Is BP showing signs of strain?

Ok, I know I know, sure they are under pressure, but what signs, what cracks are showing in their public image?

Today I noticed that gas prices at the local BP ware a good 5 cents cheaper than the other gas stations. I would imagine this would be an attempt to draw in more customers, as they are losing money on the spill, and I do live in Alabama, so a lot of people are at least slightly upset with BP and are not buying their gas.

Now five cents may not sound like much to you, but I've seen people almost cause a wreck because they saw a cheaper gas price across the street from where they were initially going and changed their mind, even if the savings aren't too great. That's the real meat of this post, because, sadly, some people will be drawn in.

What about locally? If any of you notice this going on, feel free to let us all know!

On another note, isn't gas supposed to be set according to criteria (supply/demand etc), not by the supplier? The variances in gas prices often makes me wonder about just how much we are all getting screwed at the pump.