First 200 vehicles get $20 in gas, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
So we headed over there to check it out.
Local side streets were clogged with people waiting hours in the rain for free gas---most notably 45th Street, for several blocks west of Pulaski.
But it turns out there is nothing local at all to report about those staging the stunt. A financial services company from Texas and three banking affiliates in Illinois---none headquartered here.
The rep dealing with the press (several TV cameras, Newsradio 780 and the SWCP) did not know for sure how or why the site was chosen for the stunt, other than to say they wanted to grab the attention of the Chicago media and harness its power to build brand recognition.
Fair enough; but not enough for the SWCP to hang its hat on.
The silver lining is that the first person in line was an unemployed veteran (Marine Corps) from Brighton Park. So it was good to see someone getting gas who really could use it. And we decided to angle the story towards him, in the hope that a local employer with a job to fill will see this story and help a local man get himself back in the workforce, where he wants to be and where he belongs.
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