Buying gas late at night

Working in finance for so long has made me have some personal quirks.  For example, if I know the price of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is say 55 cents a box at one store, and 50 cents a box at another store, I don’t think of this being a five cent difference.  This means I immediately translate this into being this is 10% more at one store over the other store’s price.  Needless to say I find myself doing crazy things when it comes to buying gas.

I live and work in affluent parts of town.  When I saw affluent, I mean I work in a very affluient part of town, and I live in a nicer neighborhood.  What this really translate into that gas is more expensive in my neighborhood and where I work than the places inbetween.  Dramatically so.  Prices were I work are 20% higher than the going rate, and where I live this translate into 10% overage in pricing.  I find this frustrating because I feel as if I am getting gouged for living out in the burbs.

Living in Houston means living in an area where there are rings of the city.  This means driving from one “nicer” area of town to the other, and not stopping inbetween, especially after dark.  I had unfortunately miscalculated my time one particular evening and failed to buy gas where I should have.  So I was going to run out of gas, and still had to get home.  This left me stopping in the area of town where I really hate stopping after dark.  I have personally known people who have had their vehicles broken into in these parts.  But being faced with running out of gas or not, well I opted to go ahead and stop.

I hated that I felt like I was in emminate danger in my own city from stopping for gas.  I bypassed one gas station due to low lighting, and folks just hanging out there without vehicles for another gas station.  It was better lit, and no one was just hanging out.  While I filled up with gas, I actually got into my car, and locked the door.  Which conjured up a variety of thoughts, why would I intentionally put myself in harms way over a buck fifty at most? Why can’t I feel safe in my own town? Why must I feel like I am doing wrong when I am getting gas after dark?

Why are there areas so close to each other where we have a sense of security and why are there other places you don’t want to be caught in period.  Why are there areas of just prosperity, and then disparity right next door to each other?  I find this so frustrating on so many levels.  What can I do as an individual to work on this?  I honestly don’t have a ton of answers right now.    It is amazing what the simple act of buying gas can do.