A gasoline price war erupted in St. Mary's County last week after one station slashed its price for regular to $1.999 a gallon and spurred three others to follow suit, giving drivers some hope of relief at the pump.
But the price dip proved fleeting.
Maryland regulators quickly stepped in and told the stations that their prices were too low. They needed to go up by 5 cents.
In as much time as it takes to fill the tank of an SUV, prices at BJ's Wholesale Club, Sheetz and two Wawa outlets bounced to $2.049 a gallon.
That's right... Maryland has a law which prevents gas stations from having price wars and going too low! Unfortunately for me, Wisconsin has a similar law. My family has recounted numerous stories over the years about some local gas stations who used to go to war with each other trying to out do each other to the bottom. Why on Earth would someone pass a law against this? Ask the independent gas station owners. I say if you can't compete, then you shouldn't survive. I want cheap gas. By the way, it's also illegal in Maryland to give away free coffee with a tank of gas. So much for market innovation.
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