Gas Gouging

In the last day or so, many gas stations yanked up their prices, hiking them by far, far more than the price of crude oil itself has gone up.

What's highly curious about these developments is the fact that the gas that the fuel industry is selling has already been purchased, refined, and taken to market. Their cost did not mysteriously go up overnight - its all paid for. It would take weeks for the slowdown in refining capacity and oil drilling to have an actual impact on fuel wholesalers and retailers.

That's what they always say when the prices don't go back down right away. Isn't it?

They wouldn't be taking advantage of a tragedy, would they?