At the turn of the century, the world was terrified of the Y2K bug as many computers and programs expressed the year in two digits instead of four.
This meant they couldn’t tell the difference between 1900 and 2000, and this stoked fears of widespread issues that could impact people across the globe.
While the fears turned out to be overblown, the problem of lacking digits is once again rearing its ugly head. However, things are far different this time as Bloomberg is reporting Turkish gas stations are worried about the likelihood of fuel prices hitting double digits and not being able to display them on the pump.
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While this sounds like a relatively minor issue, a number of companies are preparing for this scenario and BP will reportedly have the “ability to update gas pumps at its more than 750 stations in two weeks.” The news outlet also says Shell, which has more than 1,100 stations in the country, is examining which ones need to be updated.
While petrol and diesel are currently available for around 7.90 lira ($0.82 / £0.60 / €0.71) and 8.20 lira ($0.85 / £0.62 / €0.73) per liter, respectively, prices are expected to go into the double digits. That’s due to a combination of higher energy prices, a continuously weakening local currency that has lost over 20% of its value since the beginning of the year, and the expiration of tax cuts which have helped to keep prices low. If and when this occurs, gas pumps will need to be capable of showing an extra digit.
Note: Stock photography from U.S. gas stations pictured
