Shell shocked – most petrol bunks cheat!

[Disclaimer – I have no material proof for what I say here, it is all based on observations and “hear-say” at Pune and Bangalore. And I am not interested in a PIL or anything of that sort for this. Petrol distribution corruption is too dangerous a thing to dabble with, not my cup of tea.]

Baleno, Honda city or Santro, you car will be shell shocked to hear this.

If you fill up at petrol bunks run by Shell or even Reliance, you may notice your car giving 10-15% better mileage.

Why so, you may ask. I have concluded, it is ‘apparently’ because Shell does not cheat, when they say a litre, you get 1000 cc of petrol.

But this is not the case at many petrol bunks operated by PSUs. I have “heard” that these low mileage bunks ‘doctor’ their meters to give you anything in the range of .85 – .95 litre of petrol when you are told you are getting 1. Apparently, the modus operandi is like this. The ‘official’ who is supposed to give out the equivalent of “business certificate” to these bunks forces them to tamper with the meters, and then share the ‘loot’. If the person operating the bunk tries to sing tunes of honesty and ethics, this “officer” knows umpteen tricks to deny him the “business certificate”.

Essentially, most sarkaari petrol bunks cheat. So next time you want to fill up, do your bit to curb this ‘corruption’ by opting for Shell or Reliance.

Be aware of another trick they play at a few bunks in Bangalore, especially if you are riding or driving alone. Say you want to fill up for Rs 1000. The guy says zero. You nod. He then starts the meter. Now, as soon as the meter reaches the 700-800 mark, an “accomplice” tries to engage you in a conversation. You get engaged, and while you attention slips away, the meter magically races to 1000.