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Social ripple effect of gas pumps that only go to $3.99
From today's Washington Post, an article about how many of the gas stations that cannot afford to upgrade their pumps also function as important social spots in rural areas. They may be forced out of business if they can't sell gas because people will fuel (and eat and socialize) elsewhere.
Read article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR200805...
It's really hard to tell whether this is one of those Pentagon Post fluff articles to shield us from what is really going on in the world, and direct our attention elsewhere, or whether Kafka was right after all, and every bureaucracy, no matter what the underlying political paradigm, has its own mindlessly stupid dynamic.
Apparently it is illegal to simply multiply the number of gallons (available even in the old technology) by the current price with a $2.99 calculator? Merchants do that with cabbage and bulk olive oil -- so why not gasoline?
To me, it's not the "news" that's disturbing. It's that this is "news".
exactly
How can we expect our youth to navigate this BS?
I wish they would go after the folks who design our tax forms with the same fervor for simplicity they want to hold gas stations to.
How is the government going to figure out how to convert us to to an electrified non-oil transit system, when they can't even seem to figure out how to let people pump gas when the price part of the pump is broken. If you know how many gallons you pump, and what the price is, you can charge people correctly.
I think I just became a doomer.
The problem is that this manual recalculation would require disabling pay at the pump mechanics for those stations unable to mark above $4. These stations would then lose business to stations with newer pumps and eventually go out of business.
Sounds like some new contracts for the Y2K programmers!
I just have to wonder what the conversations are going to be like around where to set the new bar? Or will they just let it have 'floating point' and be able to multiply like any of those $2.99 calculators?
It's kind of astonishing we have these issues. It's like the 'Paper Trail' for your voting machines. Heaven forbid an ATM system was as challenged about printing out reciepts. (For a ONE-DAY event)
Time to climb up on the roof and measure out some PV racks.. get some air.
Bob
They need to convert the pumps to sell in liters like most of the rest of the world. That would probably solve the problem for 10 years or so.
I was a fuel & lube distributor during the Arab Oil Embargo and the problem with pumps not being able to reflect current prices happened then, too. Frankly is was a problem, an extra expense, but not the end of the world. I don't recall this putting anybody out of business in my part of the world. First of all the majors own a lot of stations and I am sure they are already ordering and updating stations with older pumps as they did then. Many pumps will not have to be changed. If a station was marginal then they might close it and remove the pumps and put the property for sale, in lieu of a complete renovation that also includes new pumps. Often these get sold or leased to a convenience store chain that they make a deal with to provide the gas. Many convenience stores own their own pumps and I am sure they are scrambling to replace older pumps, too. If they can't do it timely I am sure they will do what they did years before.For example gas @$4.00/gal. the pump price will reflect 1/2 of the retail price and all gas will be prepay. Want $40 worth of gas you pay the cashier $40 and they set the pump for $20. The pumps have a sign that says double pump price for your cost. It's not perfect, and will cost the store some business for the extra inconvenience but most customers hang in there till their favorite spot gets new pumps. Gas is the #1 money maker for these stores and new pumps last a long time so independents will grumble, spend the money, and try to markup gas a penny or two more when they install their new pumps.
Consumer - "I think I just became a doomer."
Oil Drum Watch Alert: Saturday and Sunday on CNN at 8 P.M. "We Were Warned: Out Of Gas"
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/CNN/Programs/siu/images/2008/siu.banner.warn...
Well...Doomers are about to get a big recruitment drive.
That's an old show. Made in 2005, I believe.
I guess so, but CNN is rushing it into prime time with a big advertizing blitz to take advantage of the hysteria over gas prices.
It might get an audience this time!
They do that every time there's a spike in gas prices.
Might be worth watching to see if they've edited it, though. They added new footage critical of ethanol about a year after it first aired.
Just price a factor of 10 lower and paint a 0 behind the price counter, changing the background color of the 1/10 dollar reel. Gas at 40.1 cents/gallon indicated is 4.01 per gallon. 10 gallon rings up as 4.01 old reels and is 40.10 with the added 0 on the pump.
I believe you have the most logical approach.
At this point, I do not intend to quibble over the funny 0.1 cent short of the next penny thats been traditional on gas pumps for ever since I can remember.
<painful memory>
Do I need to be reminded every time I fill up at one of these pumps that I actually used to buy this same gas with an order of magnitude less price? God forbid, it might even be the same physical pump!
</painful memory>
How about ' actual fuel price is double indicated' ?
Yeah,
There is a station in Tenced, Idaho that does just that...their pumps only go to $1.99 so they taped a sign on the pump which says " actual price is double that shown on pump". Seems to work just fine. Though I suppose they will have to change the sign this summer to "actual price triple..."
Is this really a big deal?
gas pump Y2k
I imagine it depends on the local regulations.
I remember hearing that back in the '70s, they switched to selling gas in liters instead of gallons, to get around this problem.
And somebody could probably get rich making some kind of conversion kit, that would allow pump prices to go higher for much less cost than replacing the entire pump.
How about 'price is in dollars per quart'?
Edit: Now that I think about it, this wouldn't help without modifying the pumps. But it might be easier to quadruple the output of the fuel-flow counter than to add another price digit.
Maybe the "nightclub system": $5 "cover charge" to pull up to the pump...
or...we can honor Simmons and price it per cup.
Perhaps just switch to liters?
The dram: a unit of measurement for precious liquids.
The state of VA won't allow it.
This should only be a problem for a few months; then gas will be at $9.99 and all of the stations will be in the same boat. The article is focusing on the immediacy of this minor problem as if it is the only consequence of $4 gas. Such fluff only distracts the public from the looming longer term problems. "OMG $4 gas, how will I be able to keep paying for it" not "OMG there won't be any gas soon, what can I do to reduce my reliance on it."
My first post here...just my $0.02...
When they built the new Costco here about 5 years ago, I was surprised to see the pump display had space for double digit a gallon gas...
I think the simplest solution would be to move the decimal over one point. Gas would be $0.40 a gallon as far as the machine is concerned. Then you can just draw in a decimal point in the proper spot on the front of the pump. Or just multiply the final price by 10. That is simple math that (almost) anyone can do.
Anyone who cant multiply a number by 10 should not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle or anything that uses gasoline.
The fact that it is so simple is evidence that a solution is not sought.
In other words, DENIAL!!!!
Or to set the pump price at 40c and multiply by 10, or add a dollar and set it at 3.05 for 4.05 and add $1 x the gallons poured? ($2 once it gets to $5 per gallon - next year).
Too much math for our grade 1 population.