Service plaza price gouging

[Duke87]

One thing that can be valuable to be aware of is the fact that services on the highway are generally more expensive than those off of it. Sure, when you're on a long trip in an unfamiliar area, it's convenient to not have to get off the highway and go poking around for things, but you pay a price for that convenience which is sometimes very easy to avoid if you know what you're doing.

I offer a local example - the service plaza southbound on the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) between exits 10 and 9.
Price of a gallon of gas: $2.99
Total price of order at McDonalds: $12.58

Now here's the fun part. If one forgoes the service plaza and instead simply takes the next exit (9), one will find a gas station and a McDonalds basically right there (take a right at the end of the ramp, they're on your left).
Price of a gallon of gas: $2.89
Total price of order at McDonalds: $10.57

...and you see what I mean about price gouging. Well, there's your tip on how to avoid it in this particular instance.
Anyone have a similar comparison from their neck of the woods?

[Alps]

NJ Turnpike Authority:  Gas prices are set once a week at prevailing rates.  When they were spiralling out of control a few years ago, the prices were actually cheapest on the Turnpike - there are a couple of free plazas on the Parkway (MP 133) and they were jammed to the gills with deal-shoppers.  Now as for the food rates, those I believe are more expensive than off the system.  You can't regulate the price of a Big Mac the same way you regulate gallons of gas.

[NJRoadfan]

NJ Turnpike Authority:  Gas prices are set once a week at prevailing rates.  When they were spiralling out of control a few years ago, the prices were actually cheapest on the Turnpike - there are a couple of free plazas on the Parkway (MP 133) and they were jammed to the gills with deal-shoppers.  Now as for the food rates, those I believe are more expensive than off the system.  You can't regulate the price of a Big Mac the same way you regulate gallons of gas.

Even then, gas stations and fast food places right off of a major freeway exit usually have higher prices. The next location up the road is usually cheaper and reflects local pricing.

[realjd]

I would hardly consider a 10 cent difference in gas prices to be gouging. And like you said, you're paying extra for the convenience factor at McDonalds.

[Alps]

Even then, gas stations and fast food places right off of a major freeway exit usually have higher prices. The next location up the road is usually cheaper and reflects local pricing.

Depends.  Cheapest places I've found are on secondary highways - actually major commuter routes, but off the tourist/visitor highways.  Within towns tend to be quite expensive, because you have a captive audience.  In NJ, US 46 west and east of NJ 23 has some cheap gas along with NJ 3.  In Boston, the cheap gas is on Memorial Drive.  If you're just passing through NJ, you may end up on Route 3 and happen to stop at the cheap gas, but visitors to Boston never see Mem Drive.

[bugo]

The prices at the Oklahoma service plazas are about the same as other stores/gas stations/McDonald's in the area.

[rawmustard]

I don't think I've ever seen the eastern-most Indiana Toll Road service plazas' gas prices less than 20 cents more expensive than the stations in the vicinity of the interchange with I-69.

In general when I have time, I'll use the GasBuddy app to try to find the cheapest gas price in whatever area I'm in. When I was in the Rochester area Labor Day weekend, I had found the cheapest gas was in the area of West Henrietta and Brighton-Henrietta Town Line roads. Once I had entered the city of Rochester, I saw that prices there were over 20 cents per gallon more. Sometimes there are jurisdictional issues which will push prices higher than one might expect. The city of Chicago is notorious for having higher gas prices than the suburbs in this regard.

[PAHighways]

The PTC service plazas gasoline prices are usually 10¢-15¢ more than the off-Pike locations.

[allniter89]

I live in a town of about 20k with a interchange on I 10. It seems the prices at the interchange gas stations are 5-9 cents higher than if you go 2-4 miles up Ferdon Blvd. 39 attaboy points to the one that tell me which town I live in.

[jdb1234]

I live in a town of about 20k with a interchange on I 10. It seems the prices at the interchange gas stations are 5-9 cents higher than if you go 2-4 miles up Ferdon Blvd. 39 attaboy points to the one that tell me which town I live in.

That would mean you live in Crestview, FL.

[allniter89]

I live in a town of about 20k with a interchange on I 10. It seems the prices at the interchange gas stations are 5-9 cents higher than if you go 2-4 miles up Ferdon Blvd. 39 attaboy points to the one that tell me which town I live in.

That would mean you live in Crestview, FL.

39 attaboy points for jdb1234!!! You didnt cheat and look at my profile b4 I changed it didja?
How did you find it was Crestview?

[D-Dey65]

Back in June, when I was picking my parents up from LaGuardia Airport, I stopped at the Grand Central Parkway service area near Francis Lewis Boulevard, and though I was lucky that I didn't need gas, I bought a 20 oz.(I think) bottle of Pepsi there and it was a whopping $2. I'm still glad I didn't need or get gas there.


Here's the irony; A while back on a family drive up north, my parents and I stopped at an Exxon gas station off of I-95 in Maryland before eating lunch at a Friendly's on US 40. When we got back to I-95, my father and I(Mom went to sleep in the back seat) were surprised to find that gas at the Maryland House was cheaper than the gas station we pulled into. Usually we expected the opposite to be the case.

Slightly OT, there's a gas station in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Interstate Business 95, which is the last one before it ends at I-95, and the reciepts give the address for the station as being in "Fayetteville South Carolina!"

[allniter89]

Slightly OT, there's a gas station in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Interstate Business 95, which is the last one before it ends at I-95, and thee reciepts give the address for the station as being in "Fayetteville South Carolina!"

Why does the receipt have the wrong state on it? 
a--tax difference?
b--typo and too cheap to get new receipt tapes printed?
c--wishful thinking, wish they were in South instead North? I dunno why they would wish that but I'm just saying....
d--stupidity?
e--the actual reason is _______________. 

[Brandon]

In Illinois, the on-tollway gas stations tend to be comparable with the off-tollway gas stations for pricing.  Food is similar as well.  It's very easy here to leave the tollway instead of stopping at an oasis for food and/or gas.

[exit322]

I don't think I've ever seen the eastern-most Indiana Toll Road service plazas' gas prices less than 20 cents more expensive than the stations in the vicinity of the interchange with I-69.

And it's usually well more than a dime higher than the other ITR plazas!  It's crazy.  I have noticed, though, that the food prices at the ITR plazas, while higher than off the toll road, aren't all that bad.  Especially compared with the state to the east.  While the Ohio Turnpike gas prices aren't bad, I think their food prices are crazy.