Buying gas, a tricky affair
When our cars were run with octane, we could easily maintain log of how much oil was taken, how many kilometres the cars ran and keep our drivers' 'bad habits' under control (to some extent). With our cars being converted into gas, this has become quite difficult. However, I would like to share my experience which I think may help some of the car owners.
When the gas rate doubled this year, my driver started asking for money to refuel the car every day - whereas with our regular work load we used to refuel it every alternate day. Each of the bills - 12 in two weeks - ranged from Tk 218 to Tk 300 I had no clue. To better understand the new situation, I decided to accompany the car during refuelling, at least for some days. With that, the need to take gas came down to the prior normal level and I learned the unique way of cheating in gas stations.
1. We can ask the station boys to refuel worth a specific amount. We can tell that we want to take gas worth Tk 200, for example, and they can stop the nozzle exactly at that point.
2. You can ask for a fake bill from the cashier. A few weeks back, the driver standing just in front of me in the billing line asked for a bill of Tk 268, whereas his actual bill was Tk. 147. He paid Tk 10 to the cashier for his 'complicity'.
I am not interested in political discussion, I just want to request the car owners that whenever possible accompany your car when it goes for refuelling. Try to know the optimum capacity of your car's gas cylinder. The amount inserted in each fuelling may differ with the pressure of the gas and quality of the machines used in the station - but you will at least have an idea about the range. And always ask for the bill from your driver so that you can track discrepancies.
Let's try for a better Bangladesh.
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