Old gas pumps can't handle ever-rising prices

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.

[Greg]

Better start making the kit's to go to 9.999 becaus eit's about 2 years away

[Ken Miller]

I was amused that North Dakota required "signs to alert costumers.." about the half gallon pricing. So if you provide theatrical clothes, you'll been warned!

Just goes to show that even the Tribune editors don't read the Trib.

[Tom Foley]

If anything, it'd be a nice gesture for the gas companies to give back some of the billions they are raking in to support those in their own industry.

[Good idea]

Tom Foley wrote:

If anything, it'd be a nice gesture for the gas companies to give back some of the billions they are raking in to support those in their own industry.

Very good idea, Tom. OK, How do we talk them into it?

[greg]

Back in the late 70's when the price of gas first hit $1.00, most gas pumps at the time could not register a price above .999. I remember half gallon pricing being used at several gas stations around Rockford, IL until the pumps could be modified.

[Michael G Koerner]

I have the simplest and, IMHO, the very BEST solution to their fuel pump pricing quandary. Why don't they just convert their stations to liter pricing? The USA is the *ONLY* country left on the planet that does not use those units, it is very simple to do - those old pumps are fully capable of doing that - and I have my full faith in the ability of my fellow USAians to know what it is.

Mike

[Farva]

I'll have a liter of cola.

[takenitlight]

Tom Foley wrote:

If anything, it'd be a nice gesture for the gas companies to give back some of the billions they are raking in to support those in their own industry.

Gas companies like Exxon are ONLY making an 8.3% profit! The industry standard is 7.1%. Exxon paid the US Government $23 Billion Dollars in taxes already this past quarter alone!

[Gabriel]

Farva wrote:

I'll have a liter of cola.

Make mine two litres of scotch please.

[Awaker than yu]

They will reduce it before the election:

http://www.theinternationalforecaster.com/ite...

[Tim from Canada]

Michael G Koerner wrote:

I have the simplest and, IMHO, the very BEST solution to their fuel pump pricing quandary. Why don't they just convert their stations to liter pricing? The USA is the *ONLY* country left on the planet that does not use those units, it is very simple to do - those old pumps are fully capable of doing that - and I have my full faith in the ability of my fellow USAians to know what it is.
Mike

For the uninitiated a liter is roughly the same size as a U.S. quart(33oz to a liter 32.5 oz for a U.S.quart). The conversion would keep mom and pop stations in business.

[Tim from Canada]

Koerner is Gay wrote:

<quoted text>
Liters suck. Go live in another country if you don like it dickie suxor.

Somebody's bored with their homework and came out here to play GROW UP

[Wen]

Tim from Canada wrote:

<quoted text> For the uninitiated a liter is roughly the same size as a U.S. quart(33oz to a liter 32.5 oz for a U.S.quart). The conversion would keep mom and pop stations in business.

Tim, what's that aboot, eh? A litre is 33.8 ounces, not 33; a U.S. quart is 32 oz., not 32.5. Take off, you hoser! Beauty, eh?

Just kidding you a bit, Tim. I like Canada just fine except for the cruel and inhumane baby seal hunt.

[RegularGuy]

Sales by the liter have already been tried, and it confused just about everyone.

Besides, the oil companies have become Masters at passing along any and all cost increases to the consumer. They'll just do the same for the cost of the new pumps.

Spare us the crocodile tears.

[WHAT A NUTJOB U ARE]

takenitlight wrote:

<quoted text>
Gas companies like Exxon are ONLY making an 8.3% profit! The industry standard is 7.1%. Exxon paid the US Government $23 Billion Dollars in taxes already this past quarter alone!

What a tool!

[Ramrod]

Farva wrote:

I'll have a liter of cola.

What's Litreacola? LOL

[Bob in Boca]

greg wrote:

Back in the late 70's when the price of gas first hit $1.00, most gas pumps at the time could not register a price above .999. I remember half gallon pricing being used at several gas stations around Rockford, IL until the pumps could be modified.

Interesting and thanks for that post. Our younger peers here probably have no idea how bad it was with the Carter fiasco. Gas lines and rationing because he was a weak, mewling idiot. Well, some things really never change...

What kills me is that the democrat congress still refuses to permit any domestic drilling that would alleviate the issue of supply and oil futures.

Tap a couple of major sites and oil futures plummet. I guess the rats are making too much money and it's a great election issue for them. Even if they are the one's primarily responsible for it since they've stonewalled new efforts to drill.

[DAS]

Just change it to 4.00 a QUART

[Mark_2100]

I pumped 389$ for 78 gallons into my 27 foot CC at Lauderdale Marina, and those pumps are pretty old... get with the times man!

[Wah Wah Wah]

Bob in Boca wrote:

<quoted text>
Interesting and thanks for that post. Our younger peers here probably have no idea how bad it was with the Carter fiasco. Gas lines and rationing because he was a weak, mewling idiot. Well, some things really never change...
What kills me is that the democrat congress still refuses to permit any domestic drilling that would alleviate the issue of supply and oil futures.
Tap a couple of major sites and oil futures plummet. I guess the rats are making too much money and it's a great election issue for them. Even if they are the one's primarily responsible for it since they've stonewalled new efforts to drill.

I, too, remember the oil shocks of the 70s. Odd and even days, lines of cars around the block, the first time the dial went above $1.00/gallon. Crazy times.

The US has historically under-paid for gasoline.(I know, I know: we all think we pay too much in gas taxes, but we don't really compared to the rest of the world.) The oil shocks of the 70s were the free market's reaction to OPEC's tightening of supplies.

If you think the price rise in the 70s was Carter's fault because he was a "mewling idiot", then shouldn't Bush have cleared up this current situation by now? Surely he's no "mewling idiot" and can set OPEC straight, right? Or are you going to blame the "democrat" congress for that as well?

You place far too much faith in so-called "major sites" to tap for future oil. I see your point about oil futures, but say a new field were tapped -- sure, it might provide some immediate downward pressure on futures, but historically they're based on long-term, not short-term, perceptions. And in the long-term, the US doesn't have many options left to drill its own oil.

And isn't it time to stop blaming the "democrat" Congress? The Republicans had a rubber-stamp majority for 6 years under Bush, and you didn't see too much progress in that area, did you? Oh right, it was because the Democrats blocked it, wasn't it?