TEXAS...The REAL Cost of Gas
 

I thought this was interesting enough to share. It is from a friend in Texas.

ARTICLE FROM TEXAS DEPT OF AGRICULTURE



Cheating at Gas Pumps

This is a true story, so read it carefully. On April 24, 2008, I stopped at a Exxon gas station, located at
Balcones Drive and Parkcrest Street , Austin , Texas.

My truck's 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 myway 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 9/10 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 Texas
Department of Agriculture, and direct your comments to Todd Staples,
Commissioner (512-463-7476). In other states contact proper
authorities.

hmmmm they are probably ripping us off here i ny too

Great post!! I would have never thought of that!!! I will be on the look out!!

That doesn't seem quite right to me. What the original story was saying was that he was only putting 14 gallons in his truck but the gauge said 18 gallons. So it isn't that they are putting the wrong price on it, but that they are changing the volume of a gallon. Basically, no matter where you go, 10 gallons is going to cost ten times the amount of gas, but there is no way for sure to actually know if there is 10 gallons in your tank. The test they are saying to use doesn't actually prove the miscalibration. The only REAL way to test is to take a one or two gallon gas container and gauge the amount of gas you pump to the amount it reads on the pump.

Here is a link to the TX dept of agriculture, they actually list any stations that have been cited for the violation, and there is only one in Austin. the list isn't completely up to date, but it makes more sense than the first letter.

Texas Department of Agriculture

How do they live with themselves?
 

:goodpost:Its amazing that in hard times such as these there are low-life pieces of CRAP out there to ensure that the hard time become harder! I am going to start checking out at every station! Thanks for the post!

As stated, I got it in an e-mail from Texas. I am sure it was a forward that my friend thought was important. From the looks of the list there are a whole lot of stations that are in violation. No matter how you look at it, it is something we all need to pay attention to. It's already bad enough and has had such a negative impact on our whole economy that we need to be aware of this problem.

I am actually very surprised that with the prices being so high that 'gas stealing by siphoning from private vehicles' has not appeared to become a major problem yet. OR, maybe it has, just not in my area.
I am considering purchasing a 'locked' cap because of this potential. It costs me about eighty six to fill up and that is horrendous!

The worst thing I have heard (in a news report that I personally read) is that during sessions of Congressional meetings with the top execs of the oil companies, there were two of them that couldn't tell Congress how much money they make. Can you imagine making so much money you don't even know how much you make?

I totally agree with you and your friend that it is important to pass on. I just wanted to know if it was a real story from the TX dept of Agriculture. I'm not trying to downplay the situation at all, I just wanted to point out that pumping 10 gallons and then checking the price is not going to show you if they actually gave you 10 gallons for the purchase. I think it is totally cheap and cruel for companies to do that, especially because there is hardly any way for a simple consumer to notice the discrepancy. And I live in Austin, and know the station that is being referred to, but haven't been there to know if the TDA has shut down their pumps or not. I do believe that they have people out there checking the calibration of the pumps and are shutting down places that have "malfunctioning" gauges.

I'm about to suck it up and get an electric scooter, it is getting so out of control.

I was also told that there is a sticker on each tank at the station that says the last time the pump was inspected by the state. You might look for that.

In addition, LAbrown described almost exactly how the state tests the calibration of the pump. They have a small gas can and they fill it up to a certain point and that's how they check that a gallon is a gallon.

At least that's what I was told. :)

Sammiz, thanks for starting this thread. This is an important issue we all need to be aware of. :thumbup:

I know where that gas station is too. I lived in Austin for many years. Cedar Park was considered a bit out there from Austin then. No more, huh? It has grown so much! The folks at Balcones CC tell stories of how they used to go hunting in that area when they first built there because it was shuch a 'wooded' area. Now they have gas stations and such nearly in their back yards.

You're welcome. :)

I don't go much of anywhere these days. The quick twenty minute trips away have become a major decision these days. I try to plan everything on one day and get everything done at once so as not to use more gas than I have to. I am not dirt poor but neither am I mega rich. With the gas prices still climbing I may end up dirt poor, though. :D

I agree with labrown! It sounds like the volume is rigged not the price! So it may say you're putting 10 gallons in your tank, but it could only be 8! And yes the only way to test that problem is to fill up a gallon gas can but who would go through all that trouble before they fill up!

Well if it IS true that 1 out of 4 stations in Austin are cheating you, then I WOULD! I would do it at a station til I found one that was honest and then always go there.

