If you are like most people you are suspicious of the oil companies and the way they do business. Most people are in favour of free-enterprise as long as it benefits them and don't want the government interfering in their lives. However, as soon as something occurs they don't like they start clamouring for government controls and interference. Interestingly, most people don't see the inherent hypocrisy in this.
Where the oil companies really shoot themselves in the foot and raise the ire of the citizenry is the duplicitous way in which they raise and lower costs at the pump. It seems that when the price of oil drops, the decrease has to work its way through the system. This at least makes sense as the cost of the fuel in on-site storage has not changed as it has already been paid for.
But, when the price of oil goes up, the price of fuel at the pump is immediately raised with the company citing "market forces". Hmmm.... using the argument that the oil company used to keep prices up whilst the price of oil worked it's way through the system -- should not the increased price have to work it's way through the system?
Therein lies the essential dichotomy and hypocrisy of the pricing of fuel - going up always responds immediately to the price of oil and going down has to work it's way through the system...
This is what raises the ire of the citizenry. In addition, when you then consider this against the backdrop of the profits made by the big 5 oil companies:
Comparing the profits of the big 5 oil companies and then considering the pain felt by the citizens at the pumps, it is no wonder that people hate and consider the oil companies to be dishonest. To top it all off, there was the effort by the automotive sector to eliminate or reduce public transit to drive people into the car and you can see how we ended up in this situation.
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