I like questions. I like asking them and I like answering them. It’s the answers, I suppose, that interest me the most. No such thing as a dumb question, they say. But if someone came up to me and asked me, “Would you run around like a deranged maniac for a half an hour for $16?” I would answer that idiot with a big, fat “No!” That would settle that, or it would seem to.
On the Thursday before a recent long weekend, at 7:30 in the morning, I drove by the gas station with the lowest prices in town and was shocked to see the price of regular gas had gone to $1.23.9 from the 1.07.9 it was the night before. “Oh no!” I said and threw in a couple of colourful words to go with it. Truly alarmed, I drove on to the next station to find the price was still $1.07.9. I pulled in, jumped out of my car and frantically filled it up. I ran in to the booth to pay and asked the woman how long before the price there would go up. She told me as soon as John arrived, he’d put it up. When will John arrive, I asked. In a few minutes, came the answer. “But I have two more cars at home,” I pleaded. “Well, go get another one,” said the woman. “You might get lucky.”
I raced home in true maniac form and got the second car. Back at the station, the price was still down. I filled up, then dashed into the booth to pay. “I have one more car,” I said. “Shhhh!”, said the woman. “John’s right over there.” I took off like a rocket and flew home. I broke a speed record on my return, driving over a curb in the process. Price still down. Filled up. Ran in to pay. “You made it!” exclaimed my partner in crime. A half hour later I drove by again. John had struck: $1.23.9.
That night I tallied my receipts. Just over 100 litres. I saved $16.
But run around like a maniac for that amount?
Ha! NEVER!!!!
©2019 Jim Hagarty
