# Spirit Gas **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770 "2012-01-26T20:20:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/1 "2012-01-26T20:20:04Z")
This might belong in GQ, but I’ll start here, since it isn’t very important, just my curiosity. There is a Spirit gas station near our house. Their prices are far above any of the other stations around, sometimes as much as $0.50. The don’t sell anything else. The gas isn’t higher octane than any other station. The tankers that fill their storage tanks are the same ones that fill the cheap stations. I very rarely see a car at their pumps. Anyone know their story? Shall we make some up? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/2 "2012-01-26T20:31:07Z")
No, but am I the only one who thought the thread was going to be about ghostly farts? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/3 "2012-01-26T20:32:08Z")
A quick Google search on “Spirit gas station” yields several hits on Yelp and Foursquare where people comment on cheap gas prices at Spirit, so it suggests that high prices aren’t a corporate thing for them. Money laundering? A front for a covert operation? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/4 "2012-01-26T20:44:19Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A quick Google search on “Spirit gas station” yields several hits on Yelp and Foursquare where people comment on cheap gas prices at Spirit, so it suggests that high prices aren’t a corporate thing for them. > > Money laundering? A front for a covert operation? That’s what I thought, my boring husband says it probably has a corporate customer base. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/5 "2012-01-26T21:08:12Z")
Incorporeal toots?! Ahh, I see I was beaten to the punch, unfortunately. Never heard of them. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/6 "2012-01-26T21:36:46Z")
It’s likely they make all their money off repairs, and the only reason they still sell gas at all is as a convenience to customers who want their tank filled at the same time. Or, that’s what they WANT you to believe :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/7 "2012-01-26T22:04:22Z")
We have a couple gas stations that advertise that they don’t contain ethanol, and they’re about 30 or 40 cents a gallon higher. StG ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/8 "2012-01-26T22:17:11Z")
Is it full-service only? The premium then is for the privilege of having an attendant. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/9 "2012-01-26T22:21:39Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > It’s likely they make all their money off repairs, and the only reason they still sell gas at all is as a convenience to customers who want their tank filled at the same time. > > Or, that’s what they WANT you to believe :dubious: Nope, only gas, no garage. Theydon’t even sell soft drinks. You pump it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/10 "2012-01-26T23:34:09Z")
The concept with selling 100% gas and using something other than alcohol (as an oxyginator) is that mileage will be increased enough to offset the cost increase. People burning E85 can probably attest to the lower mileage from alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/11 "2012-01-27T02:03:19Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > The concept with selling 100% gas and using something other than alcohol (as an oxyginator) is that mileage will be increased enough to offset the cost increase. People burning E85 can probably attest to the lower mileage from alcohol. I believe, in Washington state, gas is required to contain ethanol in the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/12 "2012-01-27T02:19:36Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I believe, in Washington state, gas is required to contain ethanol in the winter. No, the Spirit in Wedgewood (and I think Ballard) are ethanol-free. There’s a small handful of places in the Puget Sound area that sell gas that way. [This site](http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=WA) lists 158 ethanol-free stations in Washington. I regularly visit the Wedgewood location to fill up my motorcycle, especially this time of year when it doesn’t get used as much. It’s a European make, and is known for killing fuel pumps. There’s reasonable speculation on the boards that it’s the oxygenated fuel doing it, something apparently they don’t give a lot of consideration to in Austria. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/13 "2012-01-27T03:50:08Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > No, but am I the only one who thought the thread was going to be about ghostly farts? “… I feel so… [Funky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=j2nYqyfDMnQ#t=73s)…!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/14 "2012-01-27T06:14:28Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > No, the Spirit in Wedgewood (and I think Ballard) are ethanol-free. There’s a small handful of places in the Puget Sound area that sell gas that way. [This site](http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=WA) lists 158 ethanol-free stations in Washington. > > I regularly visit the Wedgewood location to fill up my motorcycle, especially this time of year when it doesn’t get used as much. It’s a European make, and is known for killing fuel pumps. There’s reasonable speculation on the boards that it’s the oxygenated fuel doing it, something apparently they don’t give a lot of consideration to in Austria. Thank you for fighting my ignorance. The Wedgwood\* location is the one I’m referring to. I swim at the Meadowbrook pool every day, so I notice it often. - believe it or not, there is only one “e” in Wedgwood. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spirit-gas/610770/15 "2012-01-27T06:22:29Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Thank you for fighting my ignorance. > > - believe it or not, there is only one “e” in Wedgwood. Damnit! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. I even had it right before I went back and ‘fixed’ it.:mad: