When I first began driving as a teenager I really wasn’t bothered by the price of gas primarily because like most country boys raised on a ranch we had our own gas pump. I had actually driven for almost a year before I ever had to pay for a tank of gas. I recall a couple of cute gals from my high school cruising around with me on a Friday afternoon when we all decided it would be cool to drive over to a nearby town and check out the sights. Before we got ready to leave I asked, “Since it’s about 15 miles over there how much gas will it take us to get there and back? Do I have enough?” The gals didn’t know any more than I did so we pulled into a gas station to ask a friend. He asked me how much cash I had and after looking in my ash tray where I kept my money I found about six dollars. I remember him saying. “SIX BUCKS! That’s enough to drive all the way across Oregon and back.”

Funny thing was that after I began going on longer trips I noticed a padlock was on the gas pump at home and I never bothered asking why. In 1969 I came to California to race cars and I still have photos of me working in a service station with the gas sign in the background reading 32 cents per gallon. That’s for Super! Here is a term many of you will not be familiar with… GAS WARS. It’s true. The oil companies used to have gas wars where they would fight to keep the price of gas as low as possible. When I owned my first service stations back in the early 70’s the oil companies would give me “DAA” (Dealer Assistance Aid). Whenever I could show them another oil company in my area was selling gas for less than I was they would give me a discount so I could lower my price and still make a profit. It’s important to remember that back in those days, gas was considered a “lost leader”. The purpose of selling gas was to entice customers to come in hopefully so that eventually they would be regular customers that would have their oil changed, buy tires and so on which is where the real profit was made. Customer’s tires were checked, windows washed all the way around, oil checked, bathrooms were immaculate and customers were given stamps and promotion items like steak knives, jellies, Hot Wheels and more and free maps to boot.

Needless to say many things have changed. No more promotions and for the most part there is no full service so if you want your oil or tires checked or you windows washed have your wife get out and do it herself. Stamps? You must be kidding and if you need to use a restroom these days you better have had your shots.

In testimony before the Joint House and Senate Hearings recently, the Oil Company executives said that their profits are not high or outrageous and that they felt they are consistent with all the Industries as a whole. I have to disagree. But what I do believe is that until as a whole consumers of fuel stop using as much as we do the price will never stabilize let alone come down. Why should it? If you had a product for sale and business NEVER slowed down, why would you even consider lowering the price? Basically the majority of drivers are spoiled and not willing to make sacrifices. We don’t utilize computer lanes, we make ten trips to the store instead of planning trips wisely. We run up our credit card bills. (which also puts interest in the oil companies pockets) and the list goes on.

Like the old commercials used to say… Don’t Do Drugs. The same can be said for the addiction of gasoline.