I miss going to the hardware store where buddy put a sticker on the can , that’s how much it cost yesterday , today and likely tomorrow.
Thank God when I was last in Italy 4 yrs ago it was on the Euro for currency, like Greece in the hay day , you couldn’t get pockets big enough to hold the lira required for major purchase .
Old Hardware store in the gta was going out of business. They still had a decent collection of NOS 7.2V makita with stick batteries. Asked how much and he pointed to the sticker (something north of $200). These things are 20 years old. Points to the sticker. I doubt he ever sold them, they are probably in his garage with the sticker on.
Where is this printed cash going? Prices are going up, money is "printed", but I don't know of anyone getting more money. Maybe I need to expand my circle to include billionaires. Those got wheelbarrows of cash during the pandemic.
I wonder if we are getting close to time of day pricing or something like that.
I know there will be no answer to this considering the industry and it's pricing, but still makes me wonder.
Had to do a couple of errands today, left the house and noticed gas price was $1.52 at around 11:30 am.
Did another errand at 3:30 pm and it was $1.48. ???
What the hell is happening mid day on Sunday impacting fuel costs???
I wonder if we are getting close to time of day pricing or something like that.
I know there will be no answer to this considering the industry and it's pricing, but still makes me wonder.
Had to do a couple of errands today, left the house and noticed gas price was $1.52 at around 11:30 am.
Did another errand at 3:30 pm and it was $1.48. ???
What the hell is happening mid day on Sunday impacting fuel costs???
I used to pass the self serve Pioneer at Clark and Huron on my commute into London. Everyday going home the gas would be about 3-4 cents/liter cheaper than in the morning. Next morning right back up.
Funny is the full serve independant across the street was always within .01 cents of that if not the same and had very little traffic. (These guys still ask if they can clean your windows! When was the last time a pump jocky asked you that?)
I used to pass the self serve Pioneer at Clark and Huron on my commute into London. Everyday going home the gas would be about 3-4 cents/liter cheaper than in the morning. Next morning right back up.
Funny is the full serve independant across the street was always within .01 cents of that if not the same and had very little traffic. (These guys still ask if they can clean your windows! When was the last time a pump jocky asked you that?)
I worked as a pump jockey, and managed 3 Gain/Esso Gas bars when I was in school.
Side arming is leaving the nozzle outside the holster with a charge on the pump (say $2). Could be from a prior customer who bought and paid for $2 of gas, could be $2 pumped into a Jerry can. Jockey fills your car with pump started at $2, pump says you got $20. You pay, he shoves $2 in his pocket.
Check your oil sir? - look, you're down a litre (jockeys know how to work a dipstick). Customer says OK, top it up. Jockey grabs a can of air (empty can of oil) puts it the car and shows you a full dipstick. You pay for the oil, he pockets the cash.
That side arm action is mute now that I can see the digital display. These guys arn't crooks they just have real good service. Shout out time - Ron Kraft Service Station @ Clark & Huron in London.
I worked as a pump jockey, and managed 3 Gain/Esso Gas bars when I was in school.
Side arming is leaving the nozzle outside the holster with a charge on the pump (say $2). Could be from a prior customer who bought and paid for $2 of gas, could be $2 pumped into a Jerry can. Jockey fills your car with pump started at $2, pump says you got $20. You pay, he shoves $2 in his pocket.
Check your oil sir? - look, you're down a litre (jockeys know how to work a dipstick). Customer says OK, top it up. Jockey grabs a can of air (empty can of oil) puts it the car and shows you a full dipstick. You pay for the oil, he pockets the cash.
Years ago, I got the bonus. When gas was still sold by the gallon, but the price was over $1.00 so you paid double what the pump said. Was coming home late from Tobermory, stopped for gas. Must have woke the kid. Came out rubbing sleep from his eyes. Asked for $10.00, all I had, he pumped $10 showing but was really $20, he was too tired to notice. $10 would not have gotten me home, but $20 did.
