04ctd

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/599471.html


Spent $1,200 to convert his 1981 diesel Mercedes to run on vegetable oil. He bought soybean oil in 5-gallon jugs at Costco, spending about 30 percent more than diesel would cost.

His reward, from a state that heavily promotes alternative fuels: a $1,000 fine last month for not paying motor fuel taxes. He has been told to expect another $1,000 fine from the federal government.

To legally use veggie oil, state officials told him, he would have to first post a $2,500 bond.

13ALPHA

That's messed up, so anyone who home brews could be fined?

r cesnick

I think the moral of this story is to keep quiet about it. although according to the story he most likely would have been caught anyway.

MTGunNut

ha, my dad just got his fuel checked by the coppers. He was running striaght no.2. (all legal), but could you imagine if he was running homebrew...

NEED_MORE_TORQU

That's the man holdin' us down...

Patrick Campbell

It is sad that you have to keep quiet when you are doing something good. He is spending more of his own money to support domestic farmers and putting out much fewer emissions.

Maybe legal biodiesel isn't available where he lives. If it were, why wouldn't he just run that, because it would be cheaper than SVO, wouldn't require a conversion and yield better fuel mileage.

b.lee

yup, he NEEDS his taxes.
so government officals can get paid and take all expense paid vactions.

ChrisLib

without the off road dyes and chemical tracers, how would the govt be able to prove what he`s running for fuel?

To the OP, a very cruddy deal indeed, they (the feds ) have their hands in the pocket so often there is a hole worn thru it...geeeze!

MTGunNut

IDK, they stuck a stick in his gas tank, pulled it out, and said it was good.

MikeyB

So what happens if the same guy drives up in a electric car?? Gets a beating with a rubber hose?

MikeyB

MTGunNut

THAT HAS to be the funniest thing Ive heard all day.