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Old gas pumps can't handle ever-rising prices

hosted.ap.org — Mom-and-pop service stations are running into a problem as gasoline marches toward $4 a gallon: Thousands of old-fashioned pumps can't register more than $3.99 on their spinning mechanical dials

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  • WiseWeasel, on 05/13/2008, -6/+107I've been more pissed off at stations that limit me to $50 on my credit card. I've had to change gas stations because the one I usually went to only let me fill about 2/3 of my tank on a single charge.
    • Phyltre, on 05/13/2008, -28/+10I never fill up more than 2/3 of a tank, to be honest. Although I guess if you were on long trips it would be best to fill up.
      • alittleroy101, on 05/13/2008, -2/+34I'm seriously curious: what is the logic behind this?
        • ataylor32, on 05/13/2008, -3/+18I think he means that he usually fills up when he's at half a tank rather than waiting until it's just about empty. There are logical reasons for doing this, one being that bringing the fuel too low will wear out the fuel pump faster
          • peevegrider, on 05/13/2008, -5/+2Its also better to fill up at 1/2 tank rather than going lower because the gas left in the tank decreases the amount of fumes that can be stuffed into the tank, allowing you to theoretically get more into your tank.

            Same concept as pumping slower rather than faster when you do fill up. The slower you pump, the less evaporation is going on, and the less you pay for said gallons to fill up you tank. Little stuff like that adds up at $4/gallon.
          • expert01, on 05/13/2008, -1/+14Running the car out of fuel may shorten the fuel pump's life, but having it low won't. He means that he never fills his tank more than 2/3 the way full, most likely because the extra weight of the fuel brings your mileage down.
          • theeldest, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2@ expert01

            Running it low can, in some vehicles, shorten the fuel pump's life. Some cars have the fuel pump submerged in the gasoline to cool it. So when the fuel level gets too low, the pump is no longer being cooled effectively.

            I had two go out in one vehicle because I don't fill up until it gets way low. And that car only had about 80,000 miles on it (and no history of bad fuel pumps).

            I had another car that I ran to 212,000 miles and drove until I stopped (completely empty) multiple times, and never once replaced the fuel pump.
        • Buckiller, on 05/13/2008, -2/+4It's lighter?
      • Muncher, on 05/13/2008, -3/+4Uh, why?
        • Muncher, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1I swear, alittleroy101 beat me by like two seconds.
      • AngelBunny, on 05/13/2008, -2/+20you're kidding right? lets say you fill up at $3.95 a gallon but next week it will be $4.05 a gallon. Then wouldn't it be smarter to fill up as much as you can NOW when the gas is cheaper instead of later when the gas is more expensive?
        • rrbest, on 05/13/2008, -6/+3It doesnt really matter how he fills up, in the long run it will make no difference. However because his car is carrying less weight at all times, he's burning slightly less fuel per gallon.
      • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -1/+15You waiting for prices to fall so you can fill up the last 1/3?
        • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -2/+4LOL I always fill up as much as I can because I feel prices are just going up the next week anyway. I filled up at AU$1.43 litre a couple days ago and the next day an article on a popular online news website were predicting petrol prices to rise to AU$1.65. -,-" with a week or two.
      • orangefly, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3actuall y less gas is less weight, so better gas milage....i don't know how much of a difference it makes....
        • Butros, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6I think it's like 10 pounds a gallon.
          • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2No... a gallon of water is eight pounds, and gasoline is not heavier than water. Gasoline weighs about six pounds per gallon.
      • Yodaisking, on 05/13/2008, -2/+15Its actually bad to always keep your tank low, causes the inside to rust out and then sediment builds up which clogs the fuel filter and injectors. Yes I used to be a mechanic.
        • TheCasablancan, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3Why would a gas tank rust inside because of having a low tank? Water Vapor seeping in?
          • charlie55, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6water vapor doesnt need to seep in, it is already in air. yunno, humidity. so any empty space in your tank has moisture in it and water can condense on the wall of the tank.
          • Yodaisking, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1and theres also water in the gas! not as much as diesel tho....
        • BoneStamp, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1In many cars, your fuel pump is submerged in your gasoline for cooling purposes... not having enough gasoline will cause your fuel pump to overheat and eventually burn out.
    • rebattim, on 05/13/2008, -4/+12I know, if they are worried about drive-offs then they should install more cameras not limit how much money you can spend on one purchase. $50 will definitely not fill most pick-up trucks or SUVs.
      • alittleroy101, on 05/13/2008, -0/+8He said on his credit card. I would imagine he is swiping it first and the pump stops at $50.00. He then needs to reswipe. So I don't think drive offs are the issue.
      • FrozenKetchup, on 05/13/2008, -0/+16Ummm you missed the point, drive offs are impossible when you use a credit card. The limit is supposed to help if your credit card gets stolen, by limiting the purchase. I don't know a place that isn't pre-pay now.
        • crapmatic, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Well, I've seen a couple of gas stations that had handwritten notes attached to the pre-pay pump saying "Do not assume your gas is paid for -- if you do not get a receipt, you must see cashier". Beats me what that's all about.
        • Skootles, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Having worked at a gas station for almost two years, just because you use a credit card at the pump does NOT mean it is impossible to drive away and not have paid for your gas. There can be networks errors that aren't translated correctly to the pump, or even shown to the person using the pump, and like crapmatic said, the station I used to work at now has that exact sign on every pump.
        • jstem1994, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1My SuperAmerica on the way to work isn't prepay, and that's why I use them. They don't assume I'm a criminal until proven otherwise. And if you can reswipe the card, what's the difference? A $50 and $20 charge, or a $70 charge?
        • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2"There can be networks errors that aren't translated correctly to the pump,"

          That seems to be the stations problem, not mine. Get your ***** working right if you want your money.
      • superal1394, on 05/13/2008, -0/+650 dollars doesnt fill up my little Subaru.
        • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4Yeah, my G35 cost about $65 to fill up last week. 20 gallon tank, usually takes around 17 gallons to fill up. Those little wimpy Yaris and Fits are starting to look alot more attractive these days.
        • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -0/+9Tell you what, I'll buy you a yaris and you can give me the G35.
        • redfred18t, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1I filled my Jetta up the other day. Total was $50.00

