Super Cheap Gas, 35 Cents, A Big Mistake

from National Public Radio

The price of oil has fallen to $72 a barrel, and gas prices have been coming down as well. But at a gas station in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., prices seemed to overshoot the mark.

For about 90 minutes Monday, drivers jammed into the station to fill up for 35 cents a gallon. It wasn't a special deal. It was a technical problem with the pump. The actual price was $3.43 a gallon. The attendant on duty couldn't figure out why the station was suddenly so busy.

The station owner says about 40 people took advantage of the mistake. One customer gleefully waved her receipt after filling up her Ford Expedition for $8.85. It normally costs about $100 dollars to fill up her SUV.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, October 16, 2008