$4+ gasoline hits coastal California
Bolinas, California is not your typical American small town by any measure. Priuses and Mercedes sports cars share the streets with 30, 40 and 50 year old pickup trucks and jeeps. An unusual mix of boho artists, multimillionaires, unreconstructed hippies, and surfers, the town would be overrun with tourists if they could find it. As the Wikipedia entry puts it, "Bolinas is perhaps best known for its reclusive residents; historically, any road signs pointing the way into town on Highway One have invariably been torn down by local residents." I've visited many times, but still missed the turnoff over the weekend.
The town is an eccentric nod to long-lost small town values of live and let live combined with civic pride. The lone gas station, however, with its hand-painted price adjustment, points toward our future. Regular unleaded today is $4.39 per gallon. And I'm sure, when they get around to it, the Premium Unleaded price will reflect the correct cost $1 higher than appears in the photo.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
rar 9:19AM (3/31/2008)
I wonder why the diesel is less than the regular unleaded? In the midwest, diesel is 60+ cents a gallon more.
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MikeW 9:58AM (3/31/2008)
It is cold in the midwest [home heating oil]
According to my gas widget, diesel is only $4.2, so more/less the same. It is just the gasoline that is way up, over there.
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Tim 10:11AM (3/31/2008)
This makes EVERYTHING cost more!
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rar 10:45AM (3/31/2008)
MikeW, nice try, most homes here are natural gas, electric or propane heated. I don't know any homes around this area (St. Louis) that are heated with home heating oil. As far as I know that is more popular in the north east.
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rgseidl 11:05AM (3/31/2008)
There's nothing magical about the number 4. At best, fuel prices in that range will reinforce the notion that the days of cheap oil are well and truly over - for now.
Btw, gas prices along the SF peninsula aren't far behind - especially at stations close to SFO.
http://www.sanfrangasprices.com/
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BlackbirdHighway 11:19AM (3/31/2008)
It looks like premium is cheaper than regular?
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Rick 7:44PM (3/31/2008)
Save a dollar and buy premium.
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Electron 3:08PM (3/31/2008)
Diesel is $4/gal in Florida while regular gas is $3.27. Not really sure why considering diesel was always cheaper for the longest time. Heck, I remember passing a Hess in the late 90's and seeing diesel for $0.899/gal. Man things change. Went out to eat last night to a normally busy restaurant and there was no one even waiting to get seated. I was like wth??
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Wildgoosechase73 7:19PM (3/31/2008)
And I complain about $3.05 a gallon....
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kevin 6:32PM (4/01/2008)
That is so weird . Premium being lower that regular . Well it makes sense now Most cars run off of regular unleaded and so the demand is high , but very few cars use premium so they have a little bit more stock of it on hand and so the price goes down . The simple currency of supply and demand
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Rebecca 11:48PM (4/01/2008)
Gas prices are outrageous in the Bay Area!
Here are some eco-friendly travel tips...
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22240/45273-top-10-easy--eco-effective-travel
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