The Petroleum Swindle

High Prices and Low Spirits

The thermometer ain’t the only thing climbing in Nevada—gas prices are making a mad dash for the heavens, leaving drivers clutching their wallets like a gambler on his last silver dollar.

At present, the privilege of filling one’s gas tank in the Silver State comes at an average of $3.74 a gallon, though some enterprising establishments have taken it upon themselves to charge as much as $4.07. It reflects the American tradition of making a bad situation worse.

Not too long ago, prices held steady, lulling drivers into a false sense of security, but no swindle lasts forever. The national average has crept up four cents to $3.12, a number which, in Nevada, would be greeted with suspicion.

Here, drivers must dig deeper, as our fair state is ranked the fourth most expensive for fuel, trailing only California, Hawaii, and Washington—fine company if one enjoys misery. Meanwhile, the good people of Mississippi are practically bathing in cheap gasoline at $2.66 a gallon, a figure that must seem as mythical to Nevadans as a snowstorm in July.

With summer on the horizon and the oil barons rubbing their hands together in glee, the road ahead promises nothing but more fluctuations, frustrations, and the grim spectacle of travelers weighing the cost of a full tank against the merits of simply walking.