Charlie Self wrote:
GregP responds:


On Tue, 21 Dec 2004 23:39:09 GMT, ted wrote:


In Alberta up until 1969 (when I left) There was an official whom we
called "Purple Charlie". He roamed the country checking every town and
village for purple gas. He'd start at one end of the street with a
large syringe with a rubber tube and check every gas tank. Farmers
were allowed to use "purple" in farm work vehicles but not their cars.
The fine was quite heavy. Farm gas was ordinary gas with purple dye
added and was less costly, hence the fine.


Diesel fuel for boats was (perhaps still is) dyed blue because
of differing tax rates.


When I was a kid, anyone who caught another person unscrewing a gas cap with a
syringe or hose in his hand was subject to one helluva tongue lashing at best.
In some cases, a but kicking ensued, and in others, it was a simple matter of
calling the cops.

Charlie Self
"Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder
respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." George Orwell


Yeah, I find it hard to believe that someone with a tube
would be unscrewing gas caps. Guess the Cannucks are
different. Just touching another person's car was
considered bad manners, but unscrewing a gas cap? In 1969,
I had a 1964 Chrysler 300 and never remember a person
touching it without asking permission. No body in the U.S.
would be checking gas in private cars without a search
warrant where I live.

I remember when I was in the military several of us were
walking down the street in New Haven CN in 1959 and stopped
to look at some rich kids Ferrari. Heck most of us had
never seen a Ferrari. Two seconds after we stopped to look
(no touching), we heard a yell, "Get away from the car.
And, we did, right quick.