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The 1932 Fraction: A Legacy of
Confusion
In 1932, the government imposed a one-cent tax on gasoline. At the
time, oil companies feared that jumping the price from ten cents to
eleven would cause customer backlash. Their solution was the
9/10ths fraction—a psychological trick designed to make the
increase feel less substantial.
We have been stuck with that silly, historically unnecessary fraction
ever since. It exists as an archaic remnant of a century-old marketing
tactic. Cancel 9/10 gas is about joining something big to cancel
something small. It's time to demand transparency and dump the
gimmick forever.
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