Thursday, May 29, 2008
Editorial: Ye olde gas pumps
Gas stations couldn't put off upgrading their analog pumps forever. Now Virginia should buy them a little more time.
From the RoundTable blog
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A few decades ago, some engineer was designing a gas pump and asked himself, "What's the most gas could cost before this thing gets replaced?" He remembered paying a few dimes per gallon that morning and figured $4 was far off in the future. He set the gears to max out at $3.99.
Digital pumps that accept credit cards replaced most of his analog pumps over the years, but some vendors hung onto the old ones. The rotating dials proved particularly hardy and offered a certain retro cool. By some estimates, about 3,000 such pumps still dispense fuel in the commonwealth.
As gas prices carom toward $4 per gallon, however, ye olde gas pump does not cut it. Pumps that once filled a Gremlin's gas tank no longer can charge enough, and station owners may not fudge the numbers.
Even if they want to rectify the problem, the companies that sell digital pumps and upgrade kits are now overwhelmed with orders from stations around the country facing the same problem. It will take months to meet all of the demand.
These gas stations and convenience stores do not deserve much sympathy. It's not as if rising gas prices came out of nowhere. They did nothing about their aging pumps despite the ever-climbing cost of a barrel of oil. They did not save up for replacements, and now the natural selection of the marketplace punishes that poor decision.
Yet they do deserve a little sympathy. Virginia requires that gas pumps display how much they charge. It's basic consumer protection, but it's also something the state could temporarily waive.
The Richmond City Council this week asked the governor to do just that. If pumps showed half the cost and the cashier doubled it at the register, analog pumps could remain in use for a while. Gas stations would have time to act.
Analog pumps mostly are found in rural areas where the next gas station could be a dozen miles away or more. If those stations close, everyone loses. The owner is out of business. His employees are out of work. Local drivers must drive farther to fill up. And the commonwealth has more pollution and road wear.
Some gas stations might never be able to afford new pumps and will go under, but Virginia can give them a reasonable chance to catch up with the times.
