VALPARAISO | Jay Weinberg took protests of high gasoline costs to new heights Monday afternoon at the corner of Silhavy Road and Ind. 2. (Watch the video.)

The Valparaiso resident used a megaphone to decry soaring pump prices from the roof of the Family Express gas station. Weinberg, who was led away by police, had reached the roof with the help of a friend with a dump truck.

"Price gouging, so we're shouting, who's jacking up the cost of fuel. I can't afford it, I'm banging on my dashboard, I can't believe they think I'm a fool," sang Weinberg, a musician who led about 20 friends in song in the station's parking lot below. The protest also attracted dozens of onlookers at the busy intersection at rush hour.

Weinberg said he realizes that the stunt, which stopped traffic along Ind. 2 and created traffic jams along Silhavy, will not bring fuel costs down, but he said he has another motive.

"The voice of the people is unheard," shouted Weinberg from the top of the gas station's roof. "We have no outlets and you have to do something dramatic before people notice," he said.

People did notice, including the Valparaiso Police and Fire departments that were dispatched to the scene to remove Weinberg from the roof and control his group of friends. They were videotaping the event and calling friends on their cell phones.

Inside, station employees were annoyed.

"That's just what we need, another headline," said the employee who declined to give her name and said she had no comment about the stunt.

Weinberg was led down from the roof by firefighters. Police searched and handcuffed him after about 20 minutes of asking him to get down.

"I understand what you're doing and it's fine, but this is private property and you have to leave," Sgt. Perry Stone told Weinberg's friends.

Station patrons said they were fully aware of the high fuel costs and were not sure how climbing on the station's roof would help their pocketbooks.

"I don't know what good it's going to do. He'll just go to jail," said Bob Oestereich, of Valparaiso, who came to get gas and a coffee.

Friends of Weinberg said he planned to do the stunt again at a future site and the group followed him to the police station in support.

No one from the Family Express corporate office could be reached for comment Monday evening.