xcel
05-06-2006, 01:04 PM
Macomb drivers line up for 50-cent discount; court case means more cheap gas to come. (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/AUTO01/605050379/1148)
Charles E. Ramirez and Edward L. Cardenas - The Detroit News - May 5, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/0_50_Discount_Gasonline_Line.jpg
Some of the 1,000 drivers at the gas station on Gratiot between 15 and 16 Mile waited for hours to save some money. A gallon of regular unleaded gas was going for $2.35, a discount of 50 cents a gallon.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP - Get ready for more gas-up-cheap days in Macomb County.
After Thursday's 50-cents-a-gallon off sale at one station, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith says he's ready to stage more such events, until he spends all of the $35,000 in restitution money paid by the owners of a now-closed gas station accused of ripping off motorists.
"We are definitely going to do it again," said Smith, but he said he may spread the discount among three or four stations at a time to reduce backups. He said he's open to other ideas. "We thought this was the best way to go about this."
Smith said there may be three or four more sale days on dates not yet announced.
Some of the 1,000 drivers at the Marathon station on Gratiot between 15 and 16 Mile waited for two hours to save a few bucks.
The response, which saw lines a couple of miles long, "just shows you how sick people are of paying high prices for gas," Smith said.
While motorists seemed pleased with their discounts, some local business owners were irked because their businesses were hemmed in by the frenzy.
And traffic experts say the benefits of cheaper gas need to be weighed against the extra driving time needed to get there -- and the waste of idling in line.
"In general, we don't advocate going many miles out of your way to save a few pennies," said Jim Rink, spokesman for AAA Michigan.
The discounted price was $2.35 a gallon for regular unleaded.
Smith said his office received a couple of complaints from motorists about delays caused by the long lines, but he complimented Clinton Township Police for their efforts to keep traffic moving.
Tracy Lawrence, 26, of Clinton Township said she waited in line for more than two hours to get the cheaper gas. She said she did so to take a stand against what she sees as illegal price gouging.
"It's not really about the money," she said.
Some motorists turned their engines off and restarted them when they had to advance while waiting in the line.
Customers stay away
Dan Mylnarek, owner of Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza about a block away from the station, said the traffic had pushed back all of his delivery times to customers.
"I like that (the prosecutor) is doing something good with the money, but it definitely has affected my business," Mylnarek said. "I've tried explaining to customers that they're going to have to wait longer for deliveries, and some just don't want to do that."
Kyu Yon, who owns Brite Cleaners, also on Gratiot, and his son, Thomas, who manages the dry cleaning store, said the blockade of cars kept customers away.
"We've had probably four customers come in all day," said Thomas, 23, of Macomb Township. "I understand what (the prosecutor's) trying to do, but don't punish our business. People can't get in or out of the parking lot. Our employees can't even get in."
The discount stems from the conviction of a local gas station owner who shorted customers at the pump. Smith on Thursday used $7,000 of the $35,000 his office received in restitution.
Motorists like Gladys Taylor, 52, were lured to the station from Detroit by the discount.
"I was getting ready for bed, and I heard about it on the TV," she said as she pumped gas into her 2006 GMC Envoy. "I got a gas guzzler, so when I heard about (gas selling for) $2.35, I knew I had to get out here."
The savings for motorists varied. Taylor pumped in about 6 gallons of gas, about $15 dollars' worth. She saved a little more than $2. For a motorist who needed to fill up a 12-gallon gas tank -- which would cost them $34.20 at $2.85 a gallon -- the price dropped to $28.20 after the discount.
Like Taylor, Courtney Fennel, 25, of Clinton Township took advantage of the discount - but only had to drive from across the street.
"Fifty cents a gallon is considerable," the medical receptionist said.
Opportunity knocks
The long line of idling vehicles struck some entrepreneurial souls as a business opportunity.
Aaron Williams, 23, and Zakiyyah Hassan, 28, both of Detroit, walked on the sidewalk along the line of cars and passed out brochures for the Lolita McGlory insurance agency in Warren.
"My cousin drove by earlier and then told me about the line," said Hassan, an insurance agent. "I thought this was the perfect opportunity to build some new business."
So did Steve Ford, 36, of Macomb Township, who works at Great Dane Heating & Air Condition, who also handed out sales fliers. "I can't understand why someone would stand in line for three hours just to save $5," he said. "I guess it's a psychological thing. Everyone beats to a different drum."
Will Abboud, who owns the Marathon station where the discount was offered, said motorists began lining up about 7 a.m. The line grew so quickly that the discount started at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than scheduled. It ended about 2:30 p.m., when the 10,000 gallons were sold.
"(People) might be mad (when the deal ends), but there is only so much we can do," Abboud said. "The price has not been this cheap for a while."
In September, Smith charged Nabil and Samir Dawood for cheating customers on gas purchases at their Fast Track gas station, located on Gratiot at Quinn Road in Clinton Township. The two brothers doctored the mechanical apparatus of the station's gas pumps to short customers about 5 percent of their gas.
