So THAT'S why the second-cheapest gas station in town is unusually empty

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein) 01/15/2020 at 15:29 • Filed to: None

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The other night I needed to stop for gas on my way home from work. I usually go to this Marathon station that’s the second-cheapest in town for premium gas. The cheapest station is a Freestate down the block that’s cash only, and I rarely carry cash.

So I turned into the Marathon, and it was much more deserted than usual during rush hour. Then I noticed that all the pumps had hand-written notes on them informing customers that the station only had premium fuel. No problem for me since my car needs it, but while filling my tank, at least 5 people pulled up to the pump on the opposite side of mine, saw the note, and left.

This is probably the one and only time I’ll be happy my car needs premium.

(P.S. No I don’t want to hear about how my car has a knock sensor and can run lower octane. I have a 93 octane tune on it. )

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:35

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Wish we had 93 around here...

Michael > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:36

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Fun fact:

“Plus” is just Premium and Regular mixed together on the spot

66P1800inpieces > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:36

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Nice. And they sell Top Tier gas.

Chariotoflove > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:38

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Honestly, when convenience matters and I’m already there, Premium is cheap enough these days that I’ll just do it.  Do the calculation over a full tank, and it’s less than a cup of coffee at a fancy joint that people go to because they can’t be bothered to make their own.

DasWauto > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:39

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The one time I’ve seen a station with this issue they were selling premium at the price of regular. O bviously,  I bought a filled a jerry can as both my cars take premium.

E90M3 > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:39

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P.S. No I don’t want to hear about how my car has a knock sensor and can run lower octane. I have a 93 octane tune on it.

I don’t have my most updated spread sheet here, but through December it’s cost me $5163.53 to do 43,770.8 miles. That’s on premium. If I was to have filled up using regular instead, assuming a $0.50 per gallon difference, it would’ve cost me $4270.62 Now that might be $1000, but that’s over almost 3 years; furthermore, if we assume the average mileage driven is 12,000 per year, that would be 3.64 years of driving. That would mean I’d save a grand total of $20.40 a month. Premium might be more, but it’s not that much more. 

HammerheadFistpunch > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 15:41

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I’d be mildly concerned about the age of the fuel if literally no one there is buying premium.

E90M3 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/15/2020 at 15:41

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That was one of thing I didn’t like about OK. 

Ash78, voting early and often > 66P1800inpieces 01/15/2020 at 16:02

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Yep, Marathon quickly became my go-to once I learned that. They’re usually a little cheaper, but still good.

Ash78, voting early and often > HammerheadFistpunch 01/15/2020 at 16:03

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Next time you’re at a station, look for the little counters embedded in the pumps. Older ones have odometer-style analog gauges. Every time I’ve seen one, premium has been less than 10% of the total volume of the pump. Sounds about right, but your concern is valid.

My bird IS the word > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:04

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No peasants allowed.

Ash78, voting early and often > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:05

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Most stations in our area have 80+ cents premium between 87 and 93. But today I learned Costco sells 93 for just 20 cents more (making their 93 about the same as everyone else’s 87).

Not a great deal for 87, but a freaking steal for 93.

HammerheadFistpunch > Ash78, voting early and often 01/15/2020 at 16:06

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it wouldn’t be a problem but for ethanol. 

Textured Soy Protein > E90M3 01/15/2020 at 16:09

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I don’t drive enough to worry about fuel costs . On a typical work & gym day, I drive a grand total of 13 miles . But I do at least try to fill up  where it’s cheapest, as gas prices here in the DC area are high in general and can get ridiculous if you fill up in the wrong part of town.  

In my suburb of Rockville MD, t he 3rd cheapest station in town is a Sunoco around the corner from my neighborhood , but it’s super fucking busy because it’s by far the cheapest station in the busy   part of town where I live.

That 2nd- cheapest-in-Rockville Marathon is usually at least a few cents cheaper for premium than the 3rd-cheapest Sunoco, and it’s right along my drive to work. It’s also often busy but not as crazy as the Sunoco by my house.

Textured Soy Protein > HammerheadFistpunch 01/15/2020 at 16:10

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I’m sure plenty of folks like me know of this Marathon as a cheap spot to get premium fuel, but they’re probably still rather outnumbered by every body buying regular.

Textured Soy Protein > Ash78, voting early and often 01/15/2020 at 16:18

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I used to go to Costco for gas when I lived in WI for that reason. There was a WI local gas station chain called PDQ, which has since been bought by Kwik Trip, and PDQ was the smallest non-Costco jump to premium at 70 cents.

