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       Gas Pumps Didn’t Work in New Zealand. Blame the Leap Year.

       Dozens of unattended fuel stations across the country stopped working on Thursday for hours because of a software issue.

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       Self-service gasoline pumps in New Zealand didn’t work for part of Thursday. Credit...Ryland James/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

       By Yan Zhuang

       Feb. 29, 2024, 4:06 a.m. ET

       Like clockwork, leap years roll around every four years. But many companies are never quite prepared for it, with every Feb. 29 marred by glitches and malfunctions.

       Computers have shut down, satellite navigation devices have failed and airport conveyor belts have refused to move luggage onto planes. This year, dozens of gas stations across New Zealand malfunctioned on Thursday, with car and truck drivers reporting problems filling up in the early hours of the morning.

       “Motorists have been turning up and unable to get fuel,” said Julien Leys, a spokesman for Gull New Zealand, one of the companies whose gas pumps malfunctioned. “It’s been incredibly frustrating for our customers.”

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       Yan Zhuang is a reporter in The New York Times's Australia bureau, based in Melbourne. More about Yan Zhuang

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