Woolworth's petrol-skimming?

Woolworth's petrol-skimming?
A petrol scam at Woollies?
by Omaxa bin Eartha
Mt Nardi,
NSW 2480.
Thursday, February 19, 2009

Was in Lismore the other day, and refilled my diesel and petrol tanks at the Caltex/Woollies petrol station behind, or to the east of Lismore's Shopping Square, in the same complex.

I have an old red plastic 20 litre petrol container, and poured the unleaded in, for the petrol 'genie' I use in the bush.

I wasn't eager to put the full 20 litres in, for possible leaks in the caps, when on rough bush roads.

There was about half-a-litre left in the container as well.

But as I watched the fuel rise through the red, translucent plastic, then flicked to the bowser, something wuz suspect?

I ended putting 25 litres (on the bowser read-out) into the 20 litre fuel container?

What variables are there?

First, as the cashier proffered on my questioning this anomaly, “You're a man who been around enough to know that there's always a gap at the top of the container, in which you can squeeze a bit more in?”

FIVE LITRES?

We disagreed to disagree, and in typical New South Welsh arrogance, she fobbed me off, turning her oh-so-f---ing-uperself to the next customer.

(I kept the receipt!)

F---'EM! And TRUST NONE OF THEM!

“But I'm only the cashier...!”

Yep! I have been around enough to know these sort of things, about “....the gap at the top...”, etc, but I also have been around enough to know that the vast majority of people in this region and in New South Wales generally, are rotten to the core, and to me, will lie-lie-lie their askyamutha's off to protect the blokes who pay the piper.... Woolworths and Caltex, via their smaller business partners in the franchise game.

But I've also been around enough to trust my eyes and other senses in this kind of situation.

1, the major petroleum and groceries corporations take-the-commoner down for whatever they can get away with. This has always been so (recommended reading: "The Threepenny Novel" by Bercholt Brecht), therefore we have no case to trust that the big manipulator of councils, governments, unions and the rest of us – multinational supermarkets and petroil corporations - are NOT going to skim a few more pennies wherever they can.

After the refuelling, I went to the local newspaper, but they were closed, so I went to the Lismore police station, merely to lodge my complaint of possible “skimming”.

Understandably, the copper at the front desk laughed it off, looking at me as if I wuz “...on medication....” or such.

A sergeant came out to stick his bit in, saying that the containers “swell” meaning sideways on the largest two sides.

Fair point, I agreed, but it still seems suspect for another ONE QUARTER of the container's capacity to fit, with still some space to spare?

Since that day, perhaps a week ago, I haven't used the containered fuel, and I swear there isn't 25 litres in that can.

I fished around to find the relevant government instrumentality, and sent off an email.

But the cat's out of the bag. The servo-owners, no doubt to my mind, would have adjusted the metering device at the station back to their proper measuring.

But I bet that I'm right!

This, of course, if confirmed, sends a whopping message to the public about these megacorp rip-offs.

Imagine a “Class Action” were enough people able to prove that they were being diddled, even just 0.05 of a litre with each litre paid for?

And if it was found to be the case across ALL petroleum retailers, were Australians at-all TOGETHER, the whole rort of petrol and grocery monopolies would be blown back to Mother England! And GOOD RIDDANCE!!!

But NAH! Not in ozzeee mayte. Even the authorities are in the pay of foreign interests, just like the Liberal/National parties and their left-wing mates in government.

Were something as naughty as petrol 'skimming' proven to be factored in by a corporation as big as Caltex/Woolworths, and right across it's network of petrol stations, why, a Responsible Government would surely be obliged to take ownership of the grocery and petroleum corporations, wouldn't they?

Certainly the Human species has enough evidence showing that these big fellas of the glug-gold, have done non-but-damage to the environment, and foreign cultures, nations and their Peoples, as if utterly careless of the short and long-term ramifications.

Are we to be persuaded by the ACCC again, that these mega-gorgers are not ruthless and so big that they can ride-over the laws and legal challenges from any valid inquiry and, with a Just Justice system (Ha?) call for compensation to every petrol-user of the last 100 years?

Well....., most fatcellitis Aussies are easily persuaded, and unless 60 minutes or an item-less 7.30 Report gets on the case, we'll not hear anyone doing the right thing and watching these megarogues, waiting for them to slip-up. Because all arrogant ace-holes, especially the superrich and sycophantic ones..., slip-up!

I know there are PLENTY of Aussies who are conscious and angry about these types of scams, and I'm sure that there are plenty of them who just might do a fuel measure test here and there, to expose the biggest rip-off merchants on Earth, the megacorp petrol and grocery industries.

Somehow, I just DON'T trust the ACCC or any of the government watchdogs to find AND expose this major crime.....

Yours,


Omaxa bin Eartha.
OUTLAW

aka Max Nichols Meredith
aka Max Nichols Cook
aka Max No Difference