A Day in Paris

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Getting Gas

After my son's golf lesson I drove to the gas station to "fill up." When I drive to the pump, I see that the cheaper gas is temporarily not working. I was unhappy because my husband and I always use the cheapest gas for the car. So I was thinking about this as I was also thinking "what am I going to ask for in French?"
The station near my house is full service and normally I just ask to fill the car with gas, but I was ticked off that the cheap gas wasn't available. In my thoughtful silence the gas attendent asks "fill her up?" I said "No", because if I couldn't have the cheap gas I wasn't filling up. Once again, thinking either that I'm an idiot or just incapable of communicating, the guy starts guessing what I might want..."dix litres?, vingt litres?, trente litres?" No I would like quarante litres/forty liters! He's relived that I am capable of telling him something informative so he can do his job. As I'm standing there, I start doing the math. The cheap gas is 95 cent/liter and the plus gas is 98 cent/litre. I've just done this whole song and dance for 1,20 euro. I should have just nodded when he asked to fill up?!
As an aside for all my American readers, that 40 liters or 10.5 gallons cost me about $52 (at current exchange rates of course.)

-- said Auntie M in Paris
8:05 PM

5 comments

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Comments:

Margi,

I have made this a daily read! The office loves your stories!
Constance

# posted by Anonymous : 8:50 PM

I had to get gas today also. I was so excited to see it went down from $2 a gallon to $1.97. After reading your post I was humbled. Yikes, I'm sure it's only a matter of time when we will pay $5 a gal for gas in the United States.
I also enjoy reading your blog daily even though I only comment occasionally. Thanks so much for sharing, it really opens my eyes to cultural/national differences and similarities.

# posted by BohemianMama : 1:26 AM

Constance,
Thanks for reading the blog!
BM, Gas is so expensive here you just can't think about it. The good thing is that we don't drive as often and probably only buy gas every three weeks or four weeks.

# posted by Auntie M in Paris : 7:32 AM

I was wondering how people afford to drive in this country with gas being so expensive. Every time I see people stuck in Paris traffic, I shake my head and wonder why they don't just use public transportation. It has to be so much cheaper. But, I guess if you are only filling up every couple of weeks, then it sort of evens out.

Jason
http://jasonstone.typepad.com

# posted by Anonymous : 10:42 AM

This morning, gas was $2.20, and I was like: "Oh, my god this is so cheap, I really need to fill up"...
When you think $2.20 is cheap for gas, that's when you know you have a problem...

# posted by Magabe : 8:07 PM