          This is getting outrageous. Back when I first got the car, I could fill it and it only cost me $25 and this was only 4 years ago.
        • jer2eydevil88, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1I have a Chevy Prizm and its little 12 gallon tank costs me $40 to fill up from completely empty... I try to time it so that I never need more than 8 gallons and it never costs me more than $30
      • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -0/+7Here in Australia people are starting to steal number plates so they can do drive offs. I guess it is because it cost around $100 to fill a large car's tank, these days.
    • Mikeh78, on 05/13/2008, -1/+14I have seen alot of gas stations doing this as well. All you do is put the nozzle up and then re-swipe your card for a new transaction. It is supposed to protect you from fraud I guess, but I don't see how.
      • RealmDown, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2Let me summarize their logic for you:

        "We are protecting ourselves by pretending to protect and care about you."
    • Carsonauto, on 05/13/2008, -1/+92/3!?
      Must be nice...
    • mungk, on 05/13/2008, -4/+39That's a limit set by your credit card company, not the station itself. Visa and Discover limit pump transactions at $50; MasterCard, $75. American Express sets its limits by gas station.
      • ShempRider, on 05/13/2008, -6/+14We have a winner. It's the cards, not the gas stations, setting the limits. Despite the higher prices of fuel, card companies are being, um, dicks. The amount transactions, despite being for automobile fuel, are setting off flags.
      • OverkillTASF, on 05/13/2008, -0/+20My truck costs $140 in diesel to fill up. I have a Visa card. I've only ever had one place (Sheetz) require a second swipe. I think it was at $70. It's getting to the point where I may have to swipe 3 times.
        • Rizmaster, on 05/13/2008, -13/+8Drive a more fuel efficient vehicle.
          • dynelol, on 05/13/2008, -3/+29Buy him one.
          • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -1/+12Maybe he can't. Maybe he uses the truck for work/business. Unless he one of those prentious dicks who drive hummers for the sake of it (which unfrotunetly we are starting to see alot more of here in Australia)
          • OverkillTASF, on 05/13/2008, -1/+5I'm a pretentious jerk. I grew up in the country. I own a house, and I'm not interested in renting a moving van when I need to get a giant stack of bead board to my house, or when moving a ladder, or pulling a trailer full of mulch, or moving a friend's stuff to DC, PA, and beyond as is happening this weekend. 90% of my driving could be handled by a Smart car. I wasn't complaining about what I have to pay in fuel, I was just pointing out that the OPs figures regarding credit card caps was incorrect.
      • Tux541, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6Actually it is set by the company that processes the credit cards. This service is usually determined by who you buy your gas from as a station. I.e. BP will provide a company to process your transactions. The person who actually sells you the gas and owns the shop has very little choice on a lot of things.
        • ShempRider, on 05/13/2008, -1/+9Gas station profit margins are, generally, very low (per gallon). The owners depend on customers going inside the stores, after buying fuel, to buy smokes or Doritos. (These items have VERY high profit margins vis-a-vis fuel).
          • haydesigner, on 05/13/2008, -8/+1"Gas station profit margins are, generally, very low (per gallon)"

            HA!
          • alittleroy101, on 05/13/2008, -1/+5^^yes they are
          • skidooer, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2@haydesinger - If the oil companies, with government support and everything, can't even realize a 10% profit margin, there is no way a mom and pop shop is making a decent margin on the sale of fuel.
      • psykiv, on 05/13/2008, -2/+15Really? Then explain why the BP next to my house has a $30 limit at the pump and the Chevron 6 blocks away had no problem with me pumping $80 one time.

        I tend to avoid that BP like the plaque. The pumps are ludicrously slow and the $30 limit is really annoying.
        • UTKEngineer, on 05/13/2008, -1/+20You avoid that BP by brushing and flossing regularly?
        • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3That's strange, because the BP around me has the fastest pumps, and no limit on the card.
      • kubedawg, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1It only happens when I choose the Debit option at my local gas station. When I choose Credit on my debit card, it will allow me to go over that limit.
    • JoeHague, on 05/13/2008, -9/+6Your going to be really pissed when they start rationing.
      • trogdor282, on 05/13/2008, -2/+9Don't drink the kool aid. There's no shortage of oil or refining capacity.
    • smartmlp, on 05/13/2008, -4/+8$50 is just the right amount to fill a typical 13 gallon tank found in a compact car, so I dont mind.
      • evilpettingzoo, on 05/13/2008, -0/+25For now.
      • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3When I first got my car a two-three years ago it cost me less than $40 to fiill up and now its approaching $50. But for me its still affording but for working class families with a bigger car, driving kids to school and paying off a mortgage. I guess it would be alot harder.
        • jpmoney03, on 05/13/2008, -0/+11I used to remember when putting in 10 bucks was enough for a week. Oh wait that was 5 years ago.
          • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2That open market capitalism is really starting to suck balls now isn't it? Before Goldman Sachs and friends put oil and gas futures on the NYMEX (and before the dollar lost all value), things were much more affordable.
          • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1Well popfrogs is it possible to change the system?
          • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2@1randomguy: If someone can convince the Fed to stop slashing interest rates for a year or two we might see the dollar stabilize. Then all these energy futures will look less attractive to foreign investors as the dollar gains strength against the Euro. I dunno, it's possible but I'm not holding my breath.
      • bsonline, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2No, $25 is about the right amount. $50 means we get pumped in the ass every time we pump in the tank.
    • timdorr, on 05/13/2008, -1/+19Well, I guess I'll have to worry when gas tops $25 a gallon. Then I won't be able to fill my moped on a single charge.
      • alittleroy101, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4My moped holds .7 gallons of fuel.
        • khaavren, on 05/13/2008, -2/+5you drive a moped? really? REALLY?
          • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -0/+4Does one really _drive_ a moped?
          • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1Yes, but just like a fat chick, nobody wants their friends to know.
        • Tyrghast, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6Looks like we have a gathering of the Hell's Vespa's
    • KLowD9x, on 05/13/2008, -3/+8Wow, 45 bucks usually gives me a tank of premium in the Volvo.

