TRENTON, N.J. – One bad apple doesn’t mean the entire bushel is spoiled. That’s the message Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline, C-Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA), wants his fellow New Jersey residents to realize after a TV news story caught one station manager and employee jacking up the pump price without customer knowledge.

In New Jersey.com, Risalvato wrote, “Well, I have to say it: I am sick. No, it’s not my health. I’m sick because news reports revealed a gas station seemed to be scamming its customers. … I can’t imagine a valid explanation for this behavior. I cannot express how upset this episode has made me. Both the authorities and the gasoline company are investigating. If the station is found guilty, I encourage them to throw every book they have at the dealer.”

What really made Risalvato sad “is that motorists will be thinking that all gasoline retailers are dishonest. Too many consumers already think gas stations are out to cheat them, and that’s simply unfair. Cases like this are extremely rare. NJGCA has a zero-tolerance policy, and when they do happen, I stand with authorities and call for severe punishment of perpetrators. NJGCA members also turn in bad apples for me to report. We police our own. 

“Unfortunately, there are the rare few who will cheat in order to avoid making the painfully small profits that most gasoline retailers make. Even when prices skyrocket, retailers make only pennies on a gallon of gas in order to stay competitive, while credit card companies and oil speculators laugh all the way to the bank. Our honesty is an asset that we cherish. 

“Gasoline retailers are small-business owners who struggle to survive. They, too, are victims of big corporations, government regulation and grandstanding officials. Consumers shouldn’t let the actions of one allegedly unethical gas station reflect upon all other honest small-business owners.”