I remember Popular Mechanics magazine had a whole feature article on what they called turnpike bandits , back in the 60s selling rad hoses to scared housewives and doing the thumbswipe on the dipstick before showing you down a quart , then the mysterious can in the rack that had been sold 15 times that day. Topping up coolant with antifreeze that was mostly water . They were coached to scam out of state plates , never seeing that car again.
That side arm action is mute now that I can see the digital display. These guys arn't crooks they just have real good service. Shout out time - Ron Kraft Service Station @ Clark & Huron in London.
In Canada yes, but have heard it happening all the time to tourists in south East Asian countries(even with digital display) when juggling foreign currencies in your head especially when visiting multiple countries it can get confusing (Vietnam, Indonesia) where it is not a simple $1 or $2 on the screen but $10,000 dong or $100,000 rupiah etc. hard to keep track of it all especially when you are in a line of 20 scooters waiting to get fuel. I watch for it when I’m there but many don’t.
Just finishing up a month long British Columbia ski trip. Noticing now more than ever cash is on its way out. Brought a few grand with me from a motorcycle sale. 9/10 businesses enter the amount you owe them into their debit machine before I can even reach for my wallet. McDonalds shoves their debit terminal on a stick at your window before you can even roll it down. Hotels struggle to make change for me, can tell it’s the first time they’ve opened up the till in a while, just barely making my change.
Main gas station in lake Louise this morning didn’t even have $5 change in cash in the till she told me when I tried to make $15 purchase with a 20.
Busy restaurants are fine for cash, but wouldn’t even think of asking anyone else to break a $100 on a smaller purchase.
I remember Popular Mechanics magazine had a whole feature article on what they called turnpike bandits , back in the 60s selling rad hoses to scared housewives and doing the thumbswipe on the dipstick before showing you down a quart , then the mysterious can in the rack that had been sold 15 times that day. Topping up coolant with antifreeze that was mostly water . They were coached to scam out of state plates , never seeing that car again.
A co worker had barely made it back from the USA without headlights. Somethng went wrong so he went to a garage, explaining he coould only spare $89 for a fix. They used that up without resolving anything.
He asked me if I could try to fix it and I ended up replacing the two headlights. They were round and about $7 each.
I worked as a pump jockey, and managed 3 Gain/Esso Gas bars when I was in school.
Side arming is leaving the nozzle outside the holster with a charge on the pump (say $2). Could be from a prior customer who bought and paid for $2 of gas, could be $2 pumped into a Jerry can. Jockey fills your car with pump started at $2, pump says you got $20. You pay, he shoves $2 in his pocket.
Check your oil sir? - look, you're down a litre (jockeys know how to work a dipstick). Customer says OK, top it up. Jockey grabs a can of air (empty can of oil) puts it the car and shows you a full dipstick. You pay for the oil, he pockets the cash.
I remember Popular Mechanics magazine had a whole feature article on what they called turnpike bandits , back in the 60s selling rad hoses to scared housewives and doing the thumbswipe on the dipstick before showing you down a quart , then the mysterious can in the rack that had been sold 15 times that day. Topping up coolant with antifreeze that was mostly water . They were coached to scam out of state plates , never seeing that car again.
It wasn't just an interstate scam, it was common that in the GTA. Top earners at busy full-serve stations could pocket 4x their daily wages in grift.
I used to catch jockeys stealing gas too., The old mechanical pumps had a small springloaded driveshaft that coupled the pump to the meter, if the driveshaft was popped out, the pump would dispense without recording the volume moving through the pipes, 100l from a 10,000l tank wouldnt be missed.
I doubt it happens these days, not as many full serve, and the pumps are not as easy to manipulate as the old ones.
I hadn't bought a newspaper in years but I needed something to read while waiting for an appointment. Three fifty plus tax for today's Star. tablod size and about 30 pages. Not enough heft to smack a mosquito, never mind a dog.
More than one in five Canadians polled by Ipsos said they couldn't afford to pay more for household necessities as high inflation and interest rates bite.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
globalnews.ca