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Comment by oliv__ | Hacker News Reader

Would be funny if someone figured out a way to remotely set all gas pumps in the country to "release mode" simultaneously: I'm sure this would make for a memorable experience.

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I'm guessing most gas station attendants would either hit the emergency stop button (which is big and red and physically cuts power), or put up signs asking people to record start and stop gallons and pay inside.

"put up signs asking people to record start and stop gallons and pay inside" a.k.a. "pay whatever you want".

It would be entertaining. But it wouldn't hurt the O&G companies.

The gas is already paid for by the gas stations at X price. Arbitrarily lowering it to $0.01/gal does not do anything but hurt the local gas station owner or piss off minimum wage worker(s) dealing with the fallout.

Are they really minimum wage workers? The gas station near my house starts at $16 an hour at this point.

Where I am, that is nearly minimum wage ($15/hr).

Short term, for the consumer that sounds entertaining. Long term, I can think of no good outcomes. Stations go bankrupt, government bailouts with money from where? Etc

Well yeah, I was saying this in a tongue in cheek manner, it would definitely be pretty bad for all those businesses

Going bankrupt is a bit extreme in my opinion. A gas line company was infiltrated and held for ransom last year (Colonial Pipeline), yet they are still up and running. In the end, gas went up a couple of cents nationwide if I recall correctly (might have been limited to the east coast?). Company is still in business. The only people that were really hurt was the Main Street.

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