Chicanery at the Pump

The following was published in the Omaha World Herald's Public Pulse. Apparently Mr. Mild Mannered is not alone.

"Chicanery at the Pump
On Aug. 27, I was driving east on Interstate 80 toward Omaha and pulled into a gasoline station off the south main exit in North Platte.
The flashing $2.87-a-gallon sign was a welcome sight after high prices in Vail, Colo. At pump 6, I saw that the lowest price was $3.17 per gallon for E-10, but I went ahead and purchased 10 gallons with a credit card. I figured that I could point out the discrepancy to an attendant after I was finished fueling.
With a "gotcha" grin, the attendant stated that this price was only available at pumps 1 and 2 (out of the 24 pumps available). Looking at the sign again, I saw that there was a quick flash indicating this claim, followed by "E-10."
As I left, I noticed an independent station just to the south that also was up to the same trickery. Looking farther south, I saw another sign advertising gas for $2.87 a gallon, followed by a notice that it was "available at all pumps." The competition was obviously aware of the scheme that probably had been in practice for some time at the other stations.
I couldn't help thinking as I left how such tactics could give our state a bad name in the eyes of travelers who see no signs of 'The Good Life'. Jim Lynch, Omaha "