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PAGE 6 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESOAY, Second Class Mail Registration Number 3540 Drivers in Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo may certainly be excused this week for emitting a collective gagâ€"â€"not one of surprise, but one of disgust. o O It appears, at least according to reports in the media, that we petroleum consumers in the Kâ€"W area are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to gas prices. Nothing really newâ€"â€"we‘ve suspected it for several years nowâ€"â€"but it nevertheless jolts a bit when the confirmation comes from those in the business themselves. Gary Millman, president of the Kâ€"W branch of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers Association of Ontario, claims that gas pricing is completely controlled by the oil companies and the only way to force prices down is to complain long and loud to these companies and government officials. _ We wouldn‘t be complaining (not much, at least) if local prices consistently reflected the market around us. But they rarely if ever do, which prompted our editorial stand last summer which questioned the local approach to pricing and wondered if we weren‘t victim of a cavalier, countryâ€"club attitude. In other words, since we paid the piper without complaint of higher Fricles, why shouldn‘t operators maintain those evels? But while on the one hand it‘s nice to have our suspicions confirmed, that still leaves local consumers with the short end of the stick. Said one Kitchener manager in a media report: "Oil companies aren‘t stupid. They try to keep prices as high as possible where economic conditions are good, and Kitchener is a good economic area.‘" Added Millman: "...and as long as they keep paying, it will keep prices up." _ Frankly, we are sick and tired of hearing companies blame operators and vice versa when it comes to oil pricing. Like everyone else, we are also dismayed at the time it is taking for prices at the pumps to reflect current world conditions. But most distressing was our quick survey Friday that saw a local independent selling regular gas for 40.9 cents a litre, while across town a Petroâ€"Can selfâ€"serve outlet hung tough at over 43 cents. ‘Ietiers to the editer, They | | traditionof securacy and fai \ Sn s n ons .. \g"fi?‘ # j:né h N t xÂ¥ » mad y S o o e 3 : I N § e : j sBHItY Of H 9X “"""‘WQ tus welttal ie ymimee _ ,&,M\ T C ‘~ ~§ .Q. atructive criticism . Miea 0 C ‘;;,\‘?‘8\ "*_\v s Sregh Q&g« t aH &s 4 FS 9@ F4 . s <â€" e i8 s ic liicaca g& i Slap | Aownents &‘:}\‘“ e o8 \_s;:s-va«;;,.: es mpree anaifan .. cinkg nagntstes. maaiiaes i dn wnal x\@oga@g@ M '-'é-v-wv"_”*’mw\‘:y "3"}‘,’;‘::.»:\( ;§~a~ wer yoo man Fhe W%\«wux\s\“i\‘yg _ Homourge. AWVI® WHs woce Fhk . 2s ;g}“\figfifih‘g* w ols _ & ‘ at i 18 wtwd : & 4 tss sns d [Wt tar ies o te ancstss ooals _ Preks Commeil, 481 # ho s sant oo s $ ngmaringtiiee s tagn ccotiiiheabatouges Nitmccedit ut c oys _ .~| â€"| Sater 6t., uie 108, t -_,>~§~_,Ҥ3@-;;; sc ies on a o 3\“\\\* Sprong s $ C en n o k | se A\,,&Av\\*&\ Sss ‘Q,\“ stt o4 4 $ Bs \x°‘3<x\< uts hy \\~t} & %\‘W\\§)\§~:\gfi“ s > e mak silh __ \:}fg\ C aie ~3{;\\ The dilemma is such a Petersburg area man has taken the initiative of cutting up his gas company credit card in protest over unfair prices locally. That‘s a start. Strong local pressure, through boycotts of stations and formal protests to elected officials, might help as well, according to local spokesmen. We tire of hearing excuses about the other side being to blame, about how long it takes for world conditions to be reflected at the pump, about the need to deplete higherâ€"priced inventories before prices can come down, about how local prices are fair prices when all around us we can purchase the same product for less. We don‘t mind paying through the hose, but it bugs us to have to pay through the nose as well. It is hoped that the cries of ‘"enough is enough‘‘ from local consumers will be sufficient to make the decisionâ€"makers sit up and take notice. If it takes a public outcry to change the system, then so be it, and the sooner the better. | Then let‘s do it published every Wednesday by Fairway Press, a division of Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo Record Ltd., owner . 