Thread: Gas pumps cheated drivers in Austin.

I've actaully been to the Sun Mart Royse City, if any knows where that is lol. It's been awhile back though.

So let's try some perspective:

Gas is around $4.50/gallon (at least here in CA), and they're favoring by "up to" (meaning some pumps were not as bad) 1/10th gallon per 5 (or $0.45 per 5 gallons), and the average car tank is about 20 gallons.

So for a full fill-up, they were "cheating" you out of a grand total of $1.60 (bastards! That's half a Big Mac!). Even Ye Olde Suburban with the Armageddon-size 50 gallon tank would only be $4.50 off the top.

If you've got $225 to fill your tank, you have fewer things to worry about than a fiver. Plus, the company was making some half-hearted independent effort to fix the problem (heck, better than some municipal governments that won't devote funding or manpower to fix a problem even after the inspectors come back with their findings).

Draco

Originally Posted by Red_Lizard2

EDIT: I like the one guy about fining them as much as 100,000 dollars. OMG those gas companies going to think twice about pulling that trick again when they lose that 100,000 dollars, what a dent in those pocket books

It's not even worth the government's time to fine them that 100 grand. For every one dollar that the oil companies make in profit, they pay two dollars in taxes/fees. (And no, that doesn't mean that the oil companies are "losing money." If you can't figure it out, read it again until you understand.)

Originally Posted by draco7891

So let's try some perspective:

Gas is around $4.50/gallon (at least here in CA), and they're favoring by "up to" (meaning some pumps were not as bad) 1/10th gallon per 5 (or $0.45 per 5 gallons), and the average car tank is about 20 gallons.

So for a full fill-up, they were "cheating" you out of a grand total of $1.60 (bastards! That's half a Big Mac!). Even Ye Olde Suburban with the Armageddon-size 50 gallon tank would only be $4.50 off the top.

If you've got $225 to fill your tank, you have fewer things to worry about than a fiver. Plus, the company was making some half-hearted independent effort to fix the problem (heck, better than some municipal governments that won't devote funding or manpower to fix a problem even after the inspectors come back with their findings).

Draco

but everytime I fill up, there's atleast 3 other people...that's in about 6 mins...so we're talking about 30 people every hour (ROUGHLY) that's 240 bucks an hour, per station.

that add's up REALLL quick....

Originally Posted by TehSpaz

but everytime I fill up, there's atleast 3 other people...that's in about 6 mins...so we're talking about 30 people every hour...

Math, Spaz, math. "Me" + "3 other people" = 4 people an hour, but let's throw this hypothetical down, hardcore-ghetto style.

990 of 1704 pumps were found tampered, or just about 60% (58.1%, really). So, let's say that a station is 4 pumps, and people need 6 minutes to fill their tank, and the pumps are in continuous use 24/7, and assume that the distribution of tainted pumps and usage patterns are even, 40 people an hour, and 60% of them get dinged, or 24 per hour per station (and there are 426 stations, then).

Now re-assume they all typically drive a standard 20-gallon tank, and they all have to do a complete fill-up. Are we approaching the acceptable worst-case scenario, yet?

$1.60 from 24 people an hour is $38.4/hour, or $16,358.40/hour across all stations.

Now take into account that:

* Not everyone needs a full tank of gas.
* It typically takes ~10 minutes to pump a full tank, not 6.

Let's say that the average fill is 1/2 tank, and it takes 10 minutes per person. Then, the figure drops to $23.04/hour, or $9,815.04/hour across all stations.

* Usage patterns throughout the day are not equal (meaning that each station is not
nearly that busy all the time)

Let us say that a station does their maximum rate of business for 4 hours out of the day (say 7-9 in the morning, and then 5-7 in the evening), and thereafter does half as much as maximum (and is open for 24 hours). That's still an enormous over-assumption, but roll with it.

Then, the figure drops from $392,601.60 per day (or $235,560.96 with our more reasonable assumptions about purchases) to $229,017.60 (or $137,410.56).

* The distribution of tainted pumps and station patronage are not equal (some stations are more popular and some have fewer than the mean average number of tainted pumps)

Now we get into advanced statistical and sociological analysis, and that's too hard for just hardcore-ghetto style throwdown. Suffice to say that if more people who bought larger quantities of gas purchased at non-tainted pumps, and fewer people bought lesser quantities at tainted pumps, the figures would be even lower.

---

So, with our corrections in place, each station would take in, each day, $322.56 extra. Given how thin the margins on gasoline are for the station, that's nothing to be excited about (that should just about cover the cost for the wages and worker's comp insurance for the 80 IQ moron behind the counter).

This is crime on the scale of stealing from the Take-a-Penny tray. :P

Draco

I hear ya Guyver; and I think that your/my "cheating is cheating" method should be applied to more than just stealing money. What about the New England Patriots? If it were up to me, they would not only have their super bowl, but entire season thrown out of the record books. Throw out the touchdowns that were scored, the yards that were thrown/ran/caught, the tackles and sacks that were recorded, everything. Plain and simple they broke the rules and were not punished. I don't care if it gave them any type of edge or not, they should be punished.