Gas prices around the globe are rising, and many of us are looking for a break at the pumps. For a very brief period, some residents in the City of Rancho Cordova found the break they were looking for. Last week John Szczecina, a former manager at a Shell gas station in the Sacramento County city accidentally set fuel prices to the rock bottom price of 69 cents per gallon.
It was later discovered that he mistakenly placed a decimal in the wrong spot. In fact, the price of gas was supposed to be set at $6.99 a gallon. Speaking to ABC News Fresno station, the manager mentioned, “I put all three prices on there, except the diesel. The last one kind of didn’t go. So, I just took responsibility for it and said yeah, it’s my fault.” Unfortunately, Szczecina was fired for the incident.
Manager Gets Fired Over Stupid Mistake
Image Credits: KVOR
Read: A Driver Filed A Class Action Lawsuit Against 5 Gas Companies Over Rising Gas Prices
This regrettable but honest mistake led to the station losing out on $16,000. Unsurprisingly, most drivers capitalized on this mistake and filled their tanks. The former manager is worried that the gas station may sue him. In order to repay the lost revenue, his family set up a GoFundMe, which already reached its $20,000 goal.
Recently, the price of gas has reached a national average of over $5 a gallon, only recently has it dipped just below that (3). Yet, most of the drivers in California are still paying an exorbitant rate. According to the LA Times, earlier this month Californians were paying an average of $6.213 per gallon with reports of prices above $8 dollars per gallon in central Los Angeles (4). SInce then prices have only gone up, but prices have recently cooled over the father’s day weekend.
Prices have also pinched the pockets of millions of Americans. And these are the same Americans who have been struggling to fill their tanks along with inflation affecting the price of other goods as well. Even with the recent dip in prices, Summer is arriving, and prices may go up once again. As it stands, more and more motorists would be taking the road in this period. Let’s hope another manager doesn’t make the same mistake.
Keep Reading: Keep an eye out for this gas pump scheme or you could end up paying for someone else’s gas
Sources
- “Gas station manager fired for mistakenly setting gas to 69 cents per gallon.” ABC News. Teddy Grant. June 14, 2022.
- “Northern CA gas station manager fired after 69 cents-a-gallon mistake” KFSN ABC 30. June 14, 2022.
- “Average US gas price dips below $5 a gallon” CNN Business. June 19, 2022.
- “A sign of the times, and not a good one: $8.05 for a gallon of regular at an L.A. station” Los Angeles Times. June 3, 2022.
- “Sky high gas prices decrease over Father’s Day weekend” KCRA. June 18th