By Dennie Quill, ContributorWHAT A week it has been! Jamaica made it big in Athens and brought many tough-back yardies to tears and gave us something to cheer about. The feeling of pride surged in everyone and this little nation wallowed in the glory of our fantastic athletes who showed grit and determination in accomplishing their goals on the world stage. Not in many years have I seen such public emotion. I have a hunch that the police blotters will show that guns were silent for the periods when our athletes were mining gold.
As a nation we love sports. Most of us thrive on it and over the years our athletes have given us so many thrills. I know that people from Trelawny have been strutting with their chests in the air as they imagine the long journey that Veronica travelled from Troy to Athens. These are heady days indeed. But having savoured Olympic successes we moved on to more killings, bringing grief to mothers and grandmothers. I wonder if an appeal from our athletes for peace will touch the dog-hearts of those who continue to maim and kill? Maybe we could give it a try.
Things are so bad that any strategy which could save a life is worth pursuing. However, Olympics aside, this week my beef is with my gas station in Liguanea. Pump pain does not appear to touch many motorists. Although we have seen the steady climb of pump prices over the last few months, Jamaicans for the most part appear to be quite unperturbed by these events.
OIL PRICES RISING
Oil prices are rising worldwide on the fear of impending shortages and in part because of the war in Iraq. I take this matter seriously so when I go to buy gas I pay great attention to what is happening.
I pulled up and ordered $2,000 worth of gas. I watched the attendant filling up and noticed that the pump stopped running at $1,999.30. As I handed over the cash, she must have seen the puzzled look on my face so she blurted out: "De machine tief you see and me keep telling dem bout it. Every time it stap shart." She confirmed that this has been happening with regularity.
I suggested to her that this must be a deliberate attempt by the company to cheat customers. On the face of it 70 cents is nothing, but think of the windfall if the station holds back 70 cents from thousands of consumers each month.
I resented the fact that my 70 cents were taken, I could have bought a Gleaner and an Observer with change to spare. I was cheated and I was mad. I called the Bureau of Standards to find out what level of monitoring is done to ensure consumer protection at the gas pumps.
After three attempts I gave up, first I was put to an extension which no one answered, next I was put on an extension which said there was no voice mail and of course, no one answered, and on my third try I was told the relevant inspector was out but I was put to someone else. No one answered the phone. It is too much to hope that the inspector was inspecting some gas pumps in the Corporate Area.
PUMPS SHOULD BE CHECKED
Not only should these pumps be checked regularly to ensure they are meeting quality standards, there should be checks to ascertain whether consumers are getting the correct measurements. Rising oil prices impact all areas of our economy and there are vulnerable groups such as pensioners who are trying to eke out an existence in difficult circumstances. Oil prices are rising worldwide on the fear of impending shortage and in response to the war in Iraq.
It is against this background that one welcomes the Govern-ment's initiative once again to seek to explore our territorial waters in the hope of finding deposits of oil and/or natural gas. One hopes too, that our friendly neighbour, Venezuela, whose gas is among the cheapest in the world, will find a way to make Petrocaribe a reality for the benefit of our region.
The Hugo Chavez initiative between Venezuela and the region would provide cheap oil and oil products to members of CARICOM.
In the meantime, if you are concerned like I am about the future, there are some things that you can do to reduce the impact of the price of gas. Increasing the efficiency of your motor vehicle is one way by getting regular tune-ups and keeping your tyres properly inflated. Additionally, you should realise that travelling at excessive speeds and over-revving your engine burn more fuel. Do not carry unnecessary weight in your trunk and remove accessories that create drags on the vehicle, such as bikes and luggage carriers.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
