Gas Prices Hit $4 Here and Some Stuff You Might Not Have Known About Gas

The May 18th Chicago Tribune had a History Lesson by Mark Jacob titled "10 things you might not know about gasoline."

Some interesting stuff here to help our poor wallets when we get sacrificed at the pump.

1. Even though we are only 5% of the earth's population, we use 44% of the gasoline.

2. In a recent survey, we are the 45th cheapest among 155 countries, paying half of what UK does. Gas in Wonder Boy's Venezuela is 12 cents.

3. Lead was added to gasoline in the 1920s to eliminate the sorrow of engine knock, but did a number on the environment. Even oil additive inventor Thomas Midgley got lead poisoning and he didn't eat the paint chips.

4. There is a gas station in Cloquet, Minnesota, (outside of Duluth) designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Saw a picture of it, and it's impressive. Might just have to fill up there to take my mind off the pain.

5. Two states ban self-serve gasoline: Oregon and New Jersey. Full-service is generally more expensive, but NJ residents have the third lowest gas taxes (after Wyoming and Alaska).

6. The "Molotoc cocktail," a bottle filled with gas that is thrown in street fighting got its name after the Soviet invasion of Finland in 1939. The Soviets dropped cluster bombs and their Foreign Minister Molotov told the world they were dropping food. The Finns started calling the drops "Molotov Bread Baskets." When they fought back with the gas bottles they called them "Molotov Cocktails." I didn't know this.

6. Singer Bobby Fuller, of "I Fought the Law" fame was killed by gasoline in 1966 when his bruised and battered body was found in a car. At first, authorities said he committedsuicide by swallowing the gas and later that it was an "accidental death due to accidental inhalation of gasoline." Many still believe he was murdered. I have never and never will inhale gasoline accidentally.


7. Michael Douglas, Bono, Eddie Vedder and John Mayer all once worked in gas stations.

8. Gasoline Alley, a Tribune comic strip from the 1910s, featured characters who got older. It was based on characters from the Wisconsin town of Tomah.

9. Frank Sinatra called his favorite drink, Jack Daniel's as "gasoline." In some parts of Canada, gasoline stations are called a "gas bar."

So Now You Know Some Interesting Stuff About Gasoline. Something to think About the Next Time You're Cryin' at the Pump. --Old Coot

What was that old song by Elvis, "You Saw Me Crying at the Gas Pump?"