to me. I had allowed my car to go to totally empty by the
time I drove into a Four Brothers station here in Wilkesboro on 4/26, then
filled it up. I have a 20 gallon capacity tank, usually takes only
18, and my receipt showed 23 gallons when I stopped the fill up at $75.
This is a true story, so read it carefully.
On April 24, 2008, I stopped at a Kangaroo BP gas station,
located at 1325 Main Street, Cartersville, GA. My trucks gas
gauge was on 1/4 of a tank. I use the mid-grade, which was priced at
$3.71 per gallon. When my tank is at this point, it takes somewhere
around 14 gallons to fill it up. When the pump showed 14 gallons
had been pumped I began to slow it down, then to my surprise
it went to 15, then 16. I even looked under my truck to see
if it was being spilled. It was not. Then it showed 17 gallons
had been pumped. It stopped at almost 18 gallons. This was very strange to
me, since my truck has only an 18 gallon tank. I went on my way
a little confused, then on the evening news I heard a report that 1 out of 4
gas stations had calibrated their pumps to show more gas had
been pumped than a person actually got.
Here is how to check a pump to see if you are getting the right amount:
Whichever grade you are using, put EXACTLY 10 GALLONS in your
tank, then look at the dollar amount, if the dollar amount is not
EXACTLY 10 times the price of the fuel you have chosen, then the
pumps are rigged. In my case as I said the mid-grade was $3.71
per gallon, my dollar amount for 10 gallons should have been
$37.19. If I had only check the pump. It doesn't matter where you
pump gas, please check the 10 gallon price. If you do find a station
that is cheating, contact the Georgia Agriculture Department, and
direct your comments to Tommy Irvin, Commissioner. In other states
contact proper authorities.
