To the editor:
Have you ever thought it odd that our local gas stations all seem to charge the same price per gallon? The four gas stations north of the metal bridge on Route 7 have been charging $3.39 per gallon for regular gas for the past couple of weeks. You’d think one would charge a penny or two less to increase sales, but they never do.
When I travel on Route 7 to Pittsfield for a doctor appointment, to have my car serviced, etc., I pass stations that are typically $.10-$.15 per gallon less expensive than at our stations, which is not enough savings to lure me north for gas alone. But today I was amazed at the difference in prices compared to Great Barrington.
The stations I passed were all $2.99 per gallon of regular. That’s $.40 per gallon less than what you pay in Great Barrington. But I go to a station that seems to always be the least expensive, with an attendant that pumps the gas for you while you wait in your car, which is very nice in cold weather. Today that station was charging $2.89 per gallon of regular. That is $.50 per gallon less than Great Barrington. I filled my tank with more than 14 gallons, which saved me $7+. (Not a misprint.)
I am not suggesting you drive to Pittsfield for the sole purpose of saving money on gas. But I would think that perhaps our town leaders should simply ask the question at the state level. Why are gas prices to the penny the same in Great Barrington and significantly less in nearby Pittsfield? Why is that? I wonder.
Frank Gunsberg
Great Barrington
