"There is no competition in the oil market, so I cannot buy cheaper gas from a different station. The point this article's writer tries to make falls flat as an apples-and-oranges comparison."
Maybe where you live, but not around Houston.
Today, I can pay $2.56/gal at Sam's Club, or I can drive less than a mile and pay $3.09 at Shell station.
Maybe you need to shop around more.
Not like that around here. They ALL are within 2-3 cents of each other and ALL raise their rates on the same day. Within a few hours even.
Every gas station in my area is charging exactly the same price. To the cent. About 40 gas stations. Hell of a coincidence.