NORWOOD, Mass. — It was no April Fool’s joke…it was April fuels day at the Rojo gas station on Route 1 Norwood. Ernie Boch Jr gave away more than 7,000 gallons of free gas.
With gas prices still near record highs, it was almost too good to be true.
“A friend of mine texted me last night after I finished bowling and he said they’re giving away free gas in Norwood and I said yea right, April Fools joke right?”, said Stanley Earle of Stoughton.
“Reminds me of Black Friday,” said Bill Mulherin of Norwood. “Same kind of vibe. Everyone trying to get in line to try to get in there.”
But drivers weren’t fooled by this fuel promotion.
The first person staked out their spot at nine o’clock the night before to get some relief at the pump.
“I can’t fill up, I only put in $20 at a time, it’s just not worth it,” said Patrick Haines of Medfield.
But waiting for hours proved to be worth it for about 500 drivers who filled up their tanks at the Rojo gas station on Route one in Norwood Friday morning.
“It’s April Fuels Day,” said Ernie Boch Jr.
After Ernie Boch Jr. spent $107 to fill up his friend’s car, he decided to give away more than seven thousand gallons of free gas.
“As long as they are happy, I’m happy,” said Boch Jr.
And people gladly waited hours to fill their tanks.
“Yea $75 sure it’s worth it,” said Dan Carroll of Watertown.
And it went quick.
“They started bringing out the no more free gas and I got so nervous, we’ve been waiting for two hours and we might not even get the gas,” said Brianna Gill of Walpole.
But Gill was able to put nearly $50 worth of gas in her car, for free.
“Huge because right now my car is costing about $80 to fill up and I’m a graduate student so it’s really hard,” said Gill.
Drivers also took time to thank Ernie Boch Jr for helping keep some extra money in their pockets when seemingly the cost of everything keeps going up.
“The way everything is going on with the world,” said John Stracqualursi of Dedham, “Ernie Boch Jr., shout out to him for doing a good deed.”
Boch Jr. paid about $30,000 to fill hundreds of gas tanks. With all the buzz, Norwood police helped direct traffic along Route 1 Friday morning while the promotion went on.
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