Not so evil when you consider that the gas station owner/operator is also going thru a "tough time".
He's got to pay for his next 5,000 gallon tank -- at what will probably still be an inflated price (because his distributor is coping with the same supply problem). That's if he can get any at all, of course. And, if he can't, his business (and family) will have to go without.
So, what would you have him do? Give it away? At a loss? And run out even sooner?
When there is a disparity between demand and supply, prices rise so as to ration the product. That's what the free market system you abhor does -- better than any government rationing system ever could.
Just because there's an Exxon sign out front doesn't mean that the guy who owns/runs the station isn't trying to run a profitable business, pay his bills and feed his family.
Question in this area. When gas was much less we were always told the local guy made very little on a gallon, and, obviously there was less room to jack up that little by more little. Today, at $4.00 a gallon, is it any easier for the local guy to double his penny-or whatever it is?
If he thinks he can't make any money off that gas or he might lose costumers maybe, he shouldn't buy it? (they claim they don't make much anyway)
When the news gets back to the corporate official that Ahmed, the station owner, doesn't want his overpriced gas load, then we'll see if the price remains overly high.
Yes, I realize the distributor will find someone, somewhere to buy his overpriced gas (hopefully at great expense) but, Ahmed won't lose any costumers who might think he's trying to get over on them.
Supply and demand works both ways.