Dear Tom and Ray:

Since we live in America, we are accustomed to driving on the right side of the road. Wouldn't it be nice if the automobile manufacturers allowed us to drive on the right side at the gasoline pumps? Why can't all manufacturers put the gas filler tube on the left side? The confusion at the gas pumps is ridiculous, if not downright dangerous. Am I nuts, or is this something that disturbs others as well? Warren

Tom: Are you nuts? I'm not sure we're the best people to ask, Warren. But I think you DO have a valid point about the gas filler.

Ray: I agree. The back ends of most cars are pretty symmetrical. So it shouldn't be that big a deal to standardize the location of the fuel door. And I'm with you, Warren. Convenience and custom dictate that it ought to be on the driver's side of the car.

Tom: So we're starting a new lobbying group to push for a new, national standard. We're calling it "Fuel Opening On Left Side" (FOOLS). And with a name like that, I can't think of two better celebrity spokesmen than my brother and me.

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1994 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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