"innovative" singaporeans caught in the act
Monday, December 25, 2006
S'pore drivers at JB petrol pumps ignore danger as they...
TILT CAR TO PUMP IN THE LAST DROP
SAVINGS: About $1
RISKS: Ruining car engine and paint, causing fire hazard, releasing harmful gases
By Tan Mae Lynn, The Electric New Paper
TO gain a further saving of just over $1, these Singapore petrol-pinchers are willing to put themselves at risk.
They are not content to just pump a tank of 'cheaper' petrol in Johor Baru before returning to Singapore.
No, they want their tank 100 per cent full, filling up all remaining space, which serves as a safety feature.
To do this, they would go as far as to tilt their car sideways, by propping up the rear tyre with a brick or using a jack to raise the car.
In doing so, drivers would be able to pump in an extra litre of petrol (see graphics).
However, motoring experts warn that these drivers are putting themselves in danger because there is a reason that fuel tanks are not meant to be filled completely.
The extra space is meant as a safety feature when the fuel expands. If the tank is totally full, the inflammable vapour could seep out, posing a fire risk. (See report on next page.)
If the tank's cap is not properly secured, excess petrol will also gush out when the car is level.
Experts also warn that over-filling can ruin the engine as well as release harmful vapour into the atmosphere.
The total savings for pulling such a dangerous stunt? Just about a dollar for that extra litre of petrol.
Pump attendants across the Causeway said it's not unusual for 'kiasu' motorists to try to maximise their petrol top-up before returning to Singapore.
And it must be getting common - one petrol station even provides ramps to 'tilt' the cars.
In Singapore, pump prices range from $1.58 to $1.83 a litre. In Malaysia, prices are almost halved, from 70 cents (RM1.60) to 83 cents (RM1.91) a litre.
Just two months ago, it would have cost close to $90 to fill up a 60-litre tank here. Now, it's about $70 with oil prices having dipped from about US$80 ($123) a barrel.
With the three-quarter tank rule, visitors on short trips to Johor Baru (JB) would usually save about $10 to $20 by filling up before returning to Singapore.
But some are not content with such savings. Pump attendants have noticed more Singaporeans stepping out of their cars armed with jacks.
An attendant at a petrol station near the Sentosa area in JB said: 'This middle-aged man, a regular here, would jack up his old Mercedes on one side.'
But these are the more extreme cases.
'Mostly, they will just push and shake the car because they think this can get rid of air bubbles so they can pump more in,' he said.
Singapore manager Derrick Tan, 40, said he was shocked to see what these drivers were doing when he was in JB recently.
Initially, he thought a fellow Singaporean had a tyre puncture because he was jacking up his car.
'But when I realised he was doing it to pump more petrol, I was speechless. When he saw me staring, he gave me a smug look, probably thinking he was very smart.'
During The New Paper on Sunday's check earlier this week, at least one petrol station about 5km from the Causeway provides customers with a ramp to help them tilt the car.
At each pump, a wooden ramp is available for customers' use. It is about half a metre long and 15cm high.
The ramps are solid wood, and weighs about 10kg each.
A ramp is placed behind one of the rear wheels, and the driver reverses up it and parks the car so it's tilted to one side.
Only Singapore-registered cars appeared to use this ramp. When we approached the drivers, none wanted to be identified.
A couple in a Singapore-registered Proton did not want to speak to us and tried to stop us from taking pictures of their car.
The only driver who agreed to be interviewed claimed he could get $20 worth of extra petrol in the tank using this method.
An employee at this Caltex station, Miss Siti Zubaidah, 24, said about 70 per cent of its Singaporean customers will use this tactic. 'Some customers have told me that they can get 80km more from the extra (petrol) they put in,' she said.
But most pump attendants said that, at best, car owners can save about $1.30 to $2.20 on average for small to medium cars, while larger cars such as MPVs can save about $4.
The Caltex station operator said he offers the service because it's what his customers want. 'To me, the customers come first,' he said.
The operator, who did not want to be named, took over the station's operations about a month ago.
'The previous operator offered this, so I just continued offering it,' he claimed.
And yes, the tango tilt is unique to owners of Singapore-registered cars.
Miss Siti said: 'Only Singapore cars do it. I've not seen any Malaysian cars use the wooden ramp. Maybe Singaporeans want extra petrol, and it's cheaper here.'
However, Mr Gerard Ee, former president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, questioned if the minimal savings is worth the effort.
'In theory, you could get a little more petrol in, but how much air space can you fill?
'If it's an older car and the tank cap doesn't fit well, fuel can leak out and that can be dangerous. Fuel against the bodywork of a car erodes the paint as well.'
Mr Mark Alexander, 34, a car owner, thinks it is ridiculous. 'How much can you save? If you can afford to buy a car, why can't you afford to cover petrol?'
There are certainly other ways to save money on petrol: Make sure the tyres are inflated correctly, the engine is serviced regularly, there is no unnecessary heavy load in the boot, and cut down on using the highest octane level fuel.
Most cars can run efficiently on 92 octane fuel.
