200 drivers are winners as lottery gives away gas
    When Washingtons Lottery offered free gas to promote its games in the past, it got plenty of takers. This year, with gas prices above ...
   
    By Justin Carinci
   
    The Columbian
   
    Vancouver, Wash. — When Washingtons Lottery offered free gas to promote its games in the past, it got plenty of takers. This year, with gas prices above $4 per gallon, the response was ridiculous.
   
    People started lining up at the Salmon Creek Albertsons station at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, even though the gratuitous gasoline didnt start flowing until 6 a.m. Friday.
   
    "Giving away gas is always an attractive prize," said Jacque Coe with Washingtons Lottery. "We didnt realize, when (the price of) gas started going up, what an attraction it would be."
   
    Lottery officials arrived at the station around 4:30 a.m. Friday. By then, 40 cars or so were in line.
   
    The first 200 cars to line up got 10 free gallons of gas. There was a catch, of course: Each driver had to buy a $20 ticket for the state lotterys Raffle game to get the gas.
   
    Its a small catch, Coe said. Especially if one of the people who waited in line ends up winning the $1 million top prize.
   
    Although the dedicated overnight campers got first crack at the gas, even those who found out about the promotion later Friday morning had a chance to queue up. Some had time to make it through the line twice or return home to bring another vehicle.
   
    Several people, whose tanks were too full to hold 10 more gallons, brought gas cans to catch every last drop of fuel.
   
    Around 7:45 a.m., the 200th car entered the line and Washingtons Lottery employees slapped a "Last Car" banner across its rear window.
   
    Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
   
   
   
    美国：彩票汽油捆绑销售
   
    今年，美国汽油价格上涨到4美元一加仑，华盛顿彩票机构以提供免费汽油的方式促销，买20美元的彩票就可获得10加仑的汽油。该活动深受人们喜欢，一些司机为占便宜甚至通宵排队。
   
    “发放汽油是一个非常吸引人的奖项。过去，华盛顿彩票以提供免费汽油的促销方式来拉动彩票销售时，吸引了很多玩家的关注”，华盛顿彩票机构的杰克表示，“我们没有想到油价上涨后，这个奖项会这样吸引人。”
   
    在上周一次促销活动中，萨蒙某加油站的免费汽油直到周五早上六点才开始提供，但是人们在周四晚上10点30就开始排队。彩票官员在周五凌晨4点30到达加油站，那时候已经有40多辆汽车在排队。
   
    据了解，排在前200名的汽车将获得10加仑的免费汽油，当然，这是有条件的：参与活动的每个司机必须购买20美元的彩票。“这是一个非常简单的条件”，杰克说，“特别是如果排队的人中有人中得100万美元的头奖，那就更吸引人了”。
   
    尽管有些人花费整个通宵的时间在加油站排队，但是那些周五早上才发现促销活动并赶到活动现场的人仍有机会排队。排在前面的人或许有机会排两次队，他们在加了一车油后再回家开另一辆车出来。一些人的汽油箱因为太慢无法再装下10加仑的汽油，他们宁肯为此购买小的汽油桶，也不会少装一滴油。
   
    上周五早上7点45分左右，第200辆汽车会加入队伍，华盛顿彩票的雇员们会在最后一辆车的车窗上贴一张“最后一辆”的标志，宣告这次活动结束。
   

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