Gas Prices: Gouging or Capitalism?

Today's gas situation is pretty hurindous. The supply of gas is limited because of hurricane Ike shutting down oil refineries in Texas. However, the media and people's fear excellerated the gas shortage to mean "gas crisis" and everyone went into panic mode. Cars were driven to the closest gas stations and were sucked dry. This was an inconvinent situation, yes, but only until gas stations began to use the "gas crisis" to maxamize their profits. Stations started uping their prices and puting a limit on that pricey gas. Hurricane Ike hit on Friday, September 12, and days later the Race Trac in Habersham county raised the price of their unleaded gas from to $4.09. Today the price continues to rise. Soon after this happened, people began losing hold of their morals and manners. They now cuss and yell impacient absenities at other customers trying to fill up their tanks. Other people are so desperate for gas, they either travel out of the county to get it or follow gas trucks off the highways to gas stations, and wait for them to fill up the tanks. Some people even camp out over night at stations, hoping to nab a tank full when a truck comes early in the morning. All of these desperate measures are taken because not only is gas rare, but it's now very expensive. I think this is wrong. I think gas stations are gouging customers for gas. Just because a terrible situation has arisen, doesn't mean it's right to take advantage of people. It's not right in any situtation, so why do it? This is definitly gouging; this is not capitalism. Capitalism is dealing with supply and demand, not outragous theivery. Charging up to nine dollars a tank isn't going to solve anything. Gas stations won't make much money off of unfortunate drivers for long. Soon people will run out of money and no longer be able to afford the rarity that is gasoline. Rising prices only hurt situations like this, not helping it.