Rumours of Petrol Stations Going on Strike

The bosses came back after lunch at around 2.30pm. They said there were long queues at all petrol stations from their house to the office. They were wondering whether the price of petrol would be going up again soon. We said it could not be because the PM had promised no such thing for the meantime. I quickly checked on the online news but at that time I cannot see any of such kind of news being uploaded.

But at around 3pm a contractor Mr. Wong CZ came to the office to fetch the boss for site inspection at one of the project sites. He told me there were rumours being circulated that petrol stations would go on strike on Thursday. He looked at me, smiled and told me that the strike would not affect me because I walk to work. Yeah, right!

After Mr. Wong left with the boss, the major topic of conversation was of course the rumours that have been circulating.

I called up an architect’s firm and asked the secretary whether her boss had said anything because he is the owner of the Shell petrol station near our office. Her boss told them probably it would happen in Sabah next week, not in two days’ time.

Below are among the measures suggested by us to take during this period if our cars do run out of petrol if the strike is going to be one whole week:-

1. Go and stay at spinxie’s house since her house is the nearest to the office.
2. Ride bicycle.
3. Take the whole week off.
4. Spinxie suggested they bring their own foldable mattress and sleep in the office.

By 4.30p.m. another source told us she called Petronas and she was told that Petronas would be on strike the next four days.

Rumours had it that the petrol stations had to close down because the transporter for the fuel are asking for higher commission since they are still earning the same rate of commission even after the fuel hike on 4 June 2008.

So after all that had been said we do not know which rumour is true and which is false. Sometimes rumours only make us more confused in the long run.

I filled up the fuel tank to 70% full yesterday morning and so I decided not to fill it up to full tank on the way home this evening. A normal five minutes journey home became twenty five minutes and I was not even using the highway. I think if I had used the highway I would take even longer time to get home.

One good thing that came out from the massive traffic congestion was that I was able to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunset which I normally do not get if driving is smooth all the way home.