Ray's Conoco is run and owned by Ray, who, despite his Salvation Army wardrobe, unkempt and oily hair, and nasty stained teeth, is relatively wealthy. A great deal of his wealth comes from his store being the only one in town that sells pornography (in a room which a person must be an adult to enter).
Ray's Conoco is more than just a gas station: it is an entire culture. Actually, it is the cultural epicenter of Iola, Kansas. All sorts of people from different backgrounds mingle together. On weekends Ray's Conoco is more often than not the meeting place for various teenagers. But with all of the different classes passing through Ray's doors (and sometimes cars pass through his windows), one culture dominates Ray's as it dominates Iola: the White Trash culture.