(USA) Ending all complaints about price gouging at the gas pumps, drivers, it was reported, can now waste gas freely. The price for a gallon of gasoline finally rose to $10.00 per gallon, however, due to the inability of traditional gasoline price marquees display more than three digits, in most locations, the price of gas was displayed as $0.00 per gallon.

Station attendants quickly attempted enforce the the full $10 fee, explaining that a one was meant to be displayed in front of the digits, frequently employing the metaphor of "getting a really high score on an old pinball machine". Angered consumers quickly filed (and won) several class action lawsuits against petroleum industry giants and retailers on claims of false advertising, and by declaration of the highest court in the land, gas stations are to keep at its current rate of free until 2009. Drivers nationwide quickly celebrated by driving down busy highways in highly priced, fuel-inefficent SUVs, shouting "free oil!" and shooting off handguns into the night sky.

Consumer backlash against the price change was immediate. Many felt that something was clearly wrong with the gas, given its new low price. However, no reports have emerged of severe problems with the gas, although some car owners have claimed that their odometers now display only 'TILT' or 'MULTIBALL'. As of this report, most boycotts against the free gas have ceased.


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Woohoo! Free gas!

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ROFL

Is this from The Onion?

Amusing story, too bad it's just that, a story. Obvious problems with this:

You can see that the numbers were edited.
Even if you couldn't tell, gas prices always end with .999 so that they can display a dollar less than what they actually charge. ($2.999 ~ $3)
The price of gas has never been listed anywhere near that high, even when gouging was involved. The highest price I've ever heard of was around $6 a gallon.

Still, it was an amusing story.