Points to ponder!
Posted on August 22nd, 2011

Dr.Tilak Fernando

How many times do we, as motorists, keep a vigilant eye on what goes on during pumping petrol into our cars at filling stations in Sri Lanka? We are always in a hurry, be it while driving or trying to fill up. A national weakness or a contagious disease, I would like to think, because of the irrationality and the impatience that is paramount at all times – as if there is no tomorrow!

Just try and get into a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”saferƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ lane and drive carefully with consideration to other drivers in a disciplined manner, and what do we get? Constant blasting of ear piercing horns from bus drivers coming from behind who drive as maniacs as if they are on a race track, or vehicles following you at rocket speed trying to intimidate and let them overtake you at whatever cost. Are people stressed out so much all the time to such an extent? I sometimes wonder.

Civilised behaviour

Same goes when it comes to filling of petrol at service stations. One never sees civilised behaviour or a proper queuing up system as motorcyclists and three-wheelers exhibit impatience and creep in from all sides.

Self-service operation

A few seconds delay in pushing your credit card back into your wallet after paying, or a minuteƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s time lag for a written receipt to arrive, the irritated driver behind you will stare daggers at you! You are lucky if he does not become impatient and start biting his nails until you move out. Of course, itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s completely a different kettle of fish in a foreign land where most of the time itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s an orderly, self-service operation and a receipt is automatically printed out at the cashierƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s kiosk when payment is made.


No proper queuing up system at petrol filling stations. File photo

I was taken by surprise recently at a Colombo filling station where a motorist who kept a vigilant eye on the meter of the operational pump suddenly went straight to the jugular of an attendant who was right behind the petrol pump in action. Shouting at the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”idlingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ member of staff in the cream of Sinhala, the motorist wanted to summon the Police.

While petrol was being pumped by one attendant, the one behind the pump had suddenly manipulated a button which apparently, according to the motorist, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”played him out for Rs. 250ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢! To cut a long story short, without involving the Police, the motorist drove away with a bonus of extra Rs. 500 worth of additional petrol as a settlement.

To those around, the motorist warned the public to be vigilant when pumping petrol at filling stations even though the meter is turned to zero at the beginning, as some foul play seems to exist in certain stations.

Petroleum industry

To coincide with this story I received an email originated from a Sri Lankan in Melbourne giving more tips on petrol which I am sure might be useful for every motorist. The guy who has been working in the petrol industry in Australia for nearly 31 years gives us some ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”tricksƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ how to get the maximum out of what motorists pay for every litre.

He begins by saying that, where he works in Melbourne the pipe line delivers approx 4 million litres in a 24-hour period – ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-One day it is diesel, the next day it is jet fuel, and Petrol, regular and premium grades from 34-storage tanks with a total capacity of 16,800,000 litresƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

What is his advice to the consumer? ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Fill up your vehicle only in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.

National feeling

All petrol storage tanks at filling stations are buried under ground. Colder the grounds, more dense will the petrol be. As it gets warmer, petrol expands which means that filling up in the afternoon or evening what the consumer gets is not exactly a litre for a graduated litreƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚!

In the petroleum industry specific gravity, temperature of the petrol, diesel, jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products play an important role which means that rise in temperature by a single degree is a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”big dealƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for the business!

He further advises that service stations do not have temperature compensation factor at the pumps, as such, when filling up ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”never to squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a faster mode or let attendants do it.

It appears that the trigger has three set positions – low, middle and high. Motorists are always advised to pump on the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”low modeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to minimize the vaporization while pumping. Since all pumps are built with a vapour return mechanism, fast rate pumping will make the liquid to vapourise and automatically get sucked up into the underground storage tank making the consumer not getting his moneyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s worth. One of the most important tips in filling up is said to be when the tank is HALF FULL, the reason being more petrol in the tank means less air occupying the empty space.

He further states that at the distribution centre where he works, every truck that is loaded is temperature compensated so that every litre is precisely a litre.

Zero clearance

Evaporation takes place in petrol line faster than one can imagine. Petrol storage tanks have an internal floating roof to give zero clearance between the level of petrol and the atmosphere.

This anonymous Sri Lankan in the petrol retail industry all the way from Melbourne, says that he is sending this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”tipƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to about ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…” 30 people and if each of them sends it to ten more and those 300 send it to multiples of 300 and by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over millions of consumers and become a multiple operation educating millions of people.

What a comforting thought to feel that we, as Sri Lankans, wherever we may be scattered around the world, have one thing in common – to think about our own people and to harbour a national feeling.

tilakfernando@yahoo.co.uk

One Response to “Points to ponder!”

  1. KingSasanka Says:

    The urgency shown by many on roads and various other public places; even wonders me as to why we have not so far have produced sportsmen like Michael Shoemaker, Ushen Bolt, Michael Phelps or even great fighter pilots because all those areas, the most vital ingredient is the Reaction Time factor.

    Traffic lights just turn to Green and everyone behind you want you to to disappear from their sight and honking begins.

    Why the urgency shown on many public places are not translated into worthwhile actions in public works is still a puzzle to me.

    Try getting a new Passport or call a repairman to get your electricity or telephone fixed.

    This is not only rampant in public sector but in private sector too.

    The urgency shown when not at work and lackadaisical lethargy while at work; I wonder is endemic to us in Sri Lanka or what?

    Further reading at;

    http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2011/01/19/what-development-when-both-the-public-as-well-as-the-private-sector-is-performing-in-this-manner/

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