My whole life California has received a bad rap because of high gas prices. Well, to be completely honest, the gas prices here aren't much higher than in Denver (especially when you compare areas like Cherry Creek to Beverly Hills where there really is no difference). Gas stations here have one key difference: Free air and water (to customers [who buy even 5 cents of gas]).
For anyone with a leaky tire or overheating car (of which I've had many) free air and water is a blessing. Yeah, gas station attendants here may refuse to give you change for a dollar nine out of ten times but hey, that's a small price to pay to pump up that low tire or fill up that busted radiator for free.