A few caveats go with gas storage

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 23, 2000

I have two questions. First, is there some place or agency in Pinellas Country that recycles used prescription medicine bottles? Second, I would like to store about 5 gallons of gas for the hurricane season. How long can the gas be stored before it is no longer usable? Paul Simpson

Response: The St. Petersburg Free Clinic, at 2335 22nd Ave. S or 863 Third Ave. N, will be happy to take old prescription bottles between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Just make sure they are clean and have the labels removed.

With regard to your second question, we found an answer of sorts on the Chevron Products Co. Web site, http://www.chevron.com. Gasoline can be stored for a year without deteriorating when the conditions are right. Conditions are "right" when the containers are about 95 percent full (completely full allows no roon for the liquid gasoline to expand if the temperature rises), tightly capped and stored out of direct sunlight at temperatures that stay below 80 degrees most of the time. Keeping the temperature below 80 degrees could pose a problem during our summers, but Chevron's Web site covers that eventuality as well: add a fuel stabilizer additive, available at auto supply stores and some gas stations, to the gasoline. As for how you can tell if your stored gasoline has deteriorated? You can't, at least not always. Severely oxidized gasoline is darker, smells rancid and may contain gummy particles.

We couldn't answer a gasoline question without getting the opinion of the folks who have to clean up the mess if it spills or catches fire. Lt. Chris Bengivengo, public affairs officer with the St. Petersburg Fire Department, said if you are going to keep fuel for a portable generator, temporary storage in an approved container in a well-ventilated area is acceptable. Temporary in this instance means for the duration of hurricane season.

Refund made

I have been trying to collect 10 months of premium payments made to AvMed Insurance. I paid in full for one year, but after two months changed to a different insurance company. As of March 1, I was expecting a refund for the remaining 10 months, March through December. I have called many times with no results. I have asked for someone to call me who has the authority to do something about this but was always given some excuse. I hope you can help me. Thank you. Richard Russo

Response: You're welcome. We were glad to learn that you got your refund.

Driver's licenses

When did the state of Florida first start requiring drivers to have a driver's license? My father didn't like to drive, so he taught me, and at the age of 9, I started driving. I am guessing that this was before licenses were issued, but I really do want to know. John W. Thomas

Response: According to The Florida Handbook by Allen Morris, cars were licensed in Florida long before the drivers were. The first licenses for motor vehicles in Florida were issued in 1906. The cost? A mere $2. By the end of that first year, 296 cars were registered in Florida. By contrast, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles licensed 16.3-million during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1993.

The Division of Driver Licenses was created in 1939 and collected $1 from private drivers, $2 from anyone who earned a living by driving.

Awaiting delivery

In May my wife ordered two pairs of slippers from Deerskin. The check for $19.25 was cashed May 10. We have yet to receive this order. I called the bank but it was unable to help me. Unfortunately, my wife did not keep the address of Deerskin. Can you investigate this and find out what happened? Kenneth Scott

Response: Unfortunately, we do not have an address on file, and we have not been able to locate the company in California, where the check was cashed. However, since the check was not cashed until May 10, it is quite possible that the order is in transit or has yet to be shipped. Unless the company specified a particular time frame for delivery, it has 30 days to ship the order. Once mailed, it can take seven to 10 days or even longer for delivery to be made.

Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, (800) 333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

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