Time and again the major fuel retailers maintain they are powerless against the global forces that supposedly dictate the price of petrol.

And then this happens.

On Friday, the Coles Express in Edward Street slashed the price of unleaded petrol by almost 30 cents a litre.

While competitors in town were charging between 150c and 160c, the Coles Express was offering fuel at 130.9c a litre.

The cut-price petrol sparked a mad rush as word got around on social media that quite possibly the cheapest fuel in the country was available right here in Wagga.

The fuelling frenzy continued to about 4pm at which time the price shot up to 158.9c before settling at 150.9c.

So, what happened? Did staff stumble across a barrel in the backroom that was purchased in the 1980s?

As expected, Coles shed absolutely no light of the issue when contacted by The Daily Advertiser, merely saying it always seeks to provide competitive prices, or some such guff.

Many linked it to a so-called "national fuel strike" organised online for Friday and Saturday in protest at the record high prices seen around the country.

The aim of the strike, which had reportedly attracted tens of thousands of participants, was to boycott buying petrol to punish retailers for the high prices.

But whatever the reason for the yo-yoing price at Coles Express on Friday, it confirms that when it comes to petrol, we are being taken for a ride.

All the best for the week ahead, Ross.