computer systems for gasoline stations not compliant

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I was talking with my neighbor today. He owns a contracting business that installs and removes gasoline tanks for businesses and gasoline stations.

He told me about the computer system that most gasoline stations uses. It is called the "TX somethingorother." He said that he was helping set up a new gas station (in Miami) and they called the manufacturer to ask if the computer was compliant. The answer was no. The station went ahead and installed the computer.

This computer handles pumping the gas out of the tank, tracking the gallons and the price, and the accounting and credit card information. It was not compliant and it was just installed in a new gas station this week.

It does not help my confidence. If this is true, I will have to move up from a "5" to a "6."

-- JoseMiami (caris@prodigy.net), December 15, 1999

Answers

No, that does not build confidence. Arnolds' station with its peeling paint and rusty parts off to the side is obviously going to be a millennium winner.

-- Paula (chowbabe@pacbell.net), December 15, 1999.

JoseMiami, I questioned this situation with gas pumps several months ago, along with the check out tickets from Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and other computerized stores. No one paid any attention.

Now you've verified what I've suspected. Gasoline and store registers, ain't gonna work! It's going to be a "cash and carry" economy for a while.

Thanks for this post. Appreciate your information (I don't like it) but I am glad to know that I had better have some cash on hand.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), December 15, 1999.


For anyone planning to be away from home over the rollover weekend, carrying a couple of 5-gallon cans of fuel in the car on the trip home might be a good plan. On second thought, maybe they ought to ride on the roof.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), December 16, 1999.

Tom, better on the roof in case the damn things leak. Pretty bad odor in my car. Dummies can put a man on the moon (or so they said) and they can't make leak proof gas cans yet.

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), December 16, 1999.

Screamin'

I didn't see anything in Paula's post that warranted you response. WTF is your problem?

-- (cavscout@fix.net), December 16, 1999.



Screamin' is just trying to prove he is an ass. He is doing well.

-- (...@.......), December 16, 1999.

I asked my County Ag commissioner, (who has jurisdiction over the sealing of weights and measurers,) about his y2k contingency plans way back in January. I had read that even if the computers failed, a mechanical solution could be rigged to pump gas. He advised that the laws regarding weights and measures preclude tampering with the computerized system. He would be forced to close down any operation that did not function within their certified system of measurement.

I think mandates of enforcement regarding these types of restrictive regulations will be the unexpected side issues of y2k. We may be able to find physical solutions to problems presented, only to find that they violate safety, environmental, health or other rules that some bureaucrat or officer is unwilling or unable to bend.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), December 16, 1999.


What makes you optimists so sure there will be any petrol to buy? Got a mountain bike?

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 16, 1999.

A local gas station went down last week. The
computer that automatically sent in the infor
from the pumps went down and they had to call
the numbers in by phone. Not sure of the present
situation. I asked if they had recently installed
new software and the attendent replied 'yes'.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), December 16, 1999.

"Got a mountainbike?"

Andy,

I read earlier this week where there was a bike recall for approx. 200,000 bikes. "Got bikes?" Could have a WHOLE new meaning...

Now, I've just gotta go find the link!

-- Deb M. (vmcclell@columbus.rr.com), December 16, 1999.



Someone mentioned "rigging a mechanical system" to pump fuel. I don't think it'll work so easily. There used to be built-in provisions to stick a crank handle into the pumps and spin them by hand when the power was off.

But over the last ten or so years, that's been removed from most pump designs as a cost savings. Today's pump don't have any way to hook a crank to the pump. And if I'm not mistaken the electric motor is attached to the pump as one sealed unit. So pulling the motor to try and attach to the pump doesn't seem possible.

Looks like the hunt's on for good hiking boots to go with those mountain bikes.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), December 16, 1999.


Something seems to be missing in this story:

[..they called the manufacturer to ask if the computer was compliant. The answer was no.]

Missing: They asked the manufacturer what would go wrong with it. The manufacturer said it would...

[The station went ahead and installed the computer.]

An awful lot depends on the answer to that missing part, don't you think? Everyone here seems to assume (totally without information) that the pumps will stop cold, never to work again until fixed. But if they planned to buy and install the pumps compliant or not, why even bother to ask? The *did* ask, and decided to go ahead AFTER learning what we are NOT being told. Doesn't anyone even *wonder* what they were told? Or is assuming the worst just easier?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), December 16, 1999.


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