Been to a gas station lately?

It’s gotten to a point that when you go to buy gasoline, you really need plastic money. If you want to carry cash to purchase gasoline, you need a Brinks truck and an armed guard.

Buying gasoline is one of the most annoying time wasters I know. I hate stopping to buy gas, I always have. Several years ago, the gasoline companies figured out that convenience was the key to earning our business. The old fashioned filling station became a one stop convenience center. The real breakthrough was when gas pumps were equipped with credit card readers so guys like me could gas up and leave without having to take the time to walk into the store.

I liked that.

But then crude oil hit a hundred bucks a barrel and the price of a gallon of gasoline reached the level of fine jewelry. Not too long ago, I pulled up to the pump, inserted my plastic money, then started to pump. Meanwhile, I checked the oil and washed the windows. When I got back to the pump, it shut off right at $50.00 on the penny. I shut off the pump, took my receipt, and climbed into the car to record the price and mileage in my little log book. It seemed like the mileage had dropped off considerably - strange - maybe there ’s a problem with the engine?

Of course, when I turned the key, the gas guage told the story.

My tank was far from full.

That’s when I saw the sticker on the pump. “CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS ARE LIMITED TO FIFTY DOLLARS. THIS RULE IS YOUR CREDIT CARD PROVIDER AND NOT STUPID AMERICA OIL COMPANY.”

Grrrrrr. From then on, when the *&^%$#! pump stopped at fifty bucks, I’d just insert the card and do another transaction. That worked for awhile, but not anymore. When you try that now, the pump will give you the message - CARD NOT AUTHORIZED - SEE CASHIER.

Now, most gas station cashiers are slightly smarter than the gas pump. They’ll tell you the credit card company limits trasactions to fifty bucks, and will not allow multiple gasoline transactions. This is to prevent fraud, because the first thing most credit card thieves will do is fill up their tanks, along with all their buddies.

Okay, I can buy that. I asked my credit card provider, “Is there is a fifty dollar limit on transactions?”

Nope.


Somebody is lying - I’m sure it’s this sticker!

So who put this artificial fifty dollar limit on gas transactions? The oil companies. They blame your credit card company so you won’t blame them and stop buying from them. (There are two chances of me ever buying anything at a gasoline convenience store again. I’m sure that will cause the failure of the entire oil industry so I’ll get my revenge.) But stop buying gasoline from them? Where are we going to go to get fuel? It sure as hell isn’t going to be the ethanol station.

Why does everyone feel the need to lie to us about gasoline? The government lies about gasoline taxes and they lie about ethanol. The oil companies lie about the fifty dollar transactions. Wouldn’t it be refreshing if once, just once, a politician or oil company executive would tell us the truth about what’s really going on?