Gas station accidentally sets price at 1 cent per gallon
An Illinois gas station caused a traffic jam over the weekend when it accidentally began charging 1 cent per gallon of gas.
The Shell station in Woodstock said a computer glitch caused Sunday's impromptu gas sale on unleaded "plus" fuel.
Local police arrived to clear traffic, but a line of cars reformed as word of the bargain spread.
"The clerk didn't appear to be aware" of the mistake, Woodstock Police Sgt. Dennis Leard told the Northwest Herald. "We made him aware of the situation and instructed him to shut off his pumps and fix the problem."
The accidental sale lasted two hours, though it's unclear how many motorists were able to take advantage.
But those who did saved a pretty penny — er, a hundred of them. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.294, with the cost of filling a 12-gallon tank sitting at about $40. On Sunday at the Woodstock Shell, the same tank fill would've cost about 13 cents.
"GAS FOR ONE CENT IN WOODSTOCK! No joke," Star 105.5, a local radio station, announced on its Facebook page. "Here's one listener's receipt and we're sure it's been changed since then. Not bad for 10 gallons...12 cents! What's this 1920?"
Rita Castillo, one of the gas station employees, told CBS radio that she was upset customers did not alert staffers of the mistake.
"It's not good for business," Castillo said.
