Gassing up

Something different between California and, say, the upper Midwest, is the vast difference in gas prices. At the moment, in the city of San Francisco, gas can run from $3.34 (at the Shell on Divisidero) to $2.79 (cash only at the Arco on Market and Castro). One can look it up current prices here.

Why such a wide range of gas prices? This has something to do with location, location, location, but it is also related to the concept of brand-name gas. Shell, Exxon, or Chevron cost more than, say, Express Gas or Speedie Gas because they spend a lot of money on advertising and put in fancy detergents. Though many people swear by one brand or another, there is gasoline itself is all virtually the same.

Leina, being a thrifty and canny motorist, never fell for the hype that various expensive gas stations make. She fills up at ARCO whenever possible (there's one on the way to Auntie's house) and is always on the lookout for cheap gas.

However, her Subaru is making some funny noises. So she's decided she's going to switch to brand-name gas to see if that makes it better.