      Probably the cheap gas we have in the South.
      • superal1394, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4Move North. You'll cry when you see the gas prices.
      • Samtheman007, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6I filled up my Volvo today. 66 bucks for a tank of premium, damn you CT.
      • trogdor282, on 05/13/2008, -11/+5If your car needs premium it is poorly designed.
        • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -3/+4Wrong, if your car needs premium it is a high performance car. Tell Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Evolution and Infiniti drivers their cars are poorly designed.
          Although...my G35 got 93 octane fuel last year, this year I've been switching to 91. I feel 89 is just around the corner if the prices keep going up. The gas door says use premium fuel for best performance...but I guess I'll just drive slower. :(
        • DubbinGT, on 05/13/2008, -0/+7That's not necessarily true. They don't NEED premium, but recommend that you fill up with it to get the most out of the engine. Even if you use 87 the car's ECU will adjust the engine to run on it, although you will lose some hp.
          • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Wrong. I got a -2 because people don't understand the basics of high compression engines that are prone to detonation due to their design. Turbocharged and high compression engines require a higher octane fuel. I'm not going into the details since that'd take up a few paragraphs and nobody will read a post this old anyway...suffice it to say, Tourniquet and I know what we're talking about.
        • Tourniquet, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3Frogs got it, although I wouldn't recommend putting 89 octane in a car that's designed to run on 93....you will start detonating and ***** things up because of the higher compression ratios of the high performance engines. Oh and trogdor, what do you drive? I don't think my WRX is poorly designed at all.
        • KLowD9x, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5You obviously have no idea what you're talking about.
    • paradexes, on 05/13/2008, -6/+2I call BS on the article. People with longer memories will note that US gas stations had been nailed for price gouging (particularly in the conservative south go figure). Some stations went up as high as 6 bucks. If the pumps cant go past that then those Gas station owners/managers must have some magical voodoo powers to gouge those prices eh?
      • bigsteve, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2I thought that was after hurricanes Rita and Katrina (..supposedly..) knocked refineries off-line...
    • crownedgriffin, on 05/13/2008, -2/+4I've never hit $50 for a tank of gas. w00t for 4-bangers!
      It'd be pretty hard to do a drive off here since you're not allowed to pump you own gas in Oregon.
      • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Wow, imagine that, another reason not to live in Oregon. Like we needed one.
    • NaziHatinChimp, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Wish I had your problem. My car hasn't seen half a tank in awhile.
      • learn2, on 05/13/2008, -0/+0It's best for the longevity of your car to pretend that half-tank is empty.
    • jhnshft, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3maybe you should consider not driving an SUV?
    • arkan, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2I think its set by your credit/debit card company rather then the station. My sister-in-law was putting gas in her truck the other day and it stopped at $90. Crazy thing is that it didn't even get her to 3/4 full.
    • BoneStamp, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2It's a combination of the retailer and the card service processor. The merchant account provider (or the company that processes the credit card transaction) usually sets a liability threshold . For example, charges below $50 may not go through validation and therefore it is cheaper for the retailer to process these charges... therefore, the retailer limits you to whatever that value is.
    • BeerCan, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3The limit on Swedish pumps (or my visa card) is 800 crowns ($133) and that doesn't even get me a full tank in my Audi 100. I get about 60 liters and need 80 to fill the tank. Guess I just will have to go to the pumping stations more frequently.
      • KLowD9x, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1You live in Sweden and drive an Audi?

        With all of those Volvos around!? Thats just not right.
  • creativlogic, on 05/13/2008, -13/+13I have the same problem but my local fill station limits me to $35.... Why would you limit the spending of your customers? I don't get it...
    • Alegoo92, on 05/13/2008, -4/+1Maybe it was made during the time that gas was scarce and rationed?
    • p51d007, on 05/13/2008, -1/+21Probably to prevent FRAUD. You get pissed when they limit your use, but if your card was stolen, you'd be pissed that they drained your account.
      • fumar, on 05/13/2008, -0/+4Yeah, but no other store or business follows such a policy so it doesn't matter anyway.
      • CaveDog, on 05/13/2008, -1/+11drained my account at a gas station? unlikely.
        • rrbest, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6They bought the station.
        • centran, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5my Aunt just had her credit cards stolen. Between a couple cards there where 15 transactions of gas at one station.
          This ***** had all her friends come and fill up. They used cards till they where getting denied.
          One of the card for some strange reason after a couple transactions started to only allow $2 and they did a couple of those before getting fed up and moving the next card.
          So yes... if you are determined. A piece of scum with a lot of equally pieces of ***** friends then yes... you can drain an account.
        • psykiv, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3and a simple phone call to visa/mc/amex is all you need to reverse all those charges.
        • jargetz, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3yeah it's actually common credit card company knowledge that when a credit card is stolen, usually it is first used at a gas station because it is a place to check if the credit card works without human interaction, so it's a good check against criminal activity
    • Jaryd2006, on 05/13/2008, -7/+2Its mostly because of Drive-offs, If they limit you, you cant drive off with more than 35 or 50 dollars worth.
      • Lith25, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4You can't drive off when you pay with a credit/debit card ffs.
    • synthoid, on 05/14/2008, -0/+1I'm surprised you even have $35 to spend. You sound like a crazed chimpanzee.
  • tonaros, on 05/13/2008, -4/+115It's like Y2K all over again...
  • SeaweedWater, on 05/13/2008, -30/+3Obligatory Digg algorithm comment.
    • paradox4190, on 05/13/2008, -2/+15It isn't obligatory, everybody that makes them gets dugg down. Like you.
  • D3koy, on 05/13/2008, -2/+64I understand thinking you'd never have to pay more than 3.99 for a gallon of gas, but why not make all the dials the same and have them all read 0-9? Wouldn't that make so much more sense?
    • paradox4190, on 05/13/2008, -15/+3The extra digital tick to turn a 3 into a 9 must cost $500.
    • marx2k, on 05/13/2008, -2/+3Wow.. this is almost exactly like the story my first-ever C++ book gave to try and explain how binary works
    • S2000, on 05/13/2008, -1/+41I believe it's the fact that the price per gallon makes the machine run too fast.....it's all mechanical. Gallons being pumped * dollars per gallon multiple = final price. I guess the high multiple makes the final price wheels spin so fast they can't handle it.
      • superal1394, on 05/13/2008, -2/+20Gas station burns down in a small burg in Ohio after the old fashioned mechanical pumps pricing mechanism overheated and set fire. The high prices caused the final price wheels to spin so fast they actually spontaneously caught fire. More at 11.
        • StephenCIreland, on 05/13/2008, -3/+2Saudi Islamic fundamentalists are to blame for this terror attack, senator john mccain condones these wheels , more after the break from fox news...
        • BoneStamp, on 05/13/2008, -3/+1Final Price Wheel Update, no it's not the latest game on "The Price is Right" it's an epidemic that is burning down mom and pop gas stations across the country. Because the price of gas is so high, the final price wheel in old mechanical gas pumps is spinning too fast, overheating and causing fires. Some operators with these pumps are thinking about pricing their fuel in Liters. It's kind of an old fashion solution (Liters were legalized in 1866) but it may slow the Final Price Wheel enough to avert fire.
    • killtrocity, on 05/13/2008, -5/+1Maybe the dial for the first digit has larger numbers than the others, while maintaining the same dial radius, thus allowing for less room for the additional numbers.

