for years.
In Falmouth a single retailer controls 8 or 9 locations out of perhaps 20. If he's out there making 50 cents a gallon profit (and he was), why wouldn't the competition play along? Most of the Falmouth locations are maxing out their volumes during the summer so why not do it at extraordinary margins?
Since the end of the summer, costs have dropped considerably. The retails should have too but in defense of the retailers, they own that inventory at the higher cost and with sales having dropped as well its going to take a month to sell off the old inventory. Some will say 'they made extra margin on the way up, they should give it back on the way down' but they won't so it just moves down much slower.
The Cape has always been at least 20 cents higher than cities like New Bedford, Fall River & Brockton. A bit of pressure on the retailers might go a long way to make gas more competative.

I wonder what the price is at the Stop & Shop gas station?? They are usuallu 2-3 cents cheaper than the other stations.

Stop & Shop locations don't show up on the Mapquest gas surveys for some reason. THe further away from the Cape you go though the price drops to as low as $2.95.