I’m not as studious as Helaine when it comes to gas prices, but I look. Most are currently over $3 per gallon. The cost of actually producing a gallon of gasoline is tiny in comparison.
When I first began driving, I could fill up the tank of my 1960 VW Beetle for about 349¢ a gallon. A gas war, while I was in Florida, once took it down to 299¢ a gallon (and I heard it hit 249¢ a gallon for a very brief moment).
Why are gas prices expressed in tenths? It makes no sense.
First, no one actually buys by the gallon. We buy by price… “I’ll take $20 of regular,” or abstract measure… “fill ‘er up.”
The difference between 399¢ and 40¢ is .25%. Ramp up the price to $3 and that one tenth cent is .03% of the total.
Is anyone fooled? Does anyone care?
Some price quoting is nefarious. When an airline quotes you a one way fare… which they won’t sell you, I consider that lying. This is just ridiculous.
If thse tenths of a cent really entered into the price and weren’t just a sleazy appendage, it wouldn’t always end in a 9¢ which, of course, it does. Enough already.