I don't know who sits in the Speedway boardroom every night, but I imagine someone yelling, "Quick! Add another 50 cents before everyone wakes up!"
I remember when Speedway seemed like the place to stop because the prices were usually competitive. These days, it feels like they're competing in a completely different event... the 100-yard dash to the highest gas price in town.
You'll be driving home one evening thinking, "Gas isn't too bad today."
The next morning...
BOOM!
The sign looks like someone accidentally hit the "inflate prices" button.
Then comes my favorite part.
Instead of dropping back to where it was, the price slowly trickles down all week. Two cents today. Three cents tomorrow. Maybe another penny if they're feeling generous. It's like watching a snail push a boulder downhill.
Meanwhile, you drive past another gas station that's had the exact same price for what seems like two weeks. They must have missed the emergency meeting where everyone decided gasoline was suddenly made from unicorn tears.
I know gas prices change for a lot of reasons, and every station sets its own prices. But as a customer, it sure feels strange when one station jumps way up overnight while another barely moves at all.
So now I've become one of those people.
I slow down just enough to read every gas station sign like I'm judging an Olympic event.
"Not today, Speedway..."
"I'll see what the station down the road has."
Sometimes the cheapest gas isn't even worth driving across town for, but there's something satisfying about not rewarding a price that makes you do a double take.
Maybe next week it'll be different.
Or maybe I'll wake up tomorrow, look at the sign, and wonder if they're selling premium gas... or premium vacation packages.
Until then, I'll keep playing the world's least exciting game:
"Guess What Gas Costs Today!"
The prize?
Getting home with enough money left over for a coffee.
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