And for an even better way to save money on fuel, take the bus.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
how smart. save over a buck and end up endangering yourselves. *clap clap*
TILT CAR TO PUMP IN THE LAST DROP
SAVINGS: About $1
RISKS: Ruining car engine and paint, causing fire hazard, releasing harmful gases
By Tan Mae Lynn, The Electric New Paper
TO gain a further saving of just over $1, these Singapore petrol-pinchers are willing to put themselves at risk.
They are not content to just pump a tank of 'cheaper' petrol in Johor Baru before returning to Singapore.
No, they want their tank 100 per cent full, filling up all remaining space, which serves as a safety feature.
To do this, they would go as far as to tilt their car sideways, by propping up the rear tyre with a brick or using a jack to raise the car.
In doing so, drivers would be able to pump in an extra litre of petrol (see graphics).
However, motoring experts warn that these drivers are putting themselves in danger because there is a reason that fuel tanks are not meant to be filled completely.
The extra space is meant as a safety feature when the fuel expands. If the tank is totally full, the inflammable vapour could seep out, posing a fire risk. (See report on next page.)
If the tank's cap is not properly secured, excess petrol will also gush out when the car is level.
Experts also warn that over-filling can ruin the engine as well as release harmful vapour into the atmosphere.
The total savings for pulling such a dangerous stunt? Just about a dollar for that extra litre of petrol.
Pump attendants across the Causeway said it's not unusual for 'kiasu' motorists to try to maximise their petrol top-up before returning to Singapore.
And it must be getting common - one petrol station even provides ramps to 'tilt' the cars.
In Singapore, pump prices range from $1.58 to $1.83 a litre. In Malaysia, prices are almost halved, from 70 cents (RM1.60) to 83 cents (RM1.91) a litre.
Just two months ago, it would have cost close to $90 to fill up a 60-litre tank here. Now, it's about $70 with oil prices having dipped from about US$80 ($123) a barrel.
With the three-quarter tank rule, visitors on short trips to Johor Baru (JB) would usually save about $10 to $20 by filling up before returning to Singapore.
But some are not content with such savings. Pump attendants have noticed more Singaporeans stepping out of their cars armed with jacks.
An attendant at a petrol station near the Sentosa area in JB said: 'This middle-aged man, a regular here, would jack up his old Mercedes on one side.'
But these are the more extreme cases.
'Mostly, they will just push and shake the car because they think this can get rid of air bubbles so they can pump more in,' he said.
Singapore manager Derrick Tan, 40, said he was shocked to see what these drivers were doing when he was in JB recently.
Initially, he thought a fellow Singaporean had a tyre puncture because he was jacking up his car.
'But when I realised he was doing it to pump more petrol, I was speechless. When he saw me staring, he gave me a smug look, probably thinking he was very smart.'
During The New Paper on Sunday's check earlier this week, at least one petrol station about 5km from the Causeway provides customers with a ramp to help them tilt the car.
At each pump, a wooden ramp is available for customers' use. It is about half a metre long and 15cm high.
The ramps are solid wood, and weighs about 10kg each.
A ramp is placed behind one of the rear wheels, and the driver reverses up it and parks the car so it's tilted to one side.
Only Singapore-registered cars appeared to use this ramp. When we approached the drivers, none wanted to be identified.
A couple in a Singapore-registered Proton did not want to speak to us and tried to stop us from taking pictures of their car.
The only driver who agreed to be interviewed claimed he could get $20 worth of extra petrol in the tank using this method.
An employee at this Caltex station, Miss Siti Zubaidah, 24, said about 70 per cent of its Singaporean customers will use this tactic. 'Some customers have told me that they can get 80km more from the extra (petrol) they put in,' she said.
But most pump attendants said that, at best, car owners can save about $1.30 to $2.20 on average for small to medium cars, while larger cars such as MPVs can save about $4.
The Caltex station operator said he offers the service because it's what his customers want. 'To me, the customers come first,' he said.
The operator, who did not want to be named, took over the station's operations about a month ago.
'The previous operator offered this, so I just continued offering it,' he claimed.
And yes, the tango tilt is unique to owners of Singapore-registered cars.
Miss Siti said: 'Only Singapore cars do it. I've not seen any Malaysian cars use the wooden ramp. Maybe Singaporeans want extra petrol, and it's cheaper here.'
However, Mr Gerard Ee, former president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, questioned if the minimal savings is worth the effort.
'In theory, you could get a little more petrol in, but how much air space can you fill?
'If it's an older car and the tank cap doesn't fit well, fuel can leak out and that can be dangerous. Fuel against the bodywork of a car erodes the paint as well.'
Mr Mark Alexander, 34, a car owner, thinks it is ridiculous. 'How much can you save? If you can afford to buy a car, why can't you afford to cover petrol?'
There are certainly other ways to save money on petrol: Make sure the tyres are inflated correctly, the engine is serviced regularly, there is no unnecessary heavy load in the boot, and cut down on using the highest octane level fuel.
Most cars can run efficiently on 92 octane fuel.
And for an even better way to save money on fuel, take the bus.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
how smart. save over a buck and end up endangering yourselves. *clap clap*
