Over a decade ago I photoshopped this fake image as part of a 2011 April Fool’s Day joke post at this website. Working from an iPhone snap, I flipped some digits on the then-crazy prices on the sign to make it look like the price was almost $10/gallon. I fooled quite a few people — more than I expected. Even more ironic, the photoshopped fake prices were picked up by right wing disinformation bloggers and turned into a fake news meme about California gas prices. (I found out when the media contacted me for interviews about it.)
Here we are, approaching April Fool’s Day 2022, and the price at this always-outrageously-priced gas station is now actually higher than the then-unbelievable price in my fake photograph! An online gas price tracker that I checked just listed $9.99/ gallon there!
Yes, gas prices are high. No, they are not that high, even in California. I would never buy gas at this price-gouging station. It usually has the highest price in the state, and this is the worst season for pricing there. I’d at least drive to Stovepipe Wells, where park concessionaire price controls make it $1 or $2 cheaper. Better yet, drive across the border to Nevada if your plans take you out that way. And tank up on your way into the park!
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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