If everyone agrees that it's "fair" for companies to price gouge customers, I presume it's equally "fair" for customers (aka american citizens) to demand their elected representatives to tax the crap out of exxon's profits. When in Rome... I hope I am not going to hear any more whining on this forum how taxing the rich and big business is "unfair".
This is why I own oil/oil services companies long term. I have made more off of Haliburton going up than I have lost from paying 3.00$/gallon for gas. What I have figured out is that nobody is going to do what you think is fair, not companies, not the government, no one. So you are better off hedging your expenses to whatever extent you can.
================= Nice chart, especially since compared some big oil company charts, when the price of gas was pre 1976/pre $00.76. The cashier @ BP told me once ''you didnt buy much gas'' and told her, on my way to free BP coffee, with minimum purchase; ''you are right ''i told that BP cashier, but ''i remember when gas[leaded] was $oo.29.9 per gallon .'' Confirmed that on your reasonably accurate chart; uptrends & downtrends on stock price then.