Tracking those bouncing gas prices

Last month, after watching gas prices flip-flop back and forth more often than a John Kerry parable, I decided to start keeping track of the rates at the three fuel stations I pass nearly every day at the corner of state roads 135 and 62: Cowboy’s, Tobacco Road and Mac’s.
What I discovered during one month of record keeping was interesting, troubling and enlightening.
(I encourage everyone to start keeping track, too. A few pennies here or there turn into dollars before you know it.)
Mac’s, which was BigFoot when it infamously bumped its gas price to nearly $2 a gallon the night after the attacks of 9/11, is the most steady of the three stops. The station typically holds its prices for a week or two before teetering around.
I’ve found that Tobacco Road generally follows the lead of Cowboy’s, but as of late has taken a more ‘Mac-like’ approach to prices by holding them at a fairly consistent level.
The most volatile of the bunch is Cowboy’s, which I believe figures its gas prices by the direction of the wind, the alignment of the stars, and whichever numbers haven’t been used for a while.
Outside of a pair of five-day stretches in early April, you never really know what price difference there will be from one hour to the next at Cowboy’s. In fact, on April 21, the price bounced around four times ‘ in one day. Things didn’t change on the 22nd, as there were three different prices.
On the 21st, Cowboy’s prices went from $1.65 for regular unleaded to $1.79 to $1.85 and finally back down to $1.69.
Anyone who purchased fuel the next morning had another case of sticker shock as the cost had jumped 16 cents overnight to $1.85. The price fell to $1.65 by mid-day and then swelled to $1.67 later on. It was back up to $1.69 the next morning.
Whew!
I gave Dick Scofield, director of operations for Cowboy’s, a call last week to get to the bottom of the Fuel Line Tango.
At first, Scofield tried to pass the buck (literally) by offering the tired, old, ‘We’re only a retailer and our cost only goes up when the wholesale price of gas goes up.’
Yawn.
I pressed him further: ‘But four price changes in one day?’
‘I thought the other stations would follow the market up and they obviously didn’t. Sometimes we push the price up when I find out that a change is coming. Then, if you see a price drop, it’s probably because competition kept their prices the same,’ Scofield said. ‘There are several retailers in the Corydon area who tend to try and compete with prices in Kentucky, and that’s very hard to do. Setting prices for gas is a combination of being competitive and staying above wholesale cost.’
Kentucky’s tax on gasoline amounts to about 35 cents a gallon while Indiana’s rate is a tick over 37 cents per gallon, and that doesn’t include the 6 cents sales tax. Basically, Scofield explained, you are looking at almost a dime difference in taxes between the two states.
‘And unfortunately, some people in Indiana want to compete with Kentucky.’
Cowboys
March
29 ‘ 1.61, 1.65
30 ‘ 1.65
31 ‘ 1.65, 1.69
April
1 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
2 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
3 ‘ 1.64
4 ‘ 1.64
5 ‘ 1.64
6 ‘ 1.64
7 ‘ 1.64
8 ‘ 1.64, 1.69
9 ‘ 1.69
10 ‘ 1.69
11 ‘ 1.69
12 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
13 ‘ 1.69
14 ‘ 1.74, 1.74
15 ‘ 1.65
16 ‘ 1.74
17 ‘ 1.69
18 ‘ 1.74
19 ‘ 1.74
20 ‘ 1.74
21 ‘ 1.65 (1.74), 1.85, 1.69
22 ‘ 1.85, 1.65, 1.67
23 ‘ 1.69
24 ‘ 1.69
25 ‘ 1.69
26 ‘ 1.74
27 ‘ 1.74
28 ‘ 1.89, 1.74
29 ‘ 1.74
30 ‘ 1.74
BP
March
29 ‘ 1.65
30 ‘ 1.65
31 ‘ 1.65, 1.61
April
1 ‘ 1.61, 1.64
2 ‘ 1.64, 1.64
3 ‘ 1.64
4 ‘ 1.64
5 ‘ 1.64
6 ‘ 1.64
7 ‘ 1.64
8 ‘ 1.64, 1.69
9 ‘ 1.69
10 ‘ 1.69
11 ‘ 1.69
12 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
13 ‘ 1.69
14 ‘ 1.74, 1.74
15 ‘ 1.65
16 ‘ 1.74
17 ‘ 1.69
18 ‘ 1.74
19 ‘ 1.69
20 ‘ 1.69
21 ‘ 1.69
22 ‘ 1.65
23 ‘ 1.69
24 ‘ 1.69
25 ‘ 1.69
26 ‘ 1.67
27 ‘ 1.69
28 ‘ 1.74
29 ‘ 1.74
30 ‘ 1.74
Mac’s
March
29 ‘ 1.61
30 ‘ 1.61, 1.64
31 ‘ 1.64, 1.64
April
1 ‘ 1.64, 1.64
2 ‘ 1.64, 1.64
3 ‘ 1.64
4 ‘ 1.64
5 ‘ 1.64
6 ‘ 1.64
7 ‘ 1.64
8 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
9 ‘ 1.69
10 ‘ 1.69
11 ‘ 1.69
12 ‘ 1.69, 1.69
13 ‘ 1.69
14 ‘ 1.69
15 ‘ 1.69
16 ‘ 1.74
17 ‘ 1.74
18 ‘ 1.69
19 ‘ 1.69
20 ‘ 1.69
21 ‘ 1.69
22 ‘ 1.66
23 ‘ 1.66
24 ‘ 1.69
25 ‘ 1.69
26 ‘ 1.69
27 ‘ 1.69
28 ‘ 1.74
29 ‘ 1.74
30 ‘ 1.74