      Obviously my idea is flawed, because the numbers would run off the top and bottom of the viewing window, but it's just speculation.

      There really is no excuse for not putting it up to 9. I just can't see a reason.
    • StingingNettle, on 05/13/2008, -1/+15ahh, but then what happens when it reaches $10?
    • orlyfactor, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2Woaaaa there crazy guy - your whole idear of making sense just ain't what the good people of this land want or need right now.
  • SolaFida, on 05/13/2008, -22/+5It's going to be Y2K all over again!!!
  • shyboy2008, on 05/13/2008, -14/+7i wish we could turn human poo poo into oil
  • TeamDynasty, on 05/13/2008, -26/+5In West Philadelphia Born and raised
  • LuxFX, on 05/13/2008, -1/+78I'm torn between being impressed they go that high, and wondering what on earth made the engineers of those pumps want to make one of the dials unique instead of just having three 0-9 dials.
    • kh99, on 05/13/2008, -6/+1My guess is, since it's essentially doing some kind of mechanical multiply of gallons times price, it's not the number wheels that are the limiting factor but some other magic part inside there.
    • ricksite, on 05/13/2008, -1/+24They were probably hoping to keep gas below 3.99 a gallon. What foresight!
    • krnldmp, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2It's simple. You don't really need it.
    • seamonkeys1, on 05/13/2008, -0/+8The problem is the total price it spins the wheel to fast and the gears wear out.
  • cooke6point3, on 05/13/2008, -4/+60"As many as 8,500 of the nation's 170,000 service stations have old-style meters that need to be fixed" I don't personally think its the meters that need to be "fixed"
    • logicet, on 05/13/2008, -2/+4Because price fixing works to the benefit of the people. Let me know how your ethanol happy meal tastes...
  • Deveak, on 05/13/2008, -11/+24We have reached critical mass, not even the machines will accept it!
    Seriously, this is getting annoying, we have more gas, more oil than we did in the 90's.
    I am starting to think its all a mix of: corporate greed, over seas "f*** you USA" from the middle east, and government ineptitude or purposeful action to manipulate the public, guess this is what happens when you increase the federal government and allow capotalism to be cotrolled by the few and powerful. Less government and massive trust busting is in order.
    • Lionhart, on 05/13/2008, -3/+20Try Europe where it's $8-10 a gallon. Yeah it's all about "***** you USA".

      Here is why gas is getting more expensive. China and India are driving more and more every day. An increase in demand leads to an increase in price. Simple economics.
      • calantus, on 05/13/2008, -4/+5europe has a lot more taxes, and because its taking more dollars to make one euro, it seems like more but not compared to the european wage.
      • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1BOMB THEM!
      • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1"Here is why gas is getting more expensive. China and India are driving more and more every day. An increase in demand leads to an increase in price. Simple economics."

        No, it's because OPEC can announce that they are cutting production to increase profits and get away with it. It's the only true monopoly in the world and also the only one that can get away with anything.
    • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -1/+18"I am starting to think its all a mix of: corporate greed, over seas "f*** you USA" from the middle east"

      Sure, because only the USA is experiencing high fuel prices.
      • Deveak, on 05/13/2008, -6/+5Yeah but for the longest time we had low prices while the rest of the world was high, through good economic policy and companies not screwing us. Yes i know Europe pays more, but I am speaking about America, we have the ability to keep it low, but the governments and big oil is preventing it, as well as OPEC.
        • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4What makes you think we'd see cheaper prices if the big oil companies were split up, rather than just regulated? It seems likely that their size would allow them to achieve more efficient economies of scale. If you put all that fuel production in the hands of smaller producers, they might have to make the same capital investments up front but would be unable to sell enough gas to cover their costs without a) jacking up prices or b) selling so much fuel that they effectively become "big," which is what you would make illegal.

          It's understandable that Americans reflexively adopt a negative attitude toward large corporations, but this is outdated 1920s thinking. Size in and of itself isn't the problem. What matters is whether you're seeing deadweight loss. "Trust busting" isn't always an effective way of eliminating that problem. Laws against price fixing, etc, are much more effective.
        • BoneStamp, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1All countries prices are going up like ours in the USA... the problem is that we drive more large Cars/SUVs than most other countries, so the impact of the price increase is more substantial here. Go to Canada, which has a similar economy (arguably stronger than ours right now) exports 60% of it's Oil to the US, and look at how many large SUVs you see on the road... it's like 1/10 of the US. Gas there costs twice what it did 6 years ago which makes it about the same price as here and nobody is bitching like we are because most people there are driving small-med cars.
    • calantus, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2its the dollar weakening and speculation
    • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2"over seas "f*** you USA" from the middle east "
      Seems like that, George Bush is going to Saudi Arabia next week to talk about increase supply.
      • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -1/+5It's not OPEC's problem, if Bush is going over there it's to do a few lines off some Turkish strippers' asses. OPEC says US demand is flat and their output is actually slightly higher than global demand right now. The market is running the show, supply and demand economics no longer apply. Pretty good article that I post here from time to time sums it up nicely. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,151 ...
        • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1"OPEC says US demand is flat and their output is actually slightly higher than global demand right now."

