Reply #4: Gas pump conversation. [View All]

[trof]

I'm filling up my Prius and feeling kind of smug.
(6.7 gallons, $21.43)

On the other side of the pump is a guy in work clothes and a baseball cap. He has a large pick-up truck pulling a trailer. The trailer has 2 riding mowers, 2 week-whackers, 2 chain saws, about a half dozen 5-gallon gas cans and assorted rakes and hoes.
He is a landscaper/lawn maintenance guy.

He has finished filling the pick-up and the mowers and is starting on the gas cans. As I hang up my hose he looks back over his shoulder at the pump and, in a low voice, says "Jesus Christ".
"How bad is it?"
"Come take a look."
I walk around to his side of the pump and it reads $107.38 and still moving up. $3.199 a gallon.
"Holy shit!"
"Yeah. Tell me about it. I'm already charging my customers a gas surcharge. And I'm losing some of them. To expensive. They're cutting their own grass again."
"That's tough."
"Yeah if gas gets above $3.50 I'm done. I'm hoping I can get a job at the new steel plant."

The new plant is going in north of Mobile, about 60 miles away from our area. So if he drives that truck back and forth to work it'll cost him about $30 dollars a day if (when) gas gets to $3.50.

I thought the repugs were such big supporters of small businesses?
:-(