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Hot off the press

Regular readers may remember my problems with the Reuters News Alerts service. For some reason, all the stories I'm sent involve either Molotov cocktails or train derailments. I'm still waiting for the one where a Molotov cocktail has caused a train derailment, but I'm sure it must come up eventually.

Reuters are also scanning readers' correspondence from the letters pages of publications around the world. For their daily alert, they only select the ones that have the most universal interest value. Take today's link, for example:

DEAR Editor

THERE is no point in upgrading petrol stations into a one-stop centre, if the equipment that delivers petrol is not maintained. I had a bad experience at the Petronas petrol station at Jalan Maarof recently. I stopped at the station for a full tank of petrol. Normally, the petrol pump will stop automatically when the tank is full. But on that day, the petrol started to pour out of the tank. I removed the nozzle and called the attendant for help. With an unfriendly look, he told me, 'Oh, nozzle rosak la' (the nozzle is faulty) and walked away. My question is, if the nozzle was not functioning properly, why didn't they close that pump? When I switched on the ignition, my petrol indicator showed the tank was only three-quarters full. Since I charged it to my credit card, there was nothing I could do. I ended up paying for the petrol that spilled out because of the faulty nozzle.

The letters column of Calibre Micro News always makes interesting reading, but this individual's tragic experience at Jalan Maarof is particularly poignant. One word of advice though. Don't even think about filling up any Molotov cocktails at that particular gas stop.

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