I actually live less than a mile from the Austin city limit, but my taxes are cheaper because I live in CP. Plus everything is very new up here. And it is amazing how fast it is growing. Lots of people tell stories about riding their bikes through fields that are now apartment complexes and highschools.

Also, check the air pressure in your tires. It really does help your gas mileage. ;)

It's true - it was on the news last week or so in Houston - I've always wondered how often this happens - and never really looked into actual bills - but they actually busted some stations AND said where they were on tv

JERKS - there's always going to be crooks in any business but this is really going to far - the cost of gas is bad enough in itself without us being shorted.

GOOD post girl !!!!!

So does having your tires aligned. Also, I am about to cut off all my hair so I can ride with my windows down more often. The AC in your car runs strait off your gas tank.

I try to go to gas stations that aren't independently owned. It seems like larger corporate stations (like the ones in front of Randalls, etc) are more strict about maintaining the pumps and no one that operates them is directly affected by the pinch of gas prices. Plus that 10 cent discount after buying groceries is a good one!

My sister lives in Maryland and it seems that one of the supermarkets there is using a gas discount card as incentive to purchae there. You 'earn' amounts on a gas card (I think that's how it is) depending on what you spend.

;) :) :) ;) :) :) ;)

AND... I read a report on the food companies and how they are dealing with everything to keep their profits. Why, they just change their packaging sizes (like the chips companies have) or they reduce the amount they place in the package. Say if it usually is a fourteen ounce package, they use the same size box but reduce the amount by two ounces. Of course, the new amount is stated on the box so it is legal. Do you think they think we won't notice?

AND....some computerized supermarkets actually ring up a higher price than what is advertised on the shelf. Sometimes, it can be just human error but sometimes I think it is intentional. There is no way anybody (except maybe Rainman) can watch all those prices as they are being rung up. I try but especially if the cashier is a fast scanner, I just can't keep up with it. Sometimes, if I am suspicious about something I will ask then and there. Other times, I check when I get home. I am big on the actual selling price being the same as the advertised price. These days you really have to pay attention. We are getting it stuck to us around every corner. :(

I make restaurant menus. They are having to raise their prices because restaurants are now being charged a trip charge so the suppling companies can recoup some of their loss from the high gas prices. It just goes on and on and on.

We get 10 cents off our next gas purchase when we buy 100 bucks worth of groceries. Since we have a club card, it keeps track for us, and we just scan our card at the pump. We always get a 3 cent discount, but it can go up to ten depending on how many groceries you buy.

That woulds be ten cents reduction per gallon and not ten cents off the whole purchase, right?

yep. :thumbup:

well we have a friend who works with alot of gas stations in texas and he said almost all gas stations are incorrect... he said it is very hard to caliberate fuel .... how sad is that!

Thanks for posting this! It happened to me last year. Had a 17 gallon take but put in almost 20...couldn't understand what was happening. Told my FIL and he said that I was crazy!

Also, if you have to get gas, it's better to get it in the morning...when it's cooler outside.

That's what they are counting on, that we would not check this way. With people from the dept of Agriculture checking some it will help a little.

IT IS A PROBLEM ! My apartment complex had to send notices around due to siphoning - I now only keep 1/4 tank in my car cause I can't afford to be siphoned and re-fill -

2 people I know here were hit and now they have locks on their gas tanks and park so the tank isn't facing an easy access way.....but hell - there's alot of people filling up and driving off without paying now too -

It's just incredible that we are having to go thru this - but man Julie - in Scotland - 11 BUCKS A GALLON ? :eek:WOW - the thing is you all are SMART there - here in the USA people drive big gas guzzlers - SUV's - etc ....now they're probably regretting it.

Check out the story on this site. This is the greates 'myth' site out there

snopes.com: Cheating at Gas Pumps

Ive been siphoned once a LONG time ago and it was before gas caps had to be 'properly sealed' or you failed inspection. So we were able to go to Walmart or something and buy some generic locking gas caps. You needed a key to open the gas tank. Noone could siphon from me anymore. But newer cars have something build into the gas caps to stop fumes from going into the environment and when you get inspected, they test that. If that seal is not working, you need to get a gas cap from your cars manufacturer/dealership. You can't even buy generic gas caps anymore! bummer right?? Im glad that my little gas door on my new car cannot be popped open from the outside, you need to push a button on the inside of the car to open it. :) phew!

Here in NJ we're all probably be screwed over cause we're not allowed to pump our own gas. :rolleyes: