Gas for less than $3.00?!!!

I’m both thrilled and puzzled by gas prices again.  I’m thrilled to see a few stations actually UNDER $3.00.  One puzzling part is that another franchise of convenience stores offer gas on one block for $3.09 but a mile away, the same chain of stations selling the same gas for $3.24.  Wait.  What?   

It also bugs me that when there is some sort of disaster, whether civil unrest in the world or a weather catastrophe, the price on the pump will jump by 10% or more instantly.  I have a question:  The gas in the underground tank was processed BEFORE anything bad happened.  Why is it more?  

(I’m pumped)

Another puzzle that gets me is seeing two truck stops across the highway from each other, both with a big crowd of trucks, while one sells diesel fuel for 30 to 50 cents per gallon more.  How does that work?  My wife was joking about these competing stations saying, “You should see the girl that cleans your windshield at the expensive gas station”.   Imagine turning in that receipt to your company showing you paid that much more.   You might want to include that girl’s picture so they understand why that fill-up cost so much.  But even owner/operators seem to gather at the pricey stations.  I don’t get it.  If you do, please help explain that to the rest of us.