Refreshing Y2K memories, analog gas pumps are not capable of reflecting prices above $3.99, posing a problem for the nearly ten thousand rural gas stations across the US. The same pumps often cannot compute sales over $99.99, far below what it takes to fill up the old Hummer.

Replacing old pumps can be a problem for local, family-owned gas stations that do not get a cut of Big Oil’s markups. Gas stations typically make only 1-10 cents per gallon on the gas they sell. Hometown gas stations are further squeezed by demand; if located in a remote area with only a few customers per day, replacing pumps is not economically viable. This leaves old-fashioned pump owners in a bind, unable to afford the technology to sell their own product, a problem likely to force many out of the market or into bankruptcy.

Some states are temporarily allowing half-pricing to solve the problem, where meters only reads half the real cost of the gas as long as signs post the full price nearby. Other  solutions include lending patrons calculators and encouraging drivers to learn scientific notation to compute the price of their fuel purchase (juuuuust kidding).

Read more at Yahoo.