Hope you had a great Memorial Day holiday weekend, and as you may have noticed, gas prices DID NOT GO UP 30 TO 50 CENTS PER GALLON LIKE THE NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA HAD PREDICTED.
At least they didn't in my neighborhood. We're still sitting at $4.24, just like we were last Thursday night -- a price hike of 7 CENTS for the big profit-taking weekend.
How about you?
So, the world didn't end. Again.
More and more often these days, I get pissed off at the national media. Every time they predict something, some end-of-the-world calamity guaranteed to spoil your vacation, IT FAILS TO HAPPEN. I swear they do it just to make people panic, just to make people look stupid.
As a former reporter, I don't think this kind of prediction should be considered as the media "doing its job." If the media was doing its job, it would tell you in a clear, detailed, in-depth way how Mitt Romney plans to save this country.
But they can't be bothered to do that. And Romney doesn't have a plan anyway.
Too bad no media types have enough balls to ASK him.
...Course it wasn't just the media. The guy who delivered our last gas shipment last Friday morning said he was POSITIVE gas prices were going to go up 30 to 50 cents over the weekend. This guy should KNOW, he DELIVERS the stuff....
Lots of people still think Obama's to blame for high gas prices. You might as well blame God. Obama has nothing to do with it. But oil companies and those slimeballs who speculate on future gas prices, they have a lot to answer for.
One guy in the store over the weekend said that if high gas prices will keep Obama from being re-elected, he'll take the higher gas prices....
Lotta stupid people out there.
Don't let the media herd you into doing something just because they think they have the power. That's how we ended up with things like the annual "Black Friday" start to Christmas shopping season. And what a great national tradition THAT'S become, right?
In fact, consider that maybe you SHOULD do everything the media tells you NOT to. What the hell do THEY know? Red wine causes cancer? Better stock up! Red meat will make your intestines fall out? Broil me up another steak!
EVERYBODY has a hidden agenda -- the national news media is no different. Any time they predict disaster, they're just softening you up for it to happen. Where was the all-knowing media when the housing market crashed? Where were their all-seeing predictions then? Where was the all-knowing media when the economy went down the toilet? Probably trying to figure out if Michael Jackson was still dead.
Think for yourselves, while you still can. Before it's too late. And don't be swayed by stupid predictions of "disaster" from those who supposedly Know Better Than We Do. It's probably bullshit.
COMING VERY SOON: The Nazi marks its Second Anniversary....
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
$4.24, down from $4.27!
Just in time for the Memorial Day Weekend....
On Thursday afternoon, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas up 10 cents to $4.27. But he dropped the price 3 cents later Thursday night, so we're now sitting at $4.24.
Could be worse. I heard the national TV news was predicting gas prices might rise from 20 to 50 cents per gallon this weekend. That would be pretty hard to believe -- it's never happened before. And at least we haven't hit $5 per gallon like everyone was predicting....
I don't know how reasonable $4.24 is -- I've heard prices as high as $4.35 quoted in the last week, I just haven't SEEN them.
I'm still not sure what's driving this recent price rise. Oil barrel prices still seem to be dropping, according to the media. My boss might be competing against the newly-opened gas station across the street. Those folks don't seem to be doing that well.
Don't think it's DEMAND, either. We've been pretty steadily busy, lately. We'll see if this Memorial Day breaks any records. I kind of doubt it....
More soon, including the official Second Anniversary of this blog. What will I do to celebrate...?
On Thursday afternoon, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas up 10 cents to $4.27. But he dropped the price 3 cents later Thursday night, so we're now sitting at $4.24.
Could be worse. I heard the national TV news was predicting gas prices might rise from 20 to 50 cents per gallon this weekend. That would be pretty hard to believe -- it's never happened before. And at least we haven't hit $5 per gallon like everyone was predicting....
I don't know how reasonable $4.24 is -- I've heard prices as high as $4.35 quoted in the last week, I just haven't SEEN them.
I'm still not sure what's driving this recent price rise. Oil barrel prices still seem to be dropping, according to the media. My boss might be competing against the newly-opened gas station across the street. Those folks don't seem to be doing that well.
Don't think it's DEMAND, either. We've been pretty steadily busy, lately. We'll see if this Memorial Day breaks any records. I kind of doubt it....