225 Fairway Rd. S., Kitchener, Ont address correspondence to Waterloo office 45.Erb St. E.. Waterloo, Ont. N2J 11.7, telephone 886â€"2830 Waterloo:Chronicle office is located in the Haney, White Law Office Building (rear entrance. upper foor) Parking at the rear ot the Buiiding. Open Monday to Friday 9:00 a m to 5.00 p m Publisher: Paul Winkler Manager: Bill Karges Editor: Rick Campbell established 1854 16. Ho boy. It was only written in the tiniest of chicken scratchings on the kitchen calendar, but as far as I was concerned, might as well have been an 18â€"footâ€"long billboard. _1 stared at the message each and every time I went to the fridge. And it just wouldn‘t go away. Monday the 14th â€" Rick, dentist. Wrrrrrtrrrrrr. Ssssssssssss. The very thought made my mouth water. _ S OK, OK, I‘ll admit, when it comes to going to the dentist I‘m a cabbage patch sissy if ever there was one â€" with perfectly good reason. Never one to enjoy the role of masochist, I tend to stay away whenever possible from people/places/things that hurt me. And to put it mildly, the dentist chair and I have never been friends, much less lovers. Partially explaining why Monday‘s visit was my first in four years. ‘"*Don‘t be ashamed about that (I was)," said my congenial driller/filler/biller. ‘"We have lots of people come in who haven‘t been here in 10â€"12 years." That was me in 1982, strolling into one of those storefront but most convenient mall operations. The first time since, gulp, 1972 before coming to university. Why the neglect? Because I‘m posiâ€" tive I saw my Toronto family dentist, mad bomber that he was, audition for a part in the Boys of Brazil. If a cavity was more reachable through the inner ear, so be it. And besides, few of the wellâ€"known Waterloo dentists were taking on new patients. But when the mall office opened up, I knew it was time to face the music, especially since I faithfully brush three times a day come hell or Hurricane Hazel, and figured sooner or later it would be a wasted effort if I didn‘t complement it with visits to the pros. I had three cavities back then in 1982 â€" not bad for 10 years of neglect, but also had to have a wisdom tooth removed. ‘"Simple," came the word, "we‘ll do it right here in the office." Famous last words. Turned out the tooth had deeper roots than the maple on my parents‘ lawn, and after twoâ€"andâ€"aâ€"half hours an executive ‘"You have to go away to be discovered. I used to call them every year for a job, and now it‘s costing them six times as much and they‘re happy to get me." It is written Chronicle Editor Wisdom Rick Campbell â€" SEE PAGE 27. ROW swim coach Cliff Barry on his appointment as head coach of the Point Claire Swim Club near Montreal. decision was made to leave part of the tree, er, tooth in. That decision was reversed later the same year, as was the blood circulation to my mouth. Brazil still fresh in my mind (but thank goodness, not in my mouth) I have trotted out every excuse in the book to avoid a return engagement. But the doomsday clock struck 12 Monday at 7, not so much out of reduced fear, but because I wanted to see how my company‘s dental plan worked. Keep up my visitation habits and soon I‘d have been stamped a dormant account. * Drove down the street to the dentist office after dinner, having carefully brushed my teeth (of course, the dental floss ran out just when I needed it most: ‘"Oh, pork chops for dinner, eh?"). Naturally, upon entering the office, those sounds started. Wrrrtrrrrrrrrrrr. Ssssssssssssss$s. So I stayed. And a yery nice assistant took me by the hand into the ogfice. Blood pressure rising. Hands clammy. Mouth dry as desert (until the xâ€"rays, when of course, I drooled). How was I goâ€" ing to handle it? Turn around Rick, you‘ve still got time to leave. No, stop being a chicken. The dental plan doesn‘t cover missed appointments. Must have had a big run on them. Before I knew it, the bib was off, and I was back at the front office, having my dental plan explained to me. First visit is the easy part of course, it is the subsequent visits that supply the true tests. As it turned out, no problem. My dentist and assistant explained all procedures to me, showed me â€" where my two cavities were and, in a moment of This is Your Life, even showed me the canal from where my wisdom tooth was extracted â€" twice. Suez city. I shan‘t bore you with my further trials and tribulations, but don‘t be alarmed if next Monday night you see a string bean with a horrified look and plastic bib still dangling from his neck dashing down your street, absolutely struck with fear. And no doubt drooling. excavation complete, and the Boys of