Charles E. Ramirez and Edward L. Cardenas - The Detroit News - May 5, 2006
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/0_50_Discount_Gasonline_Line.jpg
Some of the 1,000 drivers at the gas station on Gratiot between 15 and 16 Mile waited for hours to save some money. A gallon of regular unleaded gas was going for $2.35, a discount of 50 cents a gallon.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP - Get ready for more gas-up-cheap days in Macomb County.
After Thursday's 50-cents-a-gallon off sale at one station, Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith says he's ready to stage more such events, until he spends all of the $35,000 in restitution money paid by the owners of a now-closed gas station accused of ripping off motorists.
"We are definitely going to do it again," said Smith, but he said he may spread the discount among three or four stations at a time to reduce backups. He said he's open to other ideas. "We thought this was the best way to go about this."
Smith said there may be three or four more sale days on dates not yet announced.
Some of the 1,000 drivers at the Marathon station on Gratiot between 15 and 16 Mile waited for two hours to save a few bucks.
The response, which saw lines a couple of miles long, "just shows you how sick people are of paying high prices for gas," Smith said.
While motorists seemed pleased with their discounts, some local business owners were irked because their businesses were hemmed in by the frenzy.
And traffic experts say the benefits of cheaper gas need to be weighed against the extra driving time needed to get there -- and the waste of idling in line.
"In general, we don't advocate going many miles out of your way to save a few pennies," said Jim Rink, spokesman for AAA Michigan.
The discounted price was $2.35 a gallon for regular unleaded.
Smith said his office received a couple of complaints from motorists about delays caused by the long lines, but he complimented Clinton Township Police for their efforts to keep traffic moving.
Tracy Lawrence, 26, of Clinton Township said she waited in line for more than two hours to get the cheaper gas. She said she did so to take a stand against what she sees as illegal price gouging.
"It's not really about the money," she said.
Some motorists turned their engines off and restarted them when they had to advance while waiting in the line.
Customers stay away
Dan Mylnarek, owner of Cottage Inn Gourmet Pizza about a block away from the station, said the traffic had pushed back all of his delivery times to customers.
"I like that (the prosecutor) is doing something good with the money, but it definitely has affected my business," Mylnarek said. "I've tried explaining to customers that they're going to have to wait longer for deliveries, and some just don't want to do that."
Kyu Yon, who owns Brite Cleaners, also on Gratiot, and his son, Thomas, who manages the dry cleaning store, said the blockade of cars kept customers away.
"We've had probably four customers come in all day," said Thomas, 23, of Macomb Township. "I understand what (the prosecutor's) trying to do, but don't punish our business. People can't get in or out of the parking lot. Our employees can't even get in."
The discount stems from the conviction of a local gas station owner who shorted customers at the pump. Smith on Thursday used $7,000 of the $35,000 his office received in restitution.
Motorists like Gladys Taylor, 52, were lured to the station from Detroit by the discount.
"I was getting ready for bed, and I heard about it on the TV," she said as she pumped gas into her 2006 GMC Envoy. "I got a gas guzzler, so when I heard about (gas selling for) $2.35, I knew I had to get out here."
The savings for motorists varied. Taylor pumped in about 6 gallons of gas, about $15 dollars' worth. She saved a little more than $2. For a motorist who needed to fill up a 12-gallon gas tank -- which would cost them $34.20 at $2.85 a gallon -- the price dropped to $28.20 after the discount.
Like Taylor, Courtney Fennel, 25, of Clinton Township took advantage of the discount - but only had to drive from across the street.
"Fifty cents a gallon is considerable," the medical receptionist said.
Opportunity knocks
The long line of idling vehicles struck some entrepreneurial souls as a business opportunity.
Aaron Williams, 23, and Zakiyyah Hassan, 28, both of Detroit, walked on the sidewalk along the line of cars and passed out brochures for the Lolita McGlory insurance agency in Warren.
"My cousin drove by earlier and then told me about the line," said Hassan, an insurance agent. "I thought this was the perfect opportunity to build some new business."
So did Steve Ford, 36, of Macomb Township, who works at Great Dane Heating & Air Condition, who also handed out sales fliers. "I can't understand why someone would stand in line for three hours just to save $5," he said. "I guess it's a psychological thing. Everyone beats to a different drum."
Will Abboud, who owns the Marathon station where the discount was offered, said motorists began lining up about 7 a.m. The line grew so quickly that the discount started at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than scheduled. It ended about 2:30 p.m., when the 10,000 gallons were sold.
"(People) might be mad (when the deal ends), but there is only so much we can do," Abboud said. "The price has not been this cheap for a while."
In September, Smith charged Nabil and Samir Dawood for cheating customers on gas purchases at their Fast Track gas station, located on Gratiot at Quinn Road in Clinton Township. The two brothers doctored the mechanical apparatus of the station's gas pumps to short customers about 5 percent of their gas.