A Tenth Situation (from OpinionJournal - Best of the Web Today - May 26, 2006) Yahoo! NewsDoesn't sound like much, but stealing is stealing, whether it's a dollar or a dime. It all adds up over a lifetime at the pump.
A Reuters expose finds rampant price-gouging by Big Oil:
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As millions of Americans make the filling station the first stop on their Memorial Day vacation this weekend, the traditional start of the busy summer driving season, some may wonder: "Why does the price for gasoline always have that 9/10 number at the end of it?"
For decades gas stations have advertised the price for gasoline on signs with three big numbers and a small 9/10, representing nine tenths of a penny--a marketing strategy to make drivers think they are paying slightly less than they really are. . . .
The problem is you can't buy a gallon of gasoline for the fractional price that is advertised.
Tests at several service stations showed that buying exactly 1 gallon of fuel (which was difficult to do because you had to release the pump handle at just the right time) resulted in a price that was always rounded up one-tenth of a penny.
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A tenth of a penny may not sound like much, but that just goes to show what an insidious scheme this is. You know what they say: A tenth of a penny here, a tenth of a penny there . . . If you buy 1,000 gallons of gasoline, exactly one gallon at a time, Big Oil will have ripped you off to the tune of a whole dollar!
Joe
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