Here in Montgomery County MD there are a grand total of 2 Costcos, neither of which sells gas. This is a county of a million people, directly next to DC. One of the two locations is actually attached to a mall in a super busy suburb called Wheaton. I’ve gone to that store a couple times and it’s such a circus I can’t bear to do it anymore. I just learned in googling why the hell neither Costco in this county has a gas station, that Costco tried to get permission for a gas station at the Wheaton store but they got NIMBY’d over the course of 8 years .

Textured Soy Protein > DasWauto 01/15/2020 at 16:19

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I guess they figured the truck with more regular would be there soon so no need to sell premium at a discount. 

Textured Soy Protein > Chariotoflove 01/15/2020 at 16:20

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Depending on where you go I’ve seen premium be anywhere from $0.70-1.10/gal more than regular. Since I don’t drive a ton of miles and only fill up every few weeks, I go where I know it’s going to be cheapest. But in a pinch, whatever, I’ll pay whatever is available when I needed. 

Textured Soy Protein > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/15/2020 at 16:21

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93 is pretty standard all over the east coast and midwest. When I lived in Wisconsin there was one chain called Kwik Trip that had ethanol-free 91 as their best option so it was kinda like, well I’m getting the no ethanol but it’s only 91 not 93. 

Khalbali > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:22

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I had that happen once but instead everybody just got premium for the price of normal so it was packed.

Textured Soy Protein > My bird IS the word 01/15/2020 at 16:23

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It’s a truly luxurious place.

(This google street view is from before this station’s recent switch from Gulf to Marathon branding.)

Chariotoflove > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:37

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Where I am it’s been a smaller differential than that, but your region is different than mine. Regardless,  I worry much less these days than when I was young and paid attention to $0.01 price differences.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:45

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If gas stations in my area run out of regular or supreme gas, they sell their premium at the price of regular.

Ash78, voting early and often > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 16:56

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Don’t get me started on the Cult of Costco. There’s about 1 thing in 100 where it really makes sense to buy (and you won’t throw half of it away). Like you, we eat a lot of clean/ fresh stuff, so until I have 8 kids I’m just not going to let all those peaches or strawberries go to waste :)

Our metro is about 1.3 million with one Costco. It’s 7 minutes from my house, but the stress takes a year off my life every time I go inside.

Discerning > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 17:10

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I remember when there was a brief gas shortage in Atlanta and I still had my Z06. I learned to look for the gas stations with the least amount of people because they almost always still had premium available. While others were lined up to the street, I was always able to pump immediately at the Shell with 93 only

gin-san - shitpost specialist > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/15/2020 at 17:42

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That’s what happened to me the only time I’ve been to a station that ran out of 87/89 octane.

Felt strange putting 91 in a Hyundai Accent. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > gin-san - shitpost specialist 01/15/2020 at 17:46

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Yup, can relate from doing the same to putting Premium in my Accent :P

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 18:25

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The Shell station near my house didn’t have premium for a time and I saw people (like me) drive up and leave.  Pretty soon they didn’t have mid-grade but had only regular and premium.  Not long after that they got new tanks. hmm.

facw > MiniGTI - now with XJ6 01/15/2020 at 21:35

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That’s a bit weird since mid-grade should just be a blend. Run out of premium or regular and you are also out of mid-grade because you can’t mix anymore. Maybe they turned of regular first to stretch their supply of regular a bit further by mixing?

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > facw 01/15/2020 at 22:41

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Also possible I don’t remember exactly right. It was probably at least 5 years ago 

GLiddy > Textured Soy Protein 01/15/2020 at 23:03

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I remember several years ago, when the fuel prices in the US were around $4/gal, pulling into a station and for once in my memory of using 87 octane I happened to glance at the price of the other grades. and saw that all the grades of gasoline were the same price. Actually, at that time the old engine in the Ford Windstar I was driving had started having an engine knock if I didn’t at least blend my usual 87 with some 91 or 93 octane, so I had no problem giving the old girl a tank full of 93 octane.

CB > Textured Soy Protein 01/16/2020 at 01:50

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I once went into an Esso last year that had a sign saying “sorry, we only have 91, so we’ll charge you the 87 price for it”. I was sad that I was only blessed with that while driving a Buick Encore.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Textured Soy Protein 01/16/2020 at 03:14

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i usually avoid going to a station on my way home, as it is usually full with a lot of others waiting.