YAKIMA -- The State Department of Agriculture calls May and June their priority months for inspecting gas stations.

Mainly because it's travel season.

With gas prices the way they are right now, they're making an extra effort to make sure we really get what we pay for.

It's hard to avoid gas prices nearly making the four dollar mark.

"Gas is ridiculous, the prices is out of this world," Yakima Resident, David Pulliam, said.

And it's got people thinking, are consumers really getting the best bang out of their bucks?

"When it says a gallon, is it giving you a gallon, I'm not sure," Yakima Resident, Steve Vasquez, said.

"Last year, for 20 bucks you could get 5 gallons of gas, 8 gallons, now this time, 4 bucks a gallon, it's ridiculous," Pulliam added.

With gas at record prices, fuel inspectors from the State Ag Department say they're stepping up their scrutiny to make sure drivers are getting their money's worth.

When asked, "Do you feel like you're getting your money's worth at the pump these days?"

Yakima County Resident, Milton Laurvick, said, "No, not really."

"As a consumer, I feel it much in the pocket book," Vasquez said.

But reps from the Ag Department say it's not as bad as we think.


Out of all the pumps tested in Yakima County, Ag officials say drivers are more likely to get accurate gas quantities here.

They say during inspections, only 4% of the pumps in town were found to cut customers short.

Compare that to 6% in other cities across the state.

"You've got to buy, you've got to commute, so what else you gonna do, you got to pay the price, whatever it is," Laurvick added.

Of that 4% of gas stations, the Ag department tells Action News the problem wasn't stations ripping people off, but instead having mechanical problems with their pumps.

The Ag department will continue their extra emphasis on the pumps in town throughout the end of next month.