for your information

[Joe]

I know this isn't a woodworking post, but I thought it was worth passing on.

Please see below and verify your gas receipts when you gas up.

> Cheating at the gas pumps (PRINT OUT YOUR RECEIPTS!!!) > > > > This email was sent to me by a friend whose cousin is the LA fire > > captain. > > > > This is true. It happened to them three weeks ago somewhere in Pomona on > > our way to Pechanga. The pump should have totaled @ $68.00 (and change). > > When the receipt was printed, and she checked it was $ 77.00 (and > > change).. > > > > She got mad, went inside the store, asked for a calculator and let them > > do the math. They refunded her. she told them that if they cheat, they > > had better make it right. Normally, her husband would skip printing the > > receipt. Not her.. > > > > We saw on the news the other night that this is happening everywhere. > > > > Brian pumped exactly one gallon of gas. The price did not match the cost > > of one gallon. It was higher. He went inside and complained, got a > > refund. > > > > There is also a number on each pump that you can call and complain. > > > > This is a true story, so read it carefully. > > > > On April 24, 2008, I stopped at a BP gas station in GA. My truck's gas > > gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the mid-grade, which was priced at > > $3.71 per gallon.. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere > > around 14 gallons to fill it up. > > > > When the pump showed 14 gallons had been pumped, I began to slow it > > down. > > Then, to my surprise, it went to 15, then 16. I even looked under my > > truck to see if it was being spilled. It was not. > > > > Then it showed 17 gallons on the pump. It stopped at 18 gallons. This > > was > > very strange to me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank.. I went > > on > > my way a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that > > 1 out of 4 gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas had > > been pumped than a person actually got. > > > > Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount: > > > > Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 GALLONS in your tank, then > > look at the dollar amount. If the dollar amount is not EXACTLY 10 times > > the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the pumps are rigged. > > > > In my case, as I said, the mid-grade was $3.71 9/10 per gallon; my > > dollar > > amount for 10 gallons should have been $37.19. I wish I had checked the > > pump. It doesn't matter where you pump gas..please check the 10 gallon > > price. If you do find a station that is cheating, contact the state > > Agriculture Department, and direct your comments to the > > Commissioner....the info is on the gas pumps. > > > > Please don't delete this until you have sent it to all people in your > > address book. We need to put a stop to this outrageous cheating of > > customers. The gas companies are making enough profits at honest rates.

[salty]

From an urban legends reference page, in diorect response to the above fairy tale:

It's rather difficult to verify whether some anonymous person in Georgia truly encountered a malfunctioning gas pump (and whether his report of same was accurate), but the Georgia Department of Agriculture told us that the pumps at the station referenced in the e-mail had been checked by that agency's Fuel and Measures Section in November 2007 and were re-checked (in response to this e-mail) in May

2008 and in both cases were found to be operating according to standards:

Our Fuel and Measures Section has looked into these claims against the station in Cartersville. The station in question was inspected on November 29, 2007 and all the pumps were found to be accurate. The station was inspected again on May 5, 2008 and again all pumps were found to be accurate.

[sweet sawdust]

This does happen, I had it happen at a local station. 10 gal tank on truck will hold 12 gal when completely dry. Tank was 3/4 empty when I went in to fill up, I should have needed between 6 to 8 gal depending on how the gauge was feeling that day and how closely I had read it. Gas pump read 12 gal when I had finished. I complained to clerk and they took my name and info. They also shut down the pump. Two days latter I stopped in again and was given a refund for the difference in what I should have gotten and a free soft drink. They were also giving out refunds to anyone with a receipt from that pump. Explanation was that the pump had been given its regular checkup and and had been set wrong by the Dept of Ag's guy. It's not always the stations fault and most honest ones will do the right thing if given the chance.

[salty]

It "can" happen. The original poster was trying to insinuate that Gas staions do tis on purpose and are all out to defraud you. It's rare, and when pumps malfunction, it's just as likely to be in your favor, as it is to work against you.

I think statistically, a car's gas gauge and it's primitive sending unit is probabaly far less reliable than gas station pumps, which at least get inspected and calibrated occasionally.

When was the last time you checked the accuracy of your gas gauge? Dioes it even read out in any meaningful increments? Can you determine the difference between 5.5 gallons in it and 6 gallons? That would only require accuracy to within a half a gallon, for cry-eye. My 2008 car has used half a tank when it reads 3/4 full. That's completely normal.

I'd be far more concerned about the guy at the deli counter with his thumb on the scale when he weighs your cold cuts.

[sweet sawdust]

I agree on the accuracy of gas gauges. My 25 year old model can be off by as much as 10 gal for a 10 gal tank and at best is only a guess. I do keep a rough log of mileage though and so have a idea of about what I need to fill the tank. In the case I mentioned the pump was off by about 25%, a major screwup. It just goes to show that very few people pay attention to what is going on around them since I was the first to mention it and it had been calibrated the day before. Yes if it had been reading the other way and I caught it I would have brought it to their notice, but would have been much less likely to notice it thinking it was a faulty gauge or bad bookkeeping on my part. Around here a charge of "gouging" will quickly bring in the state boys with an accountant to check your books, never a happy event. What I fail to understand is how gas bought from the same distributor and hauled on the same trucks can vary by as much as 30 cents in a 5 mile stretch of road. I seems that the stations that sell the most ( by an interstate or so forth) charge the most. There is even one boat dock a short distance from me that has gas on the lake for less then the regular stations, even 5 cents less then the pumps on the road at the same dock, and close to 75 cents to a dollar less the marina about 4 miles away. I do not understand how gas is priced at all.

[DGDevin]

Moreover he claimed a news report said a quarter of all the stations in the country are intentionally setting their pumps to cheat the customer--of course no link or documentation was offered in support. This whole thing reads like a classic urban myth chain e-mail. I'm amazed at how many people buy into these things, it's like falling for a Nigerian 419 scam, how can anyone be that dumb not to spot the warnings signs?

[salty]

The first law of email scams is that any email that ends by urging you to tell everybody in your address book, is AUTOMATICALLY a fraud.

[Casper]

H have personally never experienced this nor know anyone who has.

However, here is my two cents ...

Recently the Cincinnati area endured days without power as a result of Ike. Over 1.2 million lost power. On the very first day the power started going out, gas prices rose as high as .40 cents a gallon in my area. That's from $3.59 to $3.99 within hours. Odd considering gas prices in areas with power did not rise.

Personally I feel warm and fuzzy knowing my business neighbors extended all they could to help us in a time of crisis by charging more money to fuel our emergency vehicles and generators.

If I had known, I would have stayed on the east coast where gas was $3.30/gal and had power for the week to enjoy a hot shower.

After years of suffering power outages, often weekly, Cincinnati is NOW investigating underground electric options. As a favorite comedian of mine once said, ".. things that make you go, hmmm..".

Train your mind to test every thought, ideology, train of reasoning, and claim to truth.

[Rusty]

----- Original Message ----- From: "Casper" Newsgroups: rec.woodworking Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:35 AM Subject: Re: for your information

In the old days you just bought gas at any temperature in the winter you got more gas for your money in the summer less now they do it at 70 degrees