More soon, including the official Second Anniversary of this blog. What will I do to celebrate...?
Saturday, May 12, 2012
$4.17!
Seriously? Our price for a gallon of Regular gas has gone up 22 cents since Wednesday. Still haven't heard what's driving this. We still might hit $5 per gallon by Memorial Day....
More soon....
More soon....
Friday, May 11, 2012
$4.07!
Our price for a gallon of Regular gas went up to $4.07 on Thursday, up 12 cents in 2 days. A couple customers wondered if we were beating up on them for Mother's Day weekend? I told them to wait for Memorial Day....
I still don't get what's driving the latest price increase, but I don't really want to talk about that.
What I want to do instead is talk about the worst customer I've had in awhile....
I said awhile back that it's been a very smooth and mellow last couple of weeks? Well, that sort of came to an end on Thursday.
During Rush Hour I had a guy chew on me like I haven't been zinged in awhile. He left me shaking. He was scary.
The sun was out, a beautiful afternoon, and it was mildly busy. In the middle of it, a big red pickup pulls up to Pump #1. An older guy climbs out, runs his card, everything seems to be OK. After his card is accepted, I check on the computer screen to make sure he's getting his gas OK, like I do with everybody, because I don't like to get blindsided by problems.
The old guy takes a LONG time to start pumping his gas. WAY TOO LONG. I start thinking there might be a problem. Probably nothing major. #1 might've lost pressure -- happens all the time with our old pumps, nothing major. The guy might have to start from scratch, hang up and slide his card again, but no big deal. Happens almost every day.
I have another customer in the store, looking for drinks. Normally I wouldn't leave the cash register but.... I take another look.
The guy on #1 STILL hasn't started pumping his gas. About 30 seconds have passed, maybe a minute, and he's just staring at the pump.
So I go out there.
"Looks like you're having a little trouble with #1...." I start.
"Yeah," the old guy says, "when the hell am I gonna get some gas here? I keep pressing START and it won't start."
Sure as hell, he's got the nozzle in his gas tank, but the pump's still beeping at him -- something hasn't kicked in.
He's got the PLUS nozzle in his tank.
"Are you trying to get PLUS?" I ask.
"No, I want Regular, and I keep pressing Regular, but nothing happens!"
"That's because you picked up the PLUS," I say gently. I pick up the Regular nozzle, hang up the Plus, and put the Regular in his gas tank.
"Now how do I get the damn thing started?" he asks.
"Just press start," I say, pressing gently on the button that says PRESS HERE.
"It doesn't say START," he says. "I've been pressing everything, but nothing says START. You've got REALLY BAD, UNCLEAR DIRECTIONS here. And I pressed the Intercom button SEVERAL TIMES, but it doesn't seem to work either."
We've never had an intercom, but I don't tell him this. At this point I'm already backing away with my hands up, because this guy is ABSOLUTELY SEETHING. I thought at first that maybe he couldn't see too well and I'd unintentionally embarrassed him by hanging up the Plus and setting him up with the Regular he wanted. But it was becoming clear that he was going to complain about everything. He was already angry -- or at least distracted -- before I ever spoke to him.
And if he couldn't see that well, why was he DRIVING?
I kept backing away as the guy kept talking to himself. I went back in the store and the guy quickly finished pumping his gas. He hung up and drove away with a screech, and I looked at the computer to see how much gas he'd bought.
He did all that complaining for $10.19 in gas. Still not sure precisely what he was on about. He didn't seem to be drunk. Just VERY angry. Over Ghod knows what. But do people really need an excuse anymore?
I was still shaking because of how angry he got about not being able to see -- or apparently hear. Nothing could be simpler than our gas pumps: You slide your card, you pump your gas, you go away happy. But people have GOT to make it complicated.
After that, the folks who were rude and the folks who complained about the price didn't bother me too much. And the one guy who suggested that with gas prices like ours, we should toss in sodas for free -- I suggested he take that up with my boss. Does everybody say whatever pops into their head all the time?
I also reminded him we haven't yet come near the record high price from 2008 -- $4.59 for a gallon of Regular.
But there's plenty of time....
Can't wait for Summer! Can't wait for Memorial Day!
I still don't get what's driving the latest price increase, but I don't really want to talk about that.
