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Are Those High Gas Prices Ever Going To Come Down?

Update as of 9 a.m. on Oct. 6: Record high gas prices were set Saturday across Southern California. In Los Angeles County, the price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $4.66 and just a penny less in Orange County. Click here to read more.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Gas prices go up.

Consumer frustration also goes up.

What goes up, must come down. But in the meantime, consumers try to cope.

Southern Californians are paying the highest prices in the nation currently. And experts say that pain at the pump will last a little while longer.

Find The Lowest Gas Prices Near You

One station in Calabasas is charging the highest rate in LA County -- nearly $6 for a gallon.

Reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9, Amanda Burden went to the station and called it a virtual ghost town.

She said cars peeled in but peeled right out when they saw the sign for $5.79 a gallon for regular. Said one customer, "I can't believe this! $5.79 a gallon? Oh my God!"

Said another, "Crap! I've never seen it so high. This is unbelievable."

It gets worse. Super costs $5.99.

Tanya Barkhordar and her family own Low-P Gas. They had to close shop Wednesday when they ran out of fuel and couldn't get another delivery from refineries.

Says Barkhordar, "They were telling us there was no gas in the last 48 hours. We couldn't get gas in on Tuesday if we wanted to."

While some stations shut down to ride out the price increases, Burkhordar said when fuel became available Thursday she took the plunge and bought up a lot of fuel at a high price.

AAA is monitoring the price increases -- on average nearly 10 cents in just the past 24 hours.

California prices continue to go up, while prices in the rest of the country to head downward.

AAA tells Burden that the higher prices are a result of refinery power outages, a fire in Northern California, and low fuel inventory as stations switch from summer to winter blends.

At these prices, customers are inclined to fill up their tanks. Said one, "I'm going to stop filling it up because I don't want to spend any more money right now."

There is one site that helps consumers find the lowest gas prices in their area.

Go to cbsla.com/gas to find low gas prices as well as the highest priced gas, discounts and specials.

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