[SSharon]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

More to the point why haven't the more enterprising souls of Pennsylvania driven up with a load of gas to sell to people who can't be bothered to go fetch it themselves?

Better yet is why can't the gas companies figure this out?

I'm hoping to wait it out another few days before getting more gas. If I continue to carpool with my wife I should have enough gas for the rest of the week.

[subego]

They could "fix" it by going full-on capitalist, but they want to avoid the PR blowback that would cause.

The irony is this means less gas comes in, and since it's priced artificially low it goes quicker.


To be clear, I'm not saying gouging people is the solution, but you'd definitely have more gas if there was gouging. Which gas company wouldn't want to go the extra mile if there were inflated prices at the point-of-sale?

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

They could "fix" it by going full-on capitalist, but they want to avoid the PR blowback that would cause.
The irony is this means less gas comes in, and since it's priced artificially low it goes quicker.
To be clear, I'm not saying gouging people is the solution, but you'd definitely have more gas if there was gouging. Which gas company wouldn't want to go the extra mile if there were inflated prices at the point-of-sale?

I don't think eye-gouging is going to work very well on a perceived necessity. What does it tell you when people are willing to waste hours of their lives waiting in line for gas?

[osiris]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I don't think eye-gouging is going to work very well on a perceived necessity. What does it tell you when people are willing to waste hours of their lives waiting in line for gas?

It tells me that we need Mr. Fusion in every car and home.

[subego]

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar 

I don't think eye-gouging is going to work very well on a perceived necessity. What does it tell you when people are willing to waste hours of their lives waiting in line for gas?

It depends on how you define "work well".

It would most certainly work well to bring in more gas.

It would not work as well when it comes to PR for the oil companies.

It would work very poorly for people without money to spare.

[BLAZE_MkIV]

This is the kind of narrow infrequent situation were things like tax incentives would be useful. Let them write off their increased delivery costs.

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by subego 

It would work very poorly for people without money to spare.

That's sort of my point. Our choices seem to be between survival of the most determined (most free tme?) versus survival of the richest.

[subego]

Well, I think there's an ethical argument to be made for government intervention, but it pretty much ends at the ethics.

In practical terms, the government would get double (or triple) fleeced by the oil companies. Then, multiply that by every consumer splurging when they should be conserving.