Remember when we could buy 97 octane petrol? If I recall correctly, we even had 98 octane - which is somewhat more awesome than the 95 and 93 varieties that we have access to today.
South Africans are all a little happier today because the price of petrol will drop by 55 cents tomorrow, 6 June. Take a look at this useful table for a view on the historical price of fuel in South Africa.
Also, if you're interested, take a look at this document - it has a list of fuel prices per country. Pretty awesome, hey?
With spring weather arriving on our doorstep a week or two ago, flowers starting to bloom and trees starting to sprout buds - the Evil of the Garden has also arrived. This evening I spent half an hour rushing around my lawn with a weed popper after work in a vain attempt, I fear, to ward off the raging stampede.
While observing the destruction that was occurring on my paved areas I was reminded of a dubious weed remedy shared by someone (whom for their sake) I'll keep anonymous. This person told me that diesel fuel is the best weed killer ever - and it's way cheaper than herbicides you'd buy at a nursery.
How do you think your husband, wife, or neighbour would feel about you spraying diesel all over your driveway? Awesome idea? I don't think so. :)
I understand that in many places around the world motorists fill up their own vehicles with fuel. Lazy South Africa still enjoys the privilege of having a friendly attendant to fill up your car, wash your window, pump your tires, and top up your oil. Well, I say friendly, but I have to admit that they're not always friendly. Considering that the job isn't a stimulating or enjoyable one, I guess that's understandable.
If you visit South Africa from another country then you should bear three things in mind when filling up your hired vehicle:
You'll have three types of fuel to choose from: Unleaded, Lead Replacement (LR), and Diesel. Normally hire cars use unleaded, but if you're not sure it's normally indicated somewhere near the filler cap. Mixing diesel and petrol is a bad idea. Seriously. :)
In July this year a law was passed allowing motorists to purchase petrol using an ordinary credit card (previously we could only use garage cards, debit cards or cash). However, not all petrol stations have implemented this system yet, so you may very well still need cash to pay for your petrol. Often filling stations have ATM machines where you can draw cash with your debit or credit card.
We usually tip the attendants. You don't have to, but if they are pleasant - and especially if they wash your windscreen - it's a nice thing to do.
I'm interested to know whether you tip filling station attendants, and if so, how much. Please leave a comment, anonymous or not, and let us know.