          And that is a flat out lie.
    • UTKEngineer, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3We have more gas and oil BECAUSE it costs so much. When it was $10/gal there was no incentive to go drill in all the places where the oil is harder (ie more expensive) to get at. The returns were so low. At $120/gal every sizable field will be tapped.
      • BoneStamp, on 05/13/2008, -0/+4If this is true, why are oil companies seeing record profits? Obviously they're selling more oil, but they're also selling it with record margins.
        • UTKEngineer, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1No, the margin is the same, roughly 10%. But a ten percent profit on a $10 barrel of oil is $1. Obviously, ten percent profit on $100/barrel is $10. So, the magnitude of their profit is a record, but they're making the same percentage on each barrel processed.
          Actually, I've seen it argued convincingly that with inflation and the decreased purchase power of the dollar, the oil companies are making the global profit we think they are. But I don't have any numbers to back that up.
  • paradox4190, on 05/13/2008, -1/+66It was funny, the other day, the gas pump shut of and printed the receipt at $75, even though the tank was only 3/4 full, so we had to fill it to the top with another sale. Actually, looking back, it probably wasn't too funny.
  • homah, on 05/13/2008, -2/+39It won't take long for the 4.999 dials to become obsolete either.
    • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5I agee I think they could aim to have them work up 9.999 for the time being atleast.
    • Notquitesane, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3I work at a gas station. One of the higher-ups, a district manager, predicted we'll have $5 a gallon by july.

      so no, not that long
      • murraj2, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Gas station managers are usually the expert commodity price indexers that I like to get trusty financial information from.
  • CurtisSimpson, on 05/13/2008, -12/+6these gas prices are like getting a dick punchin'
  • iamtehwinnerz, on 05/13/2008, -23/+7lazy programmers, lulz
    • vibrokatana, on 05/13/2008, -1/+7I see lulz and instantly feel the need to bury the post. Then he says programmers, when in fact it is dealing with mechanical parts, which is really mechanical engineering. I almost feel sorry for him, but instead I just hope that natural selection will run its course.
    • Light11, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1looks at name, looks at comment; *facepalm*
  • EnderMB, on 05/13/2008, -1/+32We had a similar problem in the UK when we had to add an extra number for the end of our price boards.
    • Tyrghast, on 05/13/2008, -5/+3The thought of paying by liter makes me cringe...
    • CMfly, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2They had to do the same thing in Canada.. For a while prices were listed as $.24/L when really they were $1.24/L
    • StephenCIreland, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1some of the irish stations painted a 1 infront of the holder and what used to be the whole price in the slot is now the cents. the stations never anticipate going back below 1 euro a litre
    • FecalHurler, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1I can't even imagine paying double digits for gas. Guess I better start.
  • mattus, on 05/13/2008, -11/+18Why not have the pumps display the price per litre (/liter) like here in the UK? That should give you quite a lot of headroom...
    • MrTito, on 05/13/2008, -3/+26Pfft. The metric system. That'll never catch on.
      • mbauer14, on 05/13/2008, -3/+39The metric system is just way too confusing. All those tens just hurt my head. I would much rather have to remember 5280, 1760, quarts to gallons, etc. It makes each day an adventure!
        /sarcasm.
        • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -3/+2Yes, quarts to gallons is so hard. /4
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -1/+9I will be happy with my government the day I don't have to measure in "sixteenths of an inch":

      12' 3" and 2/16ths inches plus 6' 1" and 3/8ths divided by 3" and 1/32" inches equals what?

      3.2 meters plus 2.1 meters equals what divided by 4.2?

      Ready, GO!
  • jbenson2, on 05/13/2008, -9/+40Do these store owners also have a rotary telephone?
    Survival of the fittest will take care of them.
    • sbluetruck, on 05/13/2008, -2/+3come to think of it, good idea!!!
      then it will take care of you when the corporate giants are the only ones left.

      that would be one less digger with the urge to NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM

      (no offense... just stereotyping like every other American here)
    • Skooma714, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1I would think everyone else in the world consumes.

      It's kind of part of living.
    • zzz@tkz, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6The mom-and-pop places are cheaper (in both gas and sodas and such), I go to them over chains any day.
    • boladefuego, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4Not when they're the only gas station in the area...
    • VinceNoir, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2Are you retarded or something? Had the corporate dick in your ***** a little too long maybe?
    • xyqxyq, on 05/13/2008, -0/+8I have a rotary phone in my house, completely by choice. I get to bypass number prompt systems. It's pretty awesome.
      • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2You also don't lose phone service when your power goes out. People always forget about that.
  • Cattywampus, on 05/13/2008, -0/+7So having survived the much-feared Y2K problem 8 years ago, we now have to worry about gas pumps not being able to handle the extra digits? Great.
    • docbob84, on 05/13/2008, -2/+1Yeah, ***** mom and pop! Clearly much better to have Shell, BP, etc. be the only distribution points as well as control the manufacturing process. That's *sure* to bring prices down by competition.
    • khaavren, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Not to mention running out of ipv4 addresses
  • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -1/+6lol we had a similar problem(albeit now where as bad) when the price of petrol hit three digits a few years ago. I guess if petrol hits $10litre here in Australia we are going to need bigger billboards.
    • aussieNickuss, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4I still see an extra digit tacked onto the side of older billboards every now and then. It's just a sad reminder of the good ol' days when petrol was < 99c/litre.
      • cawpin, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1Stop calling it petrol. It's gasoline and diesel. They're both petroleum products.
    • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2There is a sign near my house that was designed to flip between .xx and 1.xx per gallon, and you can see where someone had to climb up there and spray paint a 2 over the 1, and eventually try to turn the 2 into a 3. A sad reminder.
  • maticus, on 05/13/2008, -1/+9Whenever I used to use one of those older pumps with the analog displays, I wondered if this was going to be a problem someday....
    • Soave, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4Where do you guys live??
      • calantus, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1its not hard to find an old gas pump, even in NYC.
      • maticus, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2Southeastern PA. 30 miles out from Philadelphia. Most of the gas stations around here have digital pumps, but you can still find places with the older style.
    • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1"Whenever I used to use one of those older pumps with the analog displays, I wondered if this was going to be a problem someday...."

      No you didn't.
  • p51d007, on 05/13/2008, -2/+10You know, they had the same problem back in the late 70's, when gas when to 1.00 a gallon, they just put the pumps to register .50 cents per HALF gallon.....gee, problem solved until the station had the money to upgrade the pumps
    • twiggytwig, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3That is what they are doing... read the article...
  • HabboX, on 05/13/2008, -2/+14There is an easy fix. Simply recalibrate the pumps to charge for the 1/2 gallon. That is what they did when fuel prices went above $0.999. REMEMBER THAT?
    • centran, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2Not so easy with laws now a day. However, it appears that some states have allowed gas stations to do this.
  • timlopez, on 05/13/2008, -2/+41Well, looks like they can't raise gas prices :( what a shame!
    • drgruney, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Nah... they'll just make it per half gallon.

