Originally Posted by Cosmo

Actually, it doesn't. A good friend of mine is the vice president of the Exxon distributor for the area. Those $70 barrels of oil won't become gas for at least 7 years. The gas that we are putting in our tanks now has been in the country in the form of gasoline for at least 5 years.

Yes, somewhere down the road they are going to have to use those $70 barrels, but the price won't reflect it at the time. And, while we're on the subject, the hurricane has no direct impact on the price of oil barrels, no matter what the news tells you.

Ever wonder why gas prices don't go up and down all the time in other parts of the world? It has to do with the relationship that our country has with oil-producing countries. Japanese gas (which is 100 octane I believe) is still around $2 per gallon, and has been for three or four years. I haven't talked to anyone in Europe, but from what I've heard the story is similar there.

However, at least we can rest assured that the gas stations aren't to blame. They only make a few cents on every gallon they sell. Their prices change when the distributors tell them to change them.