Drivers Quick On The Take For 33 Cent Gas
Dozens of drivers made a mad rush for cheap gas after a station employee accidentally changed the price to 33 cents a gallon.
An employee closing Trig's Minocqua Shell for the night mistakenly entered the price of a gallon of gasoline as 32.9 cents instead of $3.299 on Monday night.
He left about 10 p.m., but drivers could still use their credit cards to buy gas.
Word of the bargain spread fast in the rural northern Wisconsin community, with 42 people buying 586 gallons of gas in an hour and 45 minutes. One person had pumped 27 gallons and two purchased 18 gallons.
Local police saw the horde at the station and called store manager Andrea Reuland, who went to the station and pushed the emergency stop.
"There were cars two deep at each of my pumps," said Reuland, who knew many of the drivers and told them they were being dishonest - the main store sign had the correct price.
"I was very upset that there's that many dishonest people," she said. "They knew there was a problem, and they took advantage of an employee's mistake and I think that's terrible."
"It was an honest mistake," Reuland said. "I could have done it."
Area residents were still talking about it Friday morning.
"Was it you guys?" a woman in the station asked Reuland. "Why do I always miss the good stuff?"
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. An employee closing Trig's Minocqua Shell for the night mistakenly entered the price of a gallon of gasoline as 32.9 cents instead of $3.299 on Monday night.
He left about 10 p.m., but drivers could still use their credit cards to buy gas.
Word of the bargain spread fast in the rural northern Wisconsin community, with 42 people buying 586 gallons of gas in an hour and 45 minutes. One person had pumped 27 gallons and two purchased 18 gallons.
Local police saw the horde at the station and called store manager Andrea Reuland, who went to the station and pushed the emergency stop.
"There were cars two deep at each of my pumps," said Reuland, who knew many of the drivers and told them they were being dishonest - the main store sign had the correct price.
"I was very upset that there's that many dishonest people," she said. "They knew there was a problem, and they took advantage of an employee's mistake and I think that's terrible."
The employee, who has been there for about six months, had changed the gas prices 25 times in the past six months.
"It was an honest mistake," Reuland said. "I could have done it."
Area residents were still talking about it Friday morning.
"Was it you guys?" a woman in the station asked Reuland. "Why do I always miss the good stuff?"
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And they weren''t dishonest, you want to talk about dishonest, what about service [gas] stations that have full service stations [auto mechanic service] who knowingly "CHEAT" or ripoff consumers, inflating charges, etc., a lot of them praying on women..
There are too many "Judases" out there, e.g. businesses to even quiver about consumers being given a break "accidentally".
Because I would like to know how many business owners would have honestly informed a customer if he/she had made an mathematical error in his/her favor shortchanging the consumer?
Not too many...That''s why the phrase "buyer beware".
Now you think that phrase was created because there are so many "honest" businesses, or to protect the consumer against fraudulent behavior..
Oh come on!! You don''t really think this error at the gas pumps was noticed by Exxon, shell etc. NO way...the only one hurt by it was was the gas station owner. And yes...it was dishonest of those who took advantage of it.
If I had drove up to a station and saw gas for 32.9 cents I''d pumped too just like the rest of you.
Stop with the self-righteous dribble, these people did what any person in similar circumstances would have done, stop and fueled..
And I too would have saw it as a blessing, notwithstanding.
The wrapped double standard of big business!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!