First time the lotto benefited the public...

is the "hero" tag broken or something?

Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

Whamdangler: Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

I'm sure the followup would probably be that lotto decides to take back the winnings because his station sells lotto tickets. That is usually against the rules, even if he bought the ticket elsewhere.

My family owns and runs a gas station.

I can say with full confidence that there is no way in hell we'd do anything like this. We'd immediately buy some plane tickets online while closing the place up. As soon as it's shut down, we're heading to the airport and going wherever the hell we want.

Whamdangler: Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

I don't know. I don't know what Canada's (the NWT in particular) laws are regarding pricing.

If it was in the US he could simply do it by paying half of any pumped amount himself. The pumps would have to show the full price, but there's no law regarding who pays what part of the total. =P

NightOwl2255: I'm not sure how or why, but I get a feeling this is gonna happen.

How? So long as he pays full "wholesale" to the local oil distributor, he's being competitive. What would be funny is, if accused of price-baiting, if he could prove that his bottom line increased as a result of more overall sales from all the folks wanting $1.25/gal gas.

Wait...that must be 20 canucki-cents per litre or some such. Hell if I know.

/drtfa

What an idiots for playing the lottery. The lottery is a tax for the stupid.


Oh, wait......

Wait til he gets sued by the oil industry

how much gas does a snowmobile hold?

Yep, doing something like that is illegal as hell here in these United States.

/I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

Earguy: Oddly, in my state that would be illegal.

same here.. me thinks jailarity might ensue.

Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

/came here to say that

I have gas and I'm getting a kick out of these replies.

gradatim: Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

/came here to say that

At best, he will promptly sell out with no way too keep enough fuel in the tanks. I hope his neighbors like gas lines.

5000_gallons_of_toothpaste:

Whamdangler: Well, as a followup, I am going to guess he gets in trouble for selling gas too cheap.

I'm sure the followup would probably be that lotto decides to take back the winnings because his station sells lotto tickets. That is usually against the rules, even if he bought the ticket elsewhere.

Lottery retailers in Canada are allowed to buy tickets.
Although the scum suckers got caught in a scam a few months ago where the consumer would bring in their tickets to be scanned and the retailer would claim they only won ten dollars when the ticket was actually worth much more. I don't know if you can buy tickets from your own store or not, but you are allowed to buy them.

5000_gallons_of_toothpaste: I'm sure the followup would probably be that lotto decides to take back the winnings because his station sells lotto tickets. That is usually against the rules, even if he bought the ticket elsewhere.

Nope, it's legal... though it results in an investigation because it is an "insider win" (the lotto corp. has to verify they actually bought the ticket themselves, and didn't scam it out of someone).

its NWT.. so even at 50% off its still probably like 10 bucks a litre.

Molavian: The dumbass will be broke in three years.

ftfa: Barkley Heron said he is planning a vacation in Las Vegas.

make that sooner. but good for him.
me, I'd move out of the tundra before the cheque cleared.

While it's not clear if he's in violation of anything, he could have avoided any issues by simply giving folks a refund for half the price when they came in to pay (this, in spite of anything else, probably would have gotten him more sales from the stuff inside the station where the real profits are). Granted, the folks paying with CC would be out of luck if they drove off, but fark those guys anyway.

That said, there's a reason this isn't done -- imagine if Exxon decided to half a "half off" sale. Their competitors (well, the ones that are left these days) would raise hell and turn around and have to compete. It'd be a race to the bottom and the only winner -- big oil, who has the deep pockets to ride it out while everyone else closes up.

So any word on him spending mopney on hookers and blow?

I could spend 11 million in a year on hookers and blow.

money I meant money! SPelling nazis I am sorry!

GoodyearPimp: That said, there's a reason this isn't done -- imagine if Exxon decided to half a "half off" sale. Their competitors (well, the ones that are left these days) would raise hell and turn around and have to compete. It'd be a race to the bottom and the only winner -- big oil, who has the deep pockets to ride it out while everyone else closes up.

Assuming they'd be profitable...Exxon's more likely to let them keep selling until they go bankrupt. All the oil companies have similar cost structures.

Though I agree that pricing laws are stupid.

JPJ007: My family owns and runs a gas station.

I can say with full confidence that there is no way in hell we'd do anything like this. We'd immediately buy some plane tickets online while closing the place up. As soon as it's shut down, we're heading to the airport and going wherever the hell we want.

Way to do good things with your money.

good on him.

So the other day I was in Montreal. I was sitting at a bus stop next to a gas station when a couple of American tourists walked up and notice the gas price sign. I don't remember exactly, but it was something like $1.05. Let's call them Fred and Ethel. Fred is amazed at how cheap gas is here and promptly goes on a rant about how it must be Canadian socialism subsidizing gas prices. Ethel timidly countered that maybe it was the exchange rate or something.

Me, I just sat there quietly and both laughed at and cried for my country.

yequalsy: So the other day I was in Montreal. I was sitting at a bus stop next to a gas station when a couple of American tourists walked up and notice the gas price sign. I don't remember exactly, but it was something like $1.05. Let's call them Fred and Ethel. Fred is amazed at how cheap gas is here and promptly goes on a rant about how it must be Canadian socialism subsidizing gas prices. Ethel timidly countered that maybe it was the exchange rate or something.

Me, I just sat there quietly and both laughed at and cried for my country.

Was the 70s metric craze for nothing?

agree... should be "hero"

Solty Dog



Lol. Apparently I am incapable of picking that right number-even tho each toonie bought me 6 chances.

He'll get sued by the other local gas stations, for ruining their businesses or some shiat.

Not sayin' it's right.... just sayin' it'll happen.

FTFA:

"Trucks and snowmobiles lined up for several blocks to cash in on Heron's gas deal until the tanks ran dry around 2:30 a.m. Sunday."

You know it's Canada when....

NightOwlI've always said, if I win the lottery, I will not quit my job. I will get fired. Oh, the fun I could have...
------------

I'd want to try and recreate the scene from american beauty where Lester basically tells the administration to go fark themselves.

SumoJeb: its NWT.. so even at 50% off its still probably like 10 bucks a litre.

The article says 50 cents a liter, which I thought was fairly obvious.

Whether he "gets in trouble" for discounting the gas his station is selling...I doubt it. He only "lost" $6500 CDN and, assuming an average of 40 liters per customer, he only sold discounted gas to 250 people.

I'm sure some bureaucrat, somewhere, is having a shiat fit, but I doubt anything more than a slap on the wrist to him will come to fruition.

IAmDrGalacawicz: The article says 50 cents a liter, which I thought was fairly obvious.

Does that mean that TFers get it for less?

Rational Exuberance: GoodyearPimp: That said, there's a reason this isn't done -- imagine if Exxon decided to half a "half off" sale. Their competitors (well, the ones that are left these days) would raise hell and turn around and have to compete. It'd be a race to the bottom and the only winner -- big oil, who has the deep pockets to ride it out while everyone else closes up.

Assuming they'd be profitable...Exxon's more likely to let them keep selling until they go bankrupt. All the oil companies have similar cost structures.

Though I agree that pricing laws are stupid.

Actually the laws PROTECT big oil.
Other companies where oil ISN'T their first business (lots of grocery stores/supermarkets) could drop the price of gas and pay for it from their primary business. Big oil can't ride it out forever, and they'd be put out of business. That's who is really protected from this...

Sorry, but my time is more important than to wait in line for hours for cheap gas. Especially in cold as fark NWT. Sheesh.

Meh. Even I think he's a dumbass.

Close the station, go on vacation.

Don't be giving Exxon/Shell/BP any more money. They're already stinking rich.