      That's what they did for the diesel pump at a station I go to.
  • krnldmp, on 05/13/2008, -0/+8Well then. You know where to go for gas.
    • crapmatic, on 05/13/2008, -0/+10Yeah, hoarded in my back yard in my 5000-gallon swimming pool. You kids don't be skinny-dipping in there.
      • jhshukla, on 05/13/2008, -1/+5wrong reply. bury.
      • 1randomguyO8, on 05/13/2008, -0/+6Thats not a bad idea actually. As long as you can prevent it from blowing up your house.
        • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1If I had some cheap, worthless land somewhere you can bet I'd send a few gas tankers full of fuel out there and just store the gas. With market rates the way they are, in a year you could double your money and STILL be charging less than every other station in the US.
    • StephenCIreland, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1oil is no longer a comodity, its an investment
  • source1984, on 05/13/2008, -4/+4What is the solution to the problem? Why is oil industry economics so hush hush?
  • AngelBunny, on 05/13/2008, -4/+5if i knew how these gas pumps worked i'd probably make a lot of money selling an 'upgrade' fixing this issue without buying a new pump head. i'm sure people wouldn't complain to much pushing the digit over so $125.25 shows $125.3
  • fumar, on 05/13/2008, -5/+5I don't see the problem here. They can't charge us more than $3.99 now.
  • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -14/+3On a related note, I'm getting nearly 40mpg in the city with my civic since I bought one of these: http://www.scangauge.com/
    • voodoochild461, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2$170 to see everything in your instrument cluster in digital? gg
      • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1The instrument cluster in non-hybrid civics does not give instantaneous readouts of your mileage, throttle position, engine load, etc. By monitoring these things as you drive, you can obtain substantial gains in fuel efficiency. For example, when accelerating I can cut my fuel usage in half by keeping the throttle position under "24." I can also monitor DFCO and time my stops so as to maximize the length of time that the fuel injectors cutoff.
    • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2I'm the guy that honks at you when you drive 20 on a 45 street. Every single day.
      • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Better get your horn fixed then, because I'm not hearing you. And if you drove in my city, you'd know that there isn't a single 45 mph street where traffic moves faster than 20mph anyway.

        Maybe you're the idiot who thinks he's saving time by flooring it to make it to the stop light?
        • popfrogs, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2Your city must really suck. If I was forced to go 20 in a 45 on every street I'd be taking the train or a cab.
          • petrodollar, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1And get to work at 5mph instead of 20?
  • homerj1965, on 05/13/2008, -2/+6DO what they did in the 70's, just set pump at a half gallon price. $$1.90/half gallon
    • mediaspree, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Thinking critically, that is a valid solution. Thinking rationally...get ready for gas rations...
    • dpcamp, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1see that just goes to show how quickly our society forgets their history.
  • sebnukem, on 05/13/2008, -3/+32"$99.99 ought to be enough for everyone"
  • akrondude, on 05/13/2008, -9/+8don't go over $3.99 a gallon, problem solved. but that solution wouldn't rape the consumer.
    • Metasquares, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4What makes you think the gas stations have that choice? The price of the underlying commodity is rising.
  • LegendX, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3Well I say those that have one of this gas stations in their neck of the woods are dorn lucky! When it costs 5.00+ per gallon these will still be 3.99. That or the oil companies will run them out of business:(
  • crapmatic, on 05/13/2008, -2/+12For crying out loud, people, just move the damn decimal place one place to the right on all rows of the pump display. Paint that dot, put a sticker, whatever you need to do. This isn't rocket science.
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3Condoleeza, is that you?!

      I know you were on the Board of Directors as Chevron and all, but browsing digg? Is Haliburton in so much trouble that they have you shilling the intertubes?
      Yowza!
  • MortalynFlux, on 05/13/2008, -3/+4That was the worst, slowest site to point to for an AP story. Here's the Yahoo! News link to that same story:

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080512/ap_on_bi_ge/ol ...
  • Khast, on 05/13/2008, -1/+17I live in Point Roberts, WA. we do ours in Litres. :P I actually feel sorry for the rest of us Americans who come here, thinking $1.05 is such a good price for fuel...and then complain about their tanks not being able to hold 150 gallons.

    It felt kind of weird at first, but as this small town caters mostly to Canadians... Well, without Canadians, Point Roberts would not exist...except in land mass.
    • dustin32, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Dugg for Whatcom County! I'm from Lynden.
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -1/+7Dugg for metric !
    • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Thanks to America's Hat for supporting the US economy!
    • ukblacknight, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2$1.05 for a litre? Holy crap... that's insanely cheap!! We pay £1.25 /litre for diesel in my area, that's around $2.50 litre.
  • moocow1452, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3It canna take the pressure anymore, Cap'n. It's gonna blow!
  • CodeCobalt, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3not that it'd be a great fix, but if they had to couldn't these stations simply set the price of gas on the pump to $1 even, but post the price as $4.15 with a statement explaining that the "price the pump displays is not actual price." then just have the gas station attendant do some simple math and figure out the price. So with the example price of $4.15, if I get 12.34 gallons of gas (both the price and gallons would say 12.34/$12.34 just so theres no confusion as to how many gallons of gas they've sold) multiply the price of the gas per gallon by the number of gallons sold and done. So $4.15 x 12.34 = $51.21. and as for purchases over $99.99, that shouldn't really be a problem, just do two transactions.

    Just make sure its well posted that the gas the pump displays is not the actual price, and what the actual price is. It'd be annoying but better than going out of business.
    • dddavid, on 05/13/2008, -0/+4It would be a lot easier to change the pump price to $0.415 (they use tenths of a cent) and then just multiply by 10.
    • calantus, on 05/13/2008, -3/+2LOL MATH
      • jb0nd38372, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Guess that wasn't yuor strong point in school? Going down.
  • dddavid, on 05/13/2008, -5/+3Gee, I wonder where they'll get the money to buy new pumps?
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5They won't. They'll go out of business or get bought by McCheney Co.
      The gas stations are resellers, they don't set the prices, they have a computer that tells them what to set the sign to.

      Here in Atlanta, we have digital gas station signs popping up all over the place.
      • bigsteve, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1Yea, I was eating lunch outside in view of one the other day, and it changed while I was watching it. Went up $0.02 ... it was a little surreal.
      • veriix, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1You really don't think they're making good money? Hell, I just went to a speedway yesterday and they installed 19" LCD screens over all the pumps so you can watch the news (read: commercials) how do you think they could afford that?
  • ReGGsRoom, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3Those mom and pop gas stations better stock up on crossbows and shoulder pads because a very angry bald guy with a hockey mask is coming after them.
  • sheebahn17, on 05/13/2008, -6/+11My grandmother owns one of those little mom and pop stores, and the new computers for the pumps are not cheap. She only had 4 pumps, unleaded super, deisel, and kero.. deisel is so high she hasnt been able to sell if for a month and she ordered the computers 2 weeks before it went past the $4 mark. Its been 6 weeks and they still havent come.. and THERE like $400 A PIECE!!! so thats $1200 just to get the gas pump to work right!!! and its not only gas prices that are going up.. its bread and milk to.. WERE GETTING FREAKIGN SCREWED!!!
    • weirdlookinguy, on 05/13/2008, -0/+10$400 isn't much for a machine that'll be in service for 20+ years.
      • weirdlookinguy, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Unless you're an idiot and you meant the upgrade kit so higher prices can be shown. I highly suspect the latter.
    • dildoolielly, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Who did you grandmother vote for?

