Long expensive wait.

"I have been here since 2pm" Lilian has been queuing for five hours. Lilian is not going to a concert, nor is she queueing for the new iPhone or Android. Lilian is waiting for petrol, so she can drive her car. Last week she waited nine hours!  When she makes it to the pump, it will cost her $6.60/gallon.  For our Camry, at a 18.5gallon tank that would cost me $122/fill.  That is a whole lot of green backs.

Its no joke in Malawi, it is a large portion of someones salary there. The graph below shows the relationship between Gross National Income and fuel prices. Fuel takes up a much smaller portion of daily per capita income in the US than in Malawi. In Malawi complaining about fuel prices is not just because you are grumpy or tight with money!  Try paying for fuel when you only earn a few dollars a day...

Lilian remains upbeat - "Everyone says I stink of petrol...I am polluting the house...I need to shower"...

Consider this when you go to the pump next...It could be worse I could be lining up for five hours for something that is nearly twice the price with way less available money.