Every American is feeling the squeeze from record prices at the pump, but gas prices are now so high that average citizens will soon be feeling gas pains at locations other than the corner station. From rental companies to local police, fuel charges are being ultimately passed on to John Q. Public.
A recent survey of rental companies in 10 U.S. cities found that companies are charging about $8 a gallon for vehicles returned without a full tank. At about twice the national average, consumers are not happy with the extra charges, but rental companies are left with few other options. Many renters try to skip out on refilling the car’s tank upon return, leaving companies with large fuel bills. The measure helps to prevent cars returning with the needle on E and also helps recoup the cost for cars that are returned bone-dry.
At $8 dollars a gallon, a rental fill up will cost renters in the neighborhood of $145 to $180.
Some local governments are trying to reduce the costs of returning a vehicle with less than a full tank, but even proposed solutions will cost close to $6 a gallon, according to the Detroit Free Press.
And if getting slapped with extra charges at the nation’s rental companies wasn’t enough, some police departments are starting to adopt fuel surcharge policies for traffic law offenders. First seen in the Atlanta suburb of Holly Springs, Georgia, police are tacking on an addition $12 to any traffic violations. Other police departments are considering similar measures across the country, will fuel surcharges between $10 and $15 being considered.
The policy is seen as a fair way to recover fuel cost associated with police work – such as routine patrol and traffic stops. In the small town of Holly Springs, the high cost of fuel has seen the department eat through 60 percent of its fuel budget in just five months, according to AOL Money.
