Tell me how you feel about this....

[1999montana]

Gas prices have been all over the map here in Ontario. I know it has hit new highs stateside as well. Used to be the cheapest gas was over the border and if you lived in a border town like Niagara Falls, ON you bought your gas in Niagara Falls, NY for instance.

Generally, folks figure it's a good day when they can buy gas for under 80 cents per liter. For those challenged by metric conversion, that's about $3.65 CDN per Imperial gallon (160 oz or 4.55 liters)

Anyway, gas hit about 78.0 cents per liter last night, so you can imagine the line-ups at the pumps. And that is where this informal opinion poll is leading.

As I sat patiently in line for ten minutes with my vehicle on the correct side of the pumps to fill up like everyone else (side closest to my gas filler), I watched the comings and goings of people buying gas.

What struck me as odd behavior was a group of individuals I'll characterize here as a generation behind the baby boomers (of which I am one!). They tended to try to jump the line by pulling up nose to nose with cars either already full and ready to roll, or in the midst of filling up, hoping to grab the next open pump.

Meanwhile there were at least 8 or 10 cars all facing the same direction as the guy at the pump filling up, waiting patiently for a chance to buy 78-cent gas. I must tell you this behavior is common, at least around here. During the big power outage we had a year or two ago the lines at the pumps were phenomenal and it wasn't the price that caused the lineup but general lack of availability because the gas couldn't be pumped without power.

So, in the midst of this patient chaos, you have this individual who thinks nothing of jumping the line and filling up and worse, forces those who are in line to back up so he can get out (since by then the line jumper has started a new line and is trapped with no where to go!). I've never backed out of a gas fill-up in my life. It just seems unnatural and very dangerous to do so.

On my way out, a PT Cruiser was ready to jump into my spot. With 10 cars behind me, I pointed out to this guy that we had all waited patiently for 10 minutes or more to buy gas, so why did he think it was his right to go against the flow?

His answer: my gas filler is on the other side! He seemed justified (at least in his mind anyway!)

What I want to know is, what do you think of these individuals who jump the line?

[GTP Dad]

Personally I think they are inconsiderate and deserve to be ridiculed by everyone in line. When that happens you would like to have an old pick-up with a heavy wooded bumper to push them out of the way. To quote a line from the movie Fried Green Tomatos "I'm older and have better insurance". I guess what I am getting at is that a little gas pump rage is a good thing sometimes!!!!