If you were lucky enough to run out of gas near 950 North Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington yesterday morning between 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and had you pulled into the crowded Valero station among the throngs of frantic gas-guzzlers — well, we're extremely jealous. Because you totally scored off the Best Computer Glitch Ever:

Station owner Kenny Nguyen tells CBS2 that his attendent on duty didn't notice that, for four hours, gas prices were wallowing at lows not seen since the free-wheelin' 1990s: $1.10 per gallon. We're not sure how said minimun-wager failed to find something fishy about a line of cars wrapping all the way around the block, draining 8,000 gallons in a single morning, but there apparently is a god:

Huge bummer for Nguyen and his family, who own the Valero, but happy, happy day for the gaggle of drivers who got to pretend, for one gray Sunday morning, that the recession wasn't screwing them sideways.

Adorably, Nguyen asks anybody who took advantage of the computer glitch to perhaps return to his Valero and make some purchases at the station's convenience store, helping him recover from Sunday's $21,000 blow to business. Best case scenario, some Good Samaritan might even reimburse the difference.

But that kind of takes the joy out of a natural-resource free-for-all, doesn't it? Plus, we're guessing the majority of the mob is halfway to Nevada by now.

[@simone_electra/swilson@laweekly.com]

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.