In a nod to bad Y2K memories, some gas pumps are running into an unexpected technical problem—they can't process prices over $4.00 per gallon. Seattlepi.com reports that stations Vashon Island's Engels Repair & Towing, for example, has three such pumps, according to Lou Engels, 68, who has owned the garage for 41 years. "When I bought these brand-new in 1995, nobody could imagine gas would ever be higher than $3.99 a gallon," he said in the article.

Engles said that it would cost thousands of dollars to replace the pumps. And the upgrades for the pumps are back-ordered—this for pumps that are barely 13 years old. Engels and his son, Paul, are "handling the situation by posting the correct price on large signs, then explaining to each customer—before pumping—that the amount pumped must be multiplied by the current price."

What's even better is an anecdote later in the story. "Mike Bredice, 42, a heavy-equipment mechanic who lives on Vashon, stopped by Engels' station the other day to fill his 1970 Monte Carlo with premium. He laughed as he ended up buying just 10 gallons—a decision he said he made because it simplified the multiplication... His car gets 7 miles per gallon. 'Here, take the whole thing,' Bredice said as he offered his wallet to Engels."