Beware of tricksters at the petrol station
Posted on May 31st, 2012
By Dr. Mrs. Mareena Thaha Reffai Dehiwela.
Today I went to pump petrol for my car and I asked the attendant to pump for Rs.4000 ; I knew from habit, that will bring the petrol in my car to the brim. While one attendant was ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ pumping the petrol, another one came to my window and told me ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- See, he had pumped only for Rs.1000 and I have ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ told him to pump for another Rs.3000ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and kept telling me to look at the meter. I did not take much notice thinking he is telling me so it must be true.
But when I drove off I noticed the petrol indicator in my car did not show even half a tank. So I drove back and demanded from the manager that they give the balance of my petrol. The attendant who was talking to me earlier, kept on saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- DidnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t I show you the meter?ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ I said I donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t know about the meter but I know that I have been short changed for Rs. 2500. I knew the owner so I told them I am going to call the owner. When they heard me getting his number from a mutual friendƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ they suddenly relented and said they will give me the balance petrol and the attendant said : ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- kamak ne, take even from my salary, give her ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the petrol.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
So he went to the petrol pump and punched a number ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and it was 5000! I asked him why is he punching 5000 when he has to give me petrol only forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rs.2500 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” he mumbled something and quickly finished pumping and closed the petrol tank. Since my ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ indicator showed the correct amount I drove off ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and on the way, it hit me!
What they have done is to manipulate the machine to show the amount what is needed by the customer but pump only half of it. If I have asked to pump, say, for Rs.1000 I may not have noticed the difference ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” but only because ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I was pumping to have full tank, I realized the trick.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I have reprimanded my son for notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ beingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ watchful on earlier occasions when he insisted he pumped for Rs.4000 at this same petrol shed and I have found the tank half empty.
I have notified the owner my ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ suspicions.
So guys, if you are at the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ petrol station, any petrolƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ stationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ matter, get down and watch the meter ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” not only what they punch in but more importantly ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ how much actually they pump.
On another note, it ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ makes me sad that our beautiful country is so full of crooks that we have to keep watching even when we go to the petrol shed! It would be a wonderful day when we canƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ trustƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ peopleƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ implicitly -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ justƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ because they areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Srilankans!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
May 31st, 2012 at 2:03 pm
Thanks for bring this up. Crooks everywhere.
Kudos to the man who pumped Mareena full tank.
Though he is no honest man, he had to do it AFTER bringing the unsatisfactory performance to notice.
May 31st, 2012 at 6:10 pm
THIS IS NOTHING NEW. Over 18 years back, I told the attendant at the Petrol Shed at Yatinuwara Veediya, Kandy, to put Tank Full to the International Scout. I got a receipt for the amount pumped, and duly paid for it. When I was driving, I noticed that my petrol indicator showed less than half a tank. I came back and told the proprietor who was there fortunately, the problem. He asked me to identify the attendant, and he ordered him to put tank full without any fuss. Apparently the proprietor knew what was going on. I did not go there after that.
June 1st, 2012 at 4:36 am
Thanks for the advise and we should keep our eyes open not only in gas station but unfortunately everywhere when we go buying anything. I thought our beautiful Motherland will be a better place after we won the war and get rid of all those L.T.T.E murderers including the barbarian Velupillai Prabakaran who killed his own people.
Some people behave like animals.They forget all the human qualities and I dont know what has happened to our people killing each other for petty things and behaving in a way not acceptable to the decent society. Everyone wants to earn by hook or crook. Some greedy for power,Some gredy for wealth, some greedy for drugs and the country is going to dogs because we dont take tough action on such people. In Qatar Minister’s daughter was arrested for neglegence after 19 dead including 13 children in one of their worst fires in a Mall. This is the way it should be.How much powerful the person or persons should be brought to justice even for a petty crime like cheating in a gasoline station. In America some goes to prison for long terms even for petty robberries. Cheaters,Murderers,Terrorists,Drug lords and drug users, Thieves etc should be given tough prisoin sentences without any lenient how much powerful the individual are. I hope Gota will clean up my beautiful country for all of us to live in peace same like they ended the war.
June 1st, 2012 at 8:05 pm
What you rightly talk about is the quantity. What about the quality it smells different on a daily basis. With re To Praba and LTTE at least when he was their the Indians never walked around as if they owned SL. Now they do so .