Gas prices are soaring – but one Los Angeles gas station is taking it to the extreme | Los Angeles

It’s tempting to think that a gas station charging more than $8 per gallon is a glamorous Los Angeles curiosity. It’s like shopping at Erewhon, the healthy grocery chain that amazes with a premium experience and orders for up to $22 per smoothie.

But there’s nothing glamorous about the 901 N Alameda Street station. It’s nothing more than a dirty Chevron on the edge of Los Angeles’ Chinatown, regularly in the news to illustrate the high cost of fuel in California. At noon Tuesday, the station charged $8.31 for a gallon of regular gasoline.

Gasoline prices have increased since the US and Israel attacked Iran AAA data. But the Alameda Avenue station is a case in point: The average price in Los Angeles hovers around $5.37.

An officer who did not want to give his name said that the station’s high prices were due to its location in the city center. But he demurred when asked why stations just two miles away were selling much cheaper gasoline.

Unsurprisingly, the station was largely abandoned. A homeless man bought a bottle of Pepsi. Two cars approached the pumps and drove away. Only a few customers purchased gas during the 40-minute period. One of them was a battered woman in a black SUV with Nevada license plates. He quickly pumped in some fuel and headed for Union Station, about two blocks away. The other was Alex Markarian, who works in the Los Angeles County assessor’s office near Grand Park.

“I honestly didn’t pay attention to the price when I walked in,” he said. Markarian expressed regret that he couldn’t wake up in time to fill up his Prius near his home in Pomona before heading to the office. He ended up pumping 4.1 gallons (enough to get back safely) and paid $34.56. “It’s at least $3 a gallon cheaper where I live,” he said. He calculated that he paid $12 in taxes “for being lazy.”

A content creator arrived and started capturing footage. The clerk refused to give the owner’s contact information and said they were not interested in interviews. “This is private property,” he said.

Soon a police cruiser appeared with its lights on. The content creator took to the public sidewalk.

The Chevron station is owned by Joe Bezerra Jr’s Hawk II Environmental Group. Public records show the Bezerra family has long operated independent fuel stations in Southern California. Attempts to contact Bezerra and other family members were unsuccessful.

Online reviews indicate that the Hawk II may have a habit of rubbing customers the wrong way. A. Postman blown up He charges her $1 for a small amount of ice at the Hacienda Heights station. Others complained about exorbitant gas prices in various regions. One critic said the Alameda station was a scam. Some potential customers They claimed it was a scam or price gouging.

An LA County consumer and business affairs spokesperson says high prices can be frustrating at this station, but they’re probably not illegal Keven Chavez. Businesses can charge high prices or even increase them significantly, and unless these increases are due to a federal, state, or local declared emergency, they likely won’t be considered a price gouging violation.

AAA spokeswoman Kandace Redd also said it’s not a crime and it’s not a surprise that gas stations close to each other charge different prices. “[Prices] “Gas stations in busy areas near highways, airports, tourist attractions or downtown areas generally charge higher prices,” Redd said.

Indeed, Bezzera’s Chevron is wedged between touristy Olvera Street and Philippe the Original, a Los Angeles institution famous for its French dip sandwiches. Redd states that the higher cost may be due to higher rent and operating costs in this area.

Moreover, when spring comes, California stations are forced to switch to another channel. summer mix Gas formula that is more environmentally friendly in hot weather but also more costly to produce. Naturally, the increase in costs is reflected on the consumer. Redd recommends comparison shopping with AAA’s free app, which shows where stations are located and what they’re charging in real time.

While few people have the stomach to empathize with a hawkish owner, it’s also worth noting that station owners often have a small margin on gasoline, just pennies per gallon. In California, about 90 cents per gallon goes to a combination of local, state and federal taxes. Most of the rest goes to oil producers, as well as costs associated with refining, distributing and marketing gasoline, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores, a trade group representing the gas station and convenience store industry. On the other hand, property owners invest it in drinks and snack foods. Profit margins can easily exceed 40%.

Chevron downtown potentially made more from the homeless man’s Pepsi purchase than it did from Markarian’s fuel. But that doesn’t make Markarian feel any better.

“I won’t stop here for gas again, that’s for sure,” he said.