    • cserviss, on 05/13/2008, -3/+2OK, your getting screwed?!? What about the rest of the U.S. that has to choose between groceries and gas???

      This is a simple business expense for her, and as far as the bread and milk prices increasing, it's irrelevant, because she'll just raise her retail prices for those goods. Either way she still makes a profit.

      Stop crying about it, that should be the least of your worries. You need to think about whats going to happen when no one can afford to buy gas, milk and bread from her.
  • blorguehad, on 05/13/2008, -1/+7theres an old mom and pop gas station near me. they have an older style pump. they are also 20 cents cheaper then everywhere else. i always thought because they dont waste money on 2000000 dollar pumps and pops sits there with a shotty making sure no one drives off. they get so much business the local BP is suffering.
    • Sp0rAdiC, on 05/13/2008, -1/+8Gas isn't what makes most gas stations money.
      • Jaz3d, on 05/13/2008, -0/+4Ya dont they only make a couple cents per gallon. I allways tought the real money maker for most is the snacks / drinks / cigs ect that they sell when you go inside to pay for your gas.
        • Lith25, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Which begs the question why pre-paying at the pump as become so popular. I go in maybe 2 or 3 gas stations a year now that I can pay at the pump.
          • xyqxyq, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2Just because gasoline sales aren't their biggest source of revenue you think they wouldn't want to safeguard it?
      • olsonea, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1Why sell it then?
  • nagfree, on 05/13/2008, -2/+11Save 15% on gas every day. Simply drive at 60.
    My car gets about 32mpg doing 75 mph, light throttle. It gets 37mpg doing 62. I drive a four door Accord, which is not a "compact" car by any means
    • xyqxyq, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1I'm only on the highway each day for 5-10 minutes; the other day I left a little earlier and drove 45 mph. Really helps stretch my tank. (That's what she said)
  • crushtheenemy, on 05/13/2008, -3/+10MY WALLET CAN'T HANDLE EVER-RISING GAS PRICES!
    • dildoolielly, on 05/13/2008, -2/+5Don't bitch at us, go out and smack the next Bush voting idiot you see

      In the name of "freedom"!
  • borkencode, on 05/13/2008, -2/+10Might be time for us to switch to liters like the rest of the world. $4/Gal = $1.06/L
    • wejmahtin, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2No kidding. I mean... same price, but it would somehow feel better to see something under 2.00 on the pump again... I just bought a jeep wrangler and went immediately to Kragen's to pick up a locking gas cap... With a 25 gallon tank, someone could siphon 100 bucks from me in just a few minutes...
  • nickcommie, on 05/13/2008, -5/+8it's summer

    walk
    ride a bike
    use public transportation
    • joshcxa, on 05/13/2008, -1/+14yes, it's summer all over the world....
      • Lith25, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Made me spit my drink lol. good work.
      • Tyrghast, on 05/13/2008, -0/+3Well. duh, everyone knows that. Next you're going to tell me the world is round...
        • MutexLocked, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1O.o Actually, it's winter for people in the southern hemisphere...
    • schnikies79, on 05/13/2008, -2/+8i don't live in or work in the city

      work is 27mi away
      can't ride a bike on the interstate and if i take back roads and highways it's an extra 15mi
      doesn't exist
      • dildoolielly, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3Grow some balls and demand a raise, especially if your boss voted for Bush
        • schnikies79, on 05/13/2008, -1/+4I wasn't complaining about prices.

          I actually got a raise yesterday.
      • nickcommie, on 05/14/2008, -2/+1No *****, and gas doesn't cost $4 a gallon all over the world. Obviously this article was talking about the US.

        For people dumb enough to live in the suburbs if they work in a city, hay guy, take the ***** subway. Dunno about your city, but here it extends out to various suburbs.
    • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -1/+2In Florida, come summer it's time to stop walking and stop riding a bike. Get in a car and crank that AC. Walking is for the other 3 months.
  • GreatGrizzly, on 05/13/2008, -10/+22Dear people paying 50+ dollars at the pump,

    Get a new vehicle. Your hummer/excessively large vehicle is one of the reasons MY gas prices are so high.
    Its not rocket science!

    Yours truly,
    Little Honda Civic Owner.
    • skidooer, on 05/13/2008, -2/+8It costs me about $80 to fill up my truck. But I can usually get a month or so out of the tank. How long will $80 worth of gas last in your Civic?
      • Ruger11mcrdpi, on 05/13/2008, -5/+11Longer than your truck! He will just have to fill up more often, but the SAME $80 will last longer in the 30MPG civic than the 15mpg truck. You're obviously a genius, going by the size of the tank instead of the MPG.
        • skidooer, on 05/13/2008, -3/+7The point is that I probably use less fuel than he does in a year, even if the MPG of my vehicle is worse. Which one of us is causing the problem again?
          • Ruger11mcrdpi, on 05/13/2008, -3/+4Because your tank is bigger does NOT mean you use less gas. It simply means more time between fillups. Your gas milage still blows. I am in the same boat, I drive a 3" lifted truck on 33" BFGs, so I'm not some hippie out to prove you wrong, it's just simple math. By your logic an Abrams tank would use less gas because it holds 500 gallons... too bad it gets 2 Gallons per mile. Convenience wise, yes he might have to fillup twice to use the same $80 that you put into your tank in one fillup... but out of that $80, if you both end up with ~23 gallons of gas, and you get 15 MPG, you'll go ~334 miles. He will travel 668 on that same ammount assuming 30mpg. I had to explain the same thing to my dad recently, it really is a common misconception by a lot of people. For instance, because my truck has a relatively small tank of gas, AND it gets crap gas milage, at like 14mpg on a good day... I get screwed both ways lol, I get crap milage and I still have to fill up often. If you're simply saying you DRIVE LESS... well ***** I could have that abrams tank, if I only drove it once a year I'd be saving money in gas compared to the civic that commutes daily.
          • skidooer, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1"well ***** I could have that abrams tank, if I only drove it once a year I'd be saving money in gas compared to the civic that commutes daily."

