NarfBLAST
Top Post Dawg
Thanks!Canada - the world's politest nation.
Thanks!Canada - the world's politest nation.
Gas stations do round up and round down -- for example, if your total comes out to $20.284, you pay $20.28, and if the total comes out to $20.285, you pay $20.29.the reason gas stations price the way they do is that 1mill difference between what the actual cost and what you actually pay is pure profit!
Unfortunately, the rounding in your second example is not following the rules: if it ends in 1 through 4, you round down; if it ends in 6 through 9 you round up; if it ends in 5, you round to the even number. So your $20.285 should be rounded down to $20.28, while a total of $20.275 should be rounded up to $20.28. That way it is balanced; unfortunately merchants tend to go for what gives them more money so we have the improper rounding of 5 to the next highest full number even when it is an odd number.Gas stations do round up and round down -- for example, if your total comes out to $20.284, you pay $20.28, and if the total comes out to $20.285, you pay $20.29.
Fractional pricing dates back to the Great Depression, when gasoline was selling for as low as 10 cents per gallon, and 1 cent increments weren't enough to adjust for differing fuel prices and fuel tax rates.
Fuel prices used to end in various fractional amounts -- such as .2 or .6 cents -- until the 1970s when .9 became standard.
Is that New Math? I was never taught the odd/even rounding on the 5's thing in school; we were taught that 5 always rounds up. Thus my fictitious example was based on my understanding, not on actual data I've recorded.Unfortunately, the rounding in your second example is not following the rules: if it ends in 1 through 4, you round down; if it ends in 6 through 9 you round up; if it ends in 5, you round to the even number. So your $20.285 should be rounded down to $20.28, while a total of $20.275 should be rounded up to $20.28. That way it is balanced; unfortunately merchants tend to go for what gives them more money so we have the improper rounding of 5 to the next highest full number even when it is an odd number.
He wasn't a male model, was he?oK heres my story...
Locally, we have a station called Rotten Robbie. I dont know why its called that, it just is.
Well I finish up pumping my TDi and I have been chatting with this guy about his car. He finishes up topping off his tank and he turns to me and without realizing what he is doing, he points the fuel nozzle ( gasoline ) and squeezes the trigger and unleashes a torrent of fuel that hit me mid chest and soaked my entire body in fuel. I was simply at a loss for words... It was also hot as hell out as it was in the middle of summer. I moved away from everyone and had someone call my friend to come and get me in his truck where rode in the bed to my house to change.
Trust me Johnny Flame from the Fantastic Four was very much on my mind..
As a scientist, these were my exact thoughts. 1-4 round down, all else round up. Same way my wife teaches grade school math.Is that New Math? I was never taught the odd/even rounding on the 5's thing in school; we were taught that 5 always rounds up. Thus my fictitious example was based on my understanding, not on actual data I've recorded.
No, that is what I was taught in elementary, junior high, and senior high school. The only math class I took in college was a trig course. It maybe "old" school as with the advent of things like the "New Math" some 40 years ago, the majority of of high school graduates seem to be functionally math illiterate. I was also taught that if there are several digits after a decimal point to start rounding at the last digit and continue until you get to the require final digit position. Or the "always round 5 up" may be from the IRS requirement to round $0.50 up to the next dollar.Is that New Math? I was never taught the odd/even rounding on the 5's thing in school; we were taught that 5 always rounds up. Thus my fictitious example was based on my understanding, not on actual data I've recorded.
I tried looking it up, but unfortunately the latest information I can find online is from 1979 (!) when the National Conference on Weights and Measures, who sets the standards for gas pumps, was considering requiring odd/even rounding, but had not mandated it yet.
I was also taught that if there are several digits after a decimal point to start rounding at the last digit and continue until you get to the require final digit position.
Try telling a fuel station that!Never, ever heard it that way.
x.49999.... is still less the 4.5 - so x.49999.... get rounded down
I pulled in to a truck stop 2 days ago and filled my car with the great big high pressure nozzle. Took about 15 seconds for 11 gallons. I love having an old diesel that's easy to put fuel in!
Damn I miss my '00 NB and old MB's for that reason. In my truck your SOL if required to fill by anything with a spout larger then about 1 inch. I might see if dealership can do something about that at up coming 20,000 mile service....oil & filter, fuel filter, engine air filter and probably cabin filter. At least I have bought the fuel and engine air filter, if paying all at once close to $300 outlay.I pulled in to a truck stop 2 days ago and filled my car with the great big high pressure nozzle. Took about 15 seconds for 11 gallons. I love having an old diesel that's easy to put fuel in!
This is correct. Hand calculated artillery shots are done this way in order to improve accuracy.It's called banker's rounding or gaussian rounding, compared to standard rounding. It is used to unbias rounding results which otherwise have more than half of the values rounding up instead of a roughly equal proportion up and down.
At one time VW was considerate enough to make the opening large enough to accommodate the trick nozzle without an adapter.scooperhsd-I got verbally shoe'd away from the "truck pumps" because of the nozzle size and high pressure. This was my regular gast stop. I guess they could not fathom:
1: VW was considerate enough to allow us the adaptability to choose large or small.
2: Some men, actually have control of their hands...
Have we met?2: Some men, actually have control of their hands...
This was probably mentioned in the 500 plus pages of this thread I didn't read but it's funny they did make this a commercial 12 years after chrisb posted this. I alwYs thought VW was way too slow to promote and advertise their diesels. In 2002 with all the hype of hybrids they could have been advertising the same fuel economy without the environmentally unfriendly batteries and complicated system plus being able to run on renewable fuel. It baffled me why they didn't advertise that. A Tdi on b20 or b5 even is way more eco friendly than a hybrid I'm pretty certain.Frank:
In retrospect, my experience was a lot of fun. Wouldn't it make a great TDI commercial?
*most* fuel gauges have an arrow.Whenever I go to the pump I can't remember which side the filler neck is on, because of how infrequently I fill it....