How Ironic

Tonight I was in the Casey's station paying cash because I despise checks and credit cards. I have always felt they give you the temptation to overspend yourself so I just use cash. So here I am, the finacially semi-conservative yet very modern thinking sort standing there at the counter and a Mennonite man known for their non-acceptance of modern ways walks in and says the gas pump is not accepting his credit card.

WOW! no kidding. They always peel out cash like lettuce.

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Mennonite ≠ Amish

Ratzilla wrote:

Tonight I was in the Casey's station paying cash because I despise checks and credit cards. I have always felt they give you the temptation to overspend yourself so I just use cash. So here I am, the finacially semi-conservative yet very modern thinking sort standing there at the counter and a Mennonite man known for their non-acceptance of modern ways walks in and says the gas pump is not accepting his credit card.

I have always found curious about Casey's gas prices that I have not seen another place in town where their premium E10 is less expensive than their regular gas. I do like their doughnuts.

Lots of out of towners go buy at Casey's only to find they paid more for regular gas after it's too late. Maybe Casey's has figured out that alot of drivers are just smart enough to pump gas but not smart enough to read.

The premium E10 is probably spiked with ethanol. I won't use it in my vehicles.

fescue wrote:

The premium E10 is probably spiked with ethanol. I won't use it in my vehicles.

I've heard that said before. That's all I've used but maybe I should quit because my engine only has 198,000 on it and I'd hate to use anything that'd be hard on it and cause it to crap out with low miles.

Maybe it's just me, but by the time any vehicles engine crapped out on me the whole thing was usually ready to fall apart anyways and my current ride is having all kinds of issues. But the thing still hits 70 by the time I hit the top of the Interstate on ramp and runs pretty smooth.

I've replaced starters, springs, exhaust, power steering, leaking hoses, pulleys, U-joints, and a couple dozen other things have worn out or broken. But ethanol didn't cause any of it.

I've heard ethanol is especially hard on u-joints.

E=ethanol. There are a few different mixes of "E" fuel out here. I don't use any of 'em.

There is no reason to be wary of ethanol blends that are available at public pumps. The reason that E-10 is cheaper than regular gas of the same octane is that there are fewer BTUs in ethanol than fossil gasoline. About 65% as much energy in E-100 as gasoline. Thus, the E-10 blend should be priced less than standard gas to account for this. As the market adjusts to E-10, this will become the case at all stations. After all, when we buy fuel, we should figure the cost per BTU rather than cost per gallon. As for biodiesel blends, the same is true. Whether straight #2 fossil diesel or biodiesel, you are looking at 25-30% more BTUs per gallon so the price can be higher than gasoline. Also, a diesel engine is the most efficient converter of energy to power of any internal combustion engine. Win Win with diesel, especially if it is in the price range where you actually get more BTUs for your money.

In Topeka, there's only one station that I know of that sells e-blends at a lower price than regular fuel. The others I've seen are in the same range as regular. Makes no sense to me.

Ratzilla wrote:

Tonight I was in the Casey's station paying cash because I despise checks and credit cards. I have always felt they give you the temptation to overspend yourself so I just use cash. So here I am, the finacially semi-conservative yet very modern thinking sort standing there at the counter and a Mennonite man known for their non-acceptance of modern ways walks in and says the gas pump is not accepting his credit card.

lol One day, I was in a hurry and I ran into the old Wal-Mart here in Hays to get a VCR and get the heck out of there, well, there was a woman standing in front of the stack of VCRs on sale that I wanted to get to...she had her little bun thing on her head and her home made dress, she kept picking up a VCR box, then putting it back, then putting it in her cart, then putting it back, etc. etc. I wanted to say, "uuummm, you aren't allowed to have those...can I get one and be on my way?" But I couldn't bring myself to say it or do it, I just pretended to be looking at some other thing near her.

The hubby used to work at a car dealership back then, he would tell me that they had to take the radios out of every car they purchased.

Yeah, I've noticed they just love money and modern technology so long as they don't break the golden rule and expose themselves to our unclean ways beyond basic comfort. Someone told me once though that the women can wear fancy erotic underwear so long as no one but their husband sees it.

You ever sell anything to them SG? Nothing with batteries of course, just a basic wind up model.

Ratzilla wrote:

Yeah, I've noticed they just love money and modern technology so long as they don't break the golden rule and expose themselves to our unclean ways beyond basic comfort. Someone told me once though that the women can wear fancy erotic underwear so long as no one but their husband sees it.

You ever sell anything to them SG? Nothing with batteries of course, just a basic wind up model.

SG doesn't tell anyone anything about what she sells to others.

A good policy SG.

No argument mike. They are an intelligent, inventive, and industrious group. My point is not to knock them, but rather curiosity as to who decides, and how they decide which modern electrical or mechanical device is acceptable and which is not. From what I've seen, "modest" pleasures such as driving instead of using horses, and productive purposes such as electricity and even a computer used for business seems ok.

But what I don't understand is how they accept something like a credit card, a nicer than necessary vehicle, or computer. I figured they would see them as an extravagance they wouldn't need. I guess I expected they would be more thrifty.

Don't think in stereotypes.

I know not all Mennonites can be recognized by style of dress etc. these days. Some wouldn't be known as Mennonites by appearance. But I don't see it as stereotyping to wonder why those who still dress in the traditional manner don't also live like their more traditional brothers.

The Mennonites themselves state on their website that "Together we strive to live out a new way of life in which Jesus is Lord above nationalism, materialism or selfish pursuit."

To me stating that they avoid materialism and selfish pursuit sounds like they'd be thrifty and avoid extravagant possessions that they don't need.

Mennonite ≠ Amish???

mikecc wrote:

Mennonite ≠ Amish???

The Mennonites and Amish may have split into separate churches, but there is still the Old Order Mennonites who are not much different than the Amish. If those living around here that still dress in the old ways are not Mennonites then every person I ever heard talk about them has been calling them the wrong name.