It’s time to predict gasoline’s price at the pumps on Memorial Day

Q

I rattled my bones, did my incantations and consulted Chicken Little for my guess for your contest to win a free tank of gas: $4.38 per gallon regular.

As a guy who bought gas in

1960 for 11.9 cents a gallon (gas war at a four-station intersection), today’s prices are outrageous!

— Tom Dunbar,

San Jose

A

Here’s the deal: Predict the average price of regular gas on Memorial Day in California and if you guess right, and are the first one to submit that price, you win a free fill-up.

The deadline to post your guess is May 1.

Send it to Gary Richards at facebook.com/mr.roadshow, or email grichards@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Q

Are your gas price guess entries only allowed to the nearest penny or to the nearest tenth of a cent (AAA site has out to 3 digits)?

It would greatly reduce the chance of duplicate entries using the nearest tenth of a cent. — Dale Allison, Sunnyvale

A

Just go to the nearest penny.

So far, more than 100 people have entered the contest.

Q

I want to say that ending the southbound Interstate 880 carpool lane earlier, before the Highway 101 interchange, is a good idea.

This would encourage drivers to merge earlier and allow through traffic to work their way over to the left earlier. This is a nightmare with traffic all trying to get to other sides of the freeway in about a quarter mile. It’s a shame there is no carpool lane flyover merge from 880 to 101.

It would be a huge improvement. — Brian A.

A

Yes, a flyover ramp might really help. But that dream is far, far away.

Q

Whether the Interstate 880 carpool ends earlier or not, a disturbing, distressing number of self-centered, dangerous drivers will still stay in the left lane until the very last moment and then dive-bomb over to the right, expecting everyone to get out of the way for them.

— Chuck M.

A

That’s one example of why we so dislike dive-bomber drivers.

Q

I friend who worked for Animal Control was called out to a traffic crash. A driver had let his pet cat roam free in his car, and it was basking in the sun on the little ledge behind the back seats. The driver had to brake suddenly and the cat was thrown forward, hitting the back of the driver’s head. The cat did not survive.

— Karen Brenchley,

Sunnyvale

A

So sad. Another problem is that if airbags go off, a pet could be injured or killed by the force of the airbag if sitting in the driver’s lap.

Join Gary Richards for an hourlong chat at noon Wednesdays at www.mercurynews. com/live-chats. Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow, or contact him at mrroadshow@ bayareanewsgroup.com or 408-920-5335.