Petrol Scams...don't get caught in one!

Have you ever filled up your car at a petrol station and left wondering…that’s funny, how come the petrol gauge is not showing as much petrol as you would expect?

I had the unfortunate experience first hand, of probably one of the most common petrol scams in Sri Lanka. Here’s my story.

I drive a Toyota Vitz, a car that normally holds maximum 42 litres of petrol. My tank was about 90% empty when I drove into a Ceypetco petrol station along Galle Road, Wellawatte. As usual, I rolled down the front passenger window and asked for a full tank refill. A couple of minutes later, the service attendant told me the tank is filled and that the bill is Rs. 4,000. I had a suspicion that the tank was not full because it usually costs me over Rs. 5,500 to fill a full tank, so I started the engine. Sure enough, the petrol gauge only showed the tank to be just above three-quarters full. At that moment, I had a sneaky suspicion that they had scammed me, however the only way to prove it was to ask the guy to fill the tank until the gauge indicated the tank was full. So I told the service attendant, the tank was indeed not full and I asked him to continue filling the tank. This time, I heard the nozzle click indicating the tank was full, and the second bill came to Rs. 2,850.

Aha. So I added the two bills, which came to Rs. 6,850, and at Rs. 149 per litre, that would have meant 46 litres had gone into my fuel tank. Impossible! How could a car with only a 42 litre tank, take 45 litres of petrol, when the tank also wasn't 100% empty? After paying the bills with my credit card, I decided to remain composed and take the matter up with the service station manager. I calmly asked him to explain how 45L could fit into a 42L tank. Funnily enough, the manager did not look surprised. He proceeded to call in all the guys that were involved in filling up my car, and questioned them. No one wanted to own up, so I proceeded to say that I would file an official complaint with Ceypetco’s head office, and then I started taking photos of the whole scene, including my car, the petrol pump, etc. This must have freaked the petrol attendant that served me, because when I was in the midst of collecting my evidence, he approached me and handed me Rs. 1,300 cash. Nothing said, and he walked away.

So here’s the gist of the scam – after filling up small amounts of petrol into say three-wheelers, or motorbikes, the attendants don’t place the nozzle back into the holder (to zero out the volume) before filling your tank.  This means that when they started filling your tank, the starting point was not 0.00 litres. So you are, in effect, paying for more petrol than what actually went into your tank. At 2-3 litres extra (which translates to approx. Rs. 300-400), they are hoping that you probably won’t notice, and most of the time they get away with it. In my case they clearly thought they could sneak away Rs. 1350!

For tips on how you can avoid being caught up in a petrol scam, check out the rest of my blog on iFind.lk.

JJ

Red light? Green light? Lets get the facts right!

Driving around Sri Lanka is not much unlike playing a video arcade game…it gets your heart pumping, adrenaline rushing and sometimes temper a-rising! It is safe to say that you almost need eyes on the back and sides of your head too to make sure you get from point A to point B in one piece.

The best part about it all is that people say, if you can drive here, you can drive anywhere in a world! Us Sri Lankan drivers have very well trained reflexes, all thanks to…the insane bus drivers swerving wherever they fancy, the whizzing and beeping three-wheelers who cut into whatever little space they can find…and not to mention, the road pedestrians who cross the road whenever and wherever they feel like.

So talking about pedestrians…I had to wonder, when it came to traffic lights, was it clear to pedestrians when they should walk, and when they shouldn’t walk?

I was standing at the lights with my mum waiting to cross the road at Wellawatte last week, waiting for the green man to light up. The red man was clearly lit up, and the traffic light was green with the busy traffic whizzing past. There was a man standing beside me, and after standing there for about 30 seconds, he turns to me whilst pointing at the lit up red man sign, and says ‘Yanne! Yanne!’ ('Go! Go!') He said this to me with such sincerity that it was evident to me that he actually believed that when the red man is lit, the traffic stopped and it was his signal to walk. When I tried to explain to him that it was actually the other way around, he looked at me with a quizzed look and continued to walk across.

After this incident, I decided to observe other pedestrians to see if this ‘walk when red man is lit up’ was a common understanding. Indeed, my conclusion after this small observation was indeed so. It also helped to explain why cars tended to slow down at traffic lights, even when the traffic light was green.

Whilst the pedestrian lights seem completely logical to me, perhaps they are still lost on some. Or rather, could it be a case of oblivion by choice?

By

JJ

To read more of my blogs, check out http://ifind.lk/blog/
 

The Hairy Jungle Man, the King and Queen of Fruits

Driving along Havelock road during the months of June to August, the mountains of yellow and red along the side of the road provide an inevitable distraction for the busy traffic in Colombo.

As you drive closer to the pavement, the luscious round red and yellow rambutans come into full view, and the pungent whiff of durians are enough to make you stop and allow your taste buds to go into a frenzy. Whichever stall seller you pick, it is unlikely that any of his fruit offerings will leave you disappointed. He will offer you one rambutan to try, and you will be hooked. Before long you will leave with at least 20-30 rambutans to bring home to enjoy. At 5-10 rupees each (depending on size and variety), they are a great affordable treat for the family.   

The best selling rambutans (or ‘hairy jungle man’ as translated from its original Malay name) are the round red luscious ones called ‘Malwana Special’ – they sell better because they look better aesthetically, who wouldn’t want to buy bright red, round, large rambutans? In actual fact, the yellow variety called the ‘Malaysian Yellow’, are sweeter and tastier than the Malwana Special. My favourite, by far is the Malaysian Yellow – they are never disappointing!

For those who love the durian or ‘King of Fruits’ (you either love it or hate it, lets face it - there isn’t really any middle ground), you have the choice of ravishing the fruit in the comforts of your car or buying the fruits to feast at home. It’s a great way to hang out with your friends after work, just sitting by the pavement and sharing as much durian to your heart’s delight. For those whose taste buds don’t quite agree with the durian, the dark purple mangosteens provides a perfect alternative. They are sold next to the durians, which earns them the nick ‘Queen of Fruits’. Eating both also has neutralizing benefits – the overpowering durian has a heaty ‘yang’ nature whereas the mild mangosteen has a cooling ‘yin’ nature.

For Sumathipala, one of the many friendly stall owners, this time of year presents an opportunity to make some more cash on the side on top of his usual day job. After 30 years of being in the business, he tells of how he perches by Havelock Road till wee hours of the morning to sell his stock. It’s a hard night’s work, but when he sells out his pile of fruits each night, the feeling of hearty satisfaction is well worth the effort.

When comes the season for the ‘hairy jungle man’ and ‘King and Queen of fruits’, everybody comes out a winner.

By JJ

To read more of my blogs, check out http://ifind.lk/blog/