There's a shortage of gas in California and consumers are beginning to feel the pinch.

CBS LA:

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.

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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.

Gas may be heading downard but with the average price per gallon in the US currently at $3.804, it will be a while before consumers get real relief.

Meanwhile, gas went up 19 cents a gallon in the San Diego area last night. And people are starting to wonder if we'll ever see reasonable gas prices again.