The cost of gas just keeps on climbing, with Coastal Empire stations today charging up to $3.70 a gallon.  You may be quick to blame on gas station owners and managers.  But as NEWS 3'S Tristan Tully found out, individual gas stations actually have no control over the prices, and say they're also losing money because of the ever-rising prices.

When you're feeling pain at the pump, don't shoot the messenger.  Pierce Mason, a local Chu's Gas Station Manager says customers come into the store all the time telling him exactly how they feel and that it's his fault, "Oh, absolutely, absolutely.  Its unfortunate people think that but we catch a lot of flack from people about this."

Pierce says he can't repeat on TV what upset drivers actually say to him.  But he does want people to know that he doesn't call the shots when it comes to constant price hikes, "The gas prices change when I receive a call from the corporate office.  We as managers don't set the prices.  We don't make that decision."

Driver and Savannah neighbor Rebecca Peacock has seen others react with anger over rising fuel costs, "They maybe need to read the news more often or watch the news more often and then they would understand that it's not the store's fault of the manager's fault - it's the government."

But she admits, the prices are hurting her family's budget, too, "Financially a lot because just the gas prices, you know, putting gas in the vehicle to go anywhere, it's just like you are going to Atlanta and back and your just going across town and back, especially in a big truck."

And as for those phone calls pierce gets -

Pierce Mason, Chu’s Gas Station Manager:
"The phone call will normally come from my supervisor and he'll get the information normally from a gas distributor."

And if you think the gas stations are making a large profit from the rise in prices, think again.  We were told by one manager that no matter what the cost of gas, the stations only make half a cent for every gallon sold.