What I want to do instead is talk about the worst customer I've had in awhile....
I said awhile back that it's been a very smooth and mellow last couple of weeks? Well, that sort of came to an end on Thursday.
During Rush Hour I had a guy chew on me like I haven't been zinged in awhile. He left me shaking. He was scary.
The sun was out, a beautiful afternoon, and it was mildly busy. In the middle of it, a big red pickup pulls up to Pump #1. An older guy climbs out, runs his card, everything seems to be OK. After his card is accepted, I check on the computer screen to make sure he's getting his gas OK, like I do with everybody, because I don't like to get blindsided by problems.
The old guy takes a LONG time to start pumping his gas. WAY TOO LONG. I start thinking there might be a problem. Probably nothing major. #1 might've lost pressure -- happens all the time with our old pumps, nothing major. The guy might have to start from scratch, hang up and slide his card again, but no big deal. Happens almost every day.
I have another customer in the store, looking for drinks. Normally I wouldn't leave the cash register but.... I take another look.
The guy on #1 STILL hasn't started pumping his gas. About 30 seconds have passed, maybe a minute, and he's just staring at the pump.
So I go out there.
"Looks like you're having a little trouble with #1...." I start.
"Yeah," the old guy says, "when the hell am I gonna get some gas here? I keep pressing START and it won't start."
Sure as hell, he's got the nozzle in his gas tank, but the pump's still beeping at him -- something hasn't kicked in.
He's got the PLUS nozzle in his tank.
"Are you trying to get PLUS?" I ask.
"No, I want Regular, and I keep pressing Regular, but nothing happens!"
"That's because you picked up the PLUS," I say gently. I pick up the Regular nozzle, hang up the Plus, and put the Regular in his gas tank.
"Now how do I get the damn thing started?" he asks.
"Just press start," I say, pressing gently on the button that says PRESS HERE.
"It doesn't say START," he says. "I've been pressing everything, but nothing says START. You've got REALLY BAD, UNCLEAR DIRECTIONS here. And I pressed the Intercom button SEVERAL TIMES, but it doesn't seem to work either."
We've never had an intercom, but I don't tell him this. At this point I'm already backing away with my hands up, because this guy is ABSOLUTELY SEETHING. I thought at first that maybe he couldn't see too well and I'd unintentionally embarrassed him by hanging up the Plus and setting him up with the Regular he wanted. But it was becoming clear that he was going to complain about everything. He was already angry -- or at least distracted -- before I ever spoke to him.
And if he couldn't see that well, why was he DRIVING?
I kept backing away as the guy kept talking to himself. I went back in the store and the guy quickly finished pumping his gas. He hung up and drove away with a screech, and I looked at the computer to see how much gas he'd bought.
He did all that complaining for $10.19 in gas. Still not sure precisely what he was on about. He didn't seem to be drunk. Just VERY angry. Over Ghod knows what. But do people really need an excuse anymore?
I was still shaking because of how angry he got about not being able to see -- or apparently hear. Nothing could be simpler than our gas pumps: You slide your card, you pump your gas, you go away happy. But people have GOT to make it complicated.
After that, the folks who were rude and the folks who complained about the price didn't bother me too much. And the one guy who suggested that with gas prices like ours, we should toss in sodas for free -- I suggested he take that up with my boss. Does everybody say whatever pops into their head all the time?
I also reminded him we haven't yet come near the record high price from 2008 -- $4.59 for a gallon of Regular.
But there's plenty of time....
Can't wait for Summer! Can't wait for Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
$4.03!
The price for a barrel of oil must have gone up. On Wednesday, my boss raised our price for a gallon of Regular gas to $3.99 in the morning, and then to $4.03 in the afternoon.
Strange, I thought oil-barrel prices had been going DOWN.... There might still be time to hit $5 per gallon by summer....
It's been a pretty smooth and quiet last couple of weeks, though. Our customers have at least mellowed out a bit as the weather has improved. Thank Ghod.
More soon....
Strange, I thought oil-barrel prices had been going DOWN.... There might still be time to hit $5 per gallon by summer....
It's been a pretty smooth and quiet last couple of weeks, though. Our customers have at least mellowed out a bit as the weather has improved. Thank Ghod.
More soon....
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