breaking the laws of physics

When the meter rolled over 6 gallons and my first 5 gallon can was only about half full, I put down the nozzle and went inside.

I told the owner about the problem and he came outside in apparent disbelief. While he was making denials and waving his arms he reached under the front of the meter, just above the glass and flipped a switch.

I stopped what I was doing and don't remember exactly what I did next, but I bought no more gas from him, shop elsewhere and called the state weights and measures and reported him.

If he doesn't want people stealing his gas all he has to do is require customers to pre-pay!

Mark

Guess you haven't spent a lot of time around diesel fuel?

This is a totally normal occurance. Diesel swells and contracts like crazy depending on the tempreature.

Heck, you can even see it happen by watchin' your tractor's fuel guage as the day heats up.

Allan

I HAD a friend once that owned a mini-mart and a white boy. Top in State lotto sales, pumped 60k gallons month, did $1000/day in special mixed soft drinks.

When he got ready to retire, he and his wife had to fire there help and work 14hr shifts to pump the money back into the "books" so they could sell it at full value.

In the mean time, he had watched a gas pump repairman. From that he was able to install a switch under the counter that when on would short the pump sale 1tenth of a gallon or about 6k/gal/mth in his pocket.

One thing he forgot when he was telling me this after he retired, was I had also bought a few tanks of gas from him.

I asked him to leave and never come back! He died two years latter on the golf course.

T_Bone

I've also heard an increase lately in the number of full-serve stations trying to short people and hoping they don't look at the pump before paying.

There was a situation like this in Nova Scotia, 15 years ago. I phoned and reported buying 15 more litres of diesel than my tanks held. They told me I wasn't the only one who called. He assured me they were doing their own fill ups at several outlets of the same company. Within months the company were in court and were fined in excess of $100,000.

Allan

I will say this, it's was the only government department I ever saw act with haste, other than the Income Tax dept., when they wanted my (their) $23,000. PDQ.

I regularly inspect the inspection stickers where I buy gas, including his and they all have been current. Apparently he installed the switch after the inspection or had it off when the inspector was visiting his place.

Additionally, I have paid closer attention at other stations and haven't found another thief since.

Mark

--->Paul

Mark