What Commissioner Rutnik fails to realize is the driving conditions on St. Thomas and St. John are not the typical conditions found in the states. Our terrain is more abusive to the average car. Ask any driver whose car is suffering from knocks and pings…as soon as a higher octane is introduced into the vehicle the problem goes away.
Why do taxi drivers prefer higher octane? Their vehicles perform better going up the hills with the heavy loads they carry.
The bottom line is you should use what the manufacturer of your vehicle recommends or what makes you car perform better under our severe driving conditions. If there is no difference for your vehicle by all means use the cheaper gas.
If we were in Kansas it would be a different story. Check out what the FTC has to say about it at gasoline .
On the price of gas … sure we want cheaper fuel but at what price? What the St. Croix residents don't realize is that they are sitting on a ticking time bomb.
All stations on St. Thomas and St. John are covered by the wholesalers' insurance policies should there be a catastrophic leak into the aquifer. In fact, because of this insurance the majority of homes in Tutu have been connected to the potable water lines paid for by Texaco and Esso due to a settlement in the Tutu wells contamination case.
These independents in St. Croix do not have sufficient coverage or in some cases no coverage at all. The majority should be shut down according to Federal regulations but due to local politics remain open. What sitting elected official would wand to be responsible for the shutting down of the majority of the stations in St. Croix? It would be political suicide.
I do not wish to put "goat's mouth" on our lovely island of St. Croix but when the wells are no longer usable due to gas contamination…. there goes the last remnants of St.Croix agriculture. Who then will pay for the clean up?
The poor independents, Hess or the St. Croix residents that thought they were getting such a good deal on gas.
Enrique Rodriguez,
St. Thomas
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