            Exactly. It doesn't matter how many MPG your vehicle can achieve. It's how many gallons you are using that is the issue.
        • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -2/+3He won't have to fill up more often! Gas is $3.50 a gallon. If his big ass truck held 22 gallons, he'd pay $77 to go the few miles he can drive.

          Fuel consumption isn't based on time, it's based on miles.

          I have a car that I rarely drive that I put $30 of gas in way back in 2007 (I own 5 cars). It's a false assumption to assume that everyone only has 1 car.

          skidooer's math is nonsense.
          • skidooer, on 05/13/2008, -3/+1"skidooer's math is nonsense."

            A vehicle that gets 1MPG that you drive 100 miles once a year uses less gas than a vehicle that gets 100MPG that you drive 100 miles daily. How is that nonsense? It's about a simple as math gets.
      • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3It depends on the miles, not the months you can drive between fill ups.

        I could get a year or more in my 2000 Honda Insight if I never drove it.

        It has a 10 gallon tank and it gets > 65 MPG.
        Translation: 600 miles per fill up from empty.

        Typically, driving 20 miles on work days, I can go about 2 months without a fill up.

        The real question is how many _miles_ do you get each time you fill your BIG TRUCK?
    • jpmoney03, on 05/13/2008, -1/+3Good work except my 1994 Buick Century which gets 29mpg on the interstate can cost more than $50 to fill if I run the tank really empty and I think you will get there real quick as well.
    • shadowmoose, on 05/13/2008, -3/+3I think you need to watch more south park or move to San Fransisco.
    • firecaptain, on 05/13/2008, -7/+5I'll think of you as my Nissan Titan runs over your tiny Civic.
      Now you get zero miles to the gallon and your mom hopped in the truck for a ride to your funeral.
      • Ruger11mcrdpi, on 05/13/2008, -3/+0Ya bro I bought a Tacoma (06) thinking it would get better gas milage than a bigger truck. After I put a 3" lift and 33" tires on it, it gets an amazing 13.6 MPG on the last fillup. My best ever is around 14.5 when I drove it like a grandma. Sucks.
      • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -2/+5You are the reason America is headed for disaster.
        LAZY LAZY LAZY.
      • Mothrog, on 05/13/2008, -2/+5http://www.bullsballs.com/

        Something tells me you could use this... A big truck to compensate for your dinky winky should always be accompanied by a pair of prosthetic balls.
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -4/+2It depends on the miles, not the time dummy.
      About three to nine months in my 2000 Honda Insight.
      It has a 10 gallon tank and I get > 65 MPG.
      Translation: 600 miles per fill up from empty.
      How many miles do you get each time you fill your tank (from empty)?
    • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -2/+4The problem isn't entirely MPG, it's also miles used. I drive a Toyota Camry that gets pretty good mileage, but I've already put 10,000 miles on my car this year delivering pizzas. I've used more gas than the typical Hummer driver.
      • Tyrghast, on 05/13/2008, -2/+3oh god i feel your pain. In 8 months of delivering pizza I put about a grand of wear and tear on my car.
        • ChromaVita, on 05/13/2008, -2/+2To be fair, I'm not the gentlest driver either. I got new khumo tires for christmas that were warrantied for 35,000 and they're almost completely bald after 10,000...
    • playmusic, on 05/13/2008, -3/+1Right on! I'm another Civic driver. I live in the middle of the city about 3 miles from work... and I only spend $70 a month on gas. I get 31 MPG city, 38 highway, and I smile going to the pump after an SUV and seeing that they just paid more than I do in an entire month!
    • FecalHurler, on 05/13/2008, -3/+1Dear Honda Civic Owner,
      I still pay over $50 dollars at the pump
      Love always,
      Little Toyota Corolla Owner
    • nomelitas, on 05/13/2008, -0/+2Perhaps the problem is in the excessive amounts of environmentalism and speculation.
  • waitasec, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Gee I bet not being able to automatically calculate the prices just really throws off credit card sales. Oh yeah. No credit cards on those old ones. Put a sign that shows approximate price for 5, 10, 15, 20 etc gallons and then use a calculator once the person goes inside for the actual ringup. The person still gets a general idea of what it is costing, and you aren't spending $5k on an upgrade. Didn't we go through this with the digital ones two years ago? Albeit that was an easier fix.
  • jefu007, on 05/13/2008, -3/+7So what drives gas stations to raise their prices 50 cents every week? this is really becoming ridiculous... we need to start some boycotts!
    • cheeselord, on 05/13/2008, -1/+6Myspace mentality strikes again.
    • buckrogers1965, on 05/13/2008, -0/+5Would not buying gas because we can't afford it be considered a boycott?
    • cbergeron, on 05/13/2008, -1/+8Gas stations don't set the prices. The Oil companies do. The ones you Republicans elected into office in 2000 and 2004.
      Do you remember that?!
      president George W Bush: Son of a Texas Oil Man
      vice president Dick Cheney: Former CEO of Halliburton (a major Oil refinery kingpin)
      Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice: Board member of Chevron Oil Company
      ad nausem.
      You Republican ***** are getting what you voted for and allowed to happen. DRINK UP!
    • Nutmegan, on 05/13/2008, -0/+1From reading these comments, you would think the U.S. didn't have the cheapest gas of any major power.
  • yosserhughes, on 05/13/2008, -2/+6These old pumps, (they aren't really pumps, they are dispensers), Gilbarcos, Tokheims, Bennets, etc, have mechanical computers with registers on top,. They have a stack of different size gear wheels that are adjusted for different prices. The problem is that the largest size gear wheels max out at $4.00, and replacing them is really expensive because no-one uses them anymore.

    The new dispensers you see at your local service station are electronic and can be programmed for any price you like, (comforting thought), a typical dispenser costs about $8,000.00 plus install, but one new dispenser takes the place of three old ones.

    These old dispensers have paid for themselves hundreds of times since they were installed.

    Time to buy new.
    • BigBadHoss, on 05/13/2008, -1/+1Our Gilbarco Advantage dispensers were installed in like 1998, and were outrageously priced at 15k a piece. Add that to the price of G-SITE, which we just had to replace with Gilbarco Passport. The software alone can cost over 20 grand, depending on your needs.
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