Getting refunded by the station for bad gas might be tough
Q. Hi Honk! Who is responsible when bad gas is pumped into your car? In March my 19-year-old daughter purchased gas in Lakewood. Minutes after pulling out of the station with a full tank, the car sputtered and then stalled. The car was towed to our mechanic, who informed me there was water in the gas tank and that we had purchased contaminated fuel. I trust this guy, who has been an honest and reliable mechanic. The cost to clean and repair the engine is $1,600.
– Jim Slobojan, Long Beach
A. Getting your money back could be rough.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has a division that oversees the regulations for the quality of gas, with local officials often charged with ensuring the gas is in fact good.
As soon as practical, look at the pump and grab the telephone number from the official-looking seal. In Los Angeles County, you would be reaching out to its Weights and Measures Bureau.
And tell the station, too. If there is a problem, it could be solved so others won’t suffer.
“This does occasionally happen,” explained Ken Pellman, a spokesman for that county agency. “We will collect samples to make sure that the quality is right. The more information we have about the incident, the better.”
A state lab will run a test, with the station owner and the customer getting the results.
The authorities can hand out penalties – but that, of course, doesn’t help your family’s finances, Jim.
Hopefully, the station will cover the bill, or perhaps your insurance or the gas station’s will.
Q. Honkster: Are DUIs way down since all of the bars closed to help stop the spread of the coronavirus? I can find nothing in the media on this – just stats on speeders and the big drop in traffic.
– Paul Mihalow, Whittier
A. Honk slipped on his gumshoes to get you an answer, Paul. We sure can use some good news during this mess, eh?
Statewide, in March, California Highway Patrol officers arrested 3,889 motorists on suspicion of misdemeanor or felony driving-under-the-influence, 26 percent down from last year’s March total of 5,265, said Jaime Coffee, a CHP spokeswoman.
In your town, there were five DUI arrests this March compared to the same total last March, said Officer Hugo Figueroa, the spokesman for Whittier’s finest. Although March 2018 did have 12.
Honk thought he would check in as well with one of his favorite towns, Fullerton.
There were 22 DUIs for alcohol this past March, way down from 52 the previous March, Sgt. Eric Bridges told Honk.
With the country shut down for less than half of March, expect the number of arrests to plummet even more for this month … and perhaps beyond.
Honkin’ fact: When Surrey police in the United Kingdom pulled over a driver recently for going 130 mph, the agency says he offered up a reason: “I thought the faster I went the less chance I would catch coronavirus.” (Source: bbc.com)
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.