gas stations

[roadfro]

Just to add my perspective on a couple of things:

Compulsory full-serve.  I dislike this.  First, when I stop to refuel, I have a defined procedure not just for filling up, but also recording the amount spent, the number of gallons dispensed, and the mileage (including trip odometer, which I reset at every fillup).  In addition, unless I have washed the car very recently, I clean the windshield, mirrors, and headlamps.  I don't want anyone getting in my way while I do this and I don't want to feel pressured to get any of it done too quickly.
(...)
In Oregon, for example, I drove up with a nearly empty tank (15.5-gallon capacity) and the gas jockey concluded he had filled it full after just 2 gallons because he pumped the gas in so fast the automatic shutoff engaged prematurely.  Because I had had to give him my credit card before he would start pumping gas, he sent through the charge and gave me the receipt to sign before I even realized what had happened.  It took half an hour to get the receipt amended and I had to watch him as he pumped in more gas, slowly, to avoid tripping the shutoff.  It would have been much faster for me to have pumped the gas myself because I knew (to within a gallon) how much I needed.

I agree with your perspective on this, J N.  I too go through a similar procedure when I stop for gas, and I don't like to feel pressured especially if the station isn't particularly busy.

Your story drives home part of the point on the compulsory full-serve issue. For me, many times I'm just stopping to get gas and not going inside. I can get out, pay at the pump with a card, pump and be on my way.  If you've got a busy station, you may have to wait for the jockey to come to your vehicle, wait again after the pump stops and sign a receipt, etc. It just seems far less efficient to rely on someone else to do the job for you.

In California, ARCO has long had a cash-only policy, explicitly to save the costs associated with accepting credit cards.

In my experience ARCO accepts debit, but not credit cards, and then adds a flat $.50 transaction fee if you use debit- which negates any fuel cost savings

Nevada ARCO stations accept cash and debit cards (with a $.45 transaction fee). They've been promoting a new ARCO debit MasterCard that waives the transaction fee when used for ARCO gas or purchases inside AM/PM stores.

ARCO is the only gas station I've ever seen where you can pay with cash outside. You can feed in bills at a "PayQuick" terminal on the fueling islands, pump, and then go inside to collect change if needed. Definitely convenient if you're just getting gas, as it eliminates that first trip inside.

[njroadhorse]

But let's be honest: if NJ eliminates required full-serv, do you really think that the price of retail gas will go down? I don't think so.

God knows gas on the Parkway's bad enough 

[Duke87]

I, for one, refuse to patronize any full-service station. For a few reasons.

1) Like Mr Winkler, I keep track of my mileage and fuel economy and noting the exact number of gallons dispensed can prove difficult to to from inside the car with the attendent blocking your view.
2) I'm protective of my things. I don't want any lowlife attendant touching my car, nor do I trust them enough to be comfortable with handing them my debit card and assuming they won't rip me off or worse, steal it.
3) Beyond that, to ensure that everything is done exactly as I want it, I insist on doing it myself. I wouldn't let my own mother pump my gas for me.

Yeah, I know, I'm more than a little obsessive compulsive.

[florida]

Here in Florida, it's pay before you pump everywhere. Too many people stole gas in the past. Some foreigner questioned why we do that process and after telling him how people steal gas, he said, "It's your people."   Although, when I lived in Apopka, the next door Racetrac allowed me to fill up before paying, but that was only on two pumps facing their cashiers where they could see my license plate.

There are no full-service pumps, and the only one I know of (if it's even optional....my stepmother would get her car filled up there because she's not able to pump gas) is in Daytona Beach at a single-owned business in downtown.

I used to work at a 7-11, and only US credit cards are accepted at the pumps (because of the zip codes if you chose credit). International cardholders have to come inside and guesstimate how much they need (if you don't use it all, you only get charged for what you pumped and the rest is refunded to you). We couldn't turn on pumps and let people fill up, even if they left their credit card; that caused a lot of aggravation from the customer and they'd take it out on us even though we had nothing to do with it. Then, if they swiped their card outside and came inside right away to swipe it at the register, there was a 3 minute hold on the card (if they didn't press cancel outside), which caused even more irritation. (It was much more fun if they didn't speak a lick of English!!   )

Even with these measures in place, when gas was getting up to almost $4/gallon, we had a string of gas thefts across the city where someone would park in front of a pump, unscrew the metal "door" underneath the pump, manipulate it to give free gas, and tell everyone they knew to come by and use that pump.

Oh, if you stop at a store down here, come inside to pay for gas with your card, you better get outside and start pumping it quick because there's a 3-minute hold on the pump and if you dilly-dally in the potty or aisles, you'll miss your chance, the transaction will automatically cancel, and you'll have to redo the transaction. So, don't get upset with your cashier when that happens   We're there to help, not make miracles happen.

[agentsteel53]

your stepmother is not able to pump gas b/c of a disability?  in that case, wouldn't all stations in FL fill up for her, or is there no such law in FL?

park in front of a pump, unscrew the metal "door" underneath the pump, manipulate it to give free gas, and tell everyone they knew to come by and use that pump.

god damn that's elaborate.  people need to learn to take the bus!

[florida]

your stepmother is not able to pump gas b/c of a disability?  in that case, wouldn't all stations in FL fill up for her, or is there no such law in FL?

park in front of a pump, unscrew the metal "door" underneath the pump, manipulate it to give free gas, and tell everyone they knew to come by and use that pump.

god damn that's elaborate.  people need to learn to take the bus!

She doesn't have a disabled placard or tag, but she has never pumped gas in her life and really isn't able to at her present age.

It is very elaborate, but the police did arrest one person doing it. Forget the bus! You're better off walking.

[agentsteel53]

forget walking! you're better off staying at home and buying everything via mail-order! 

[thenetwork]

OK, here's the scoop on gas stations in Western Colorado:

-  Most stations have the same posted price for cash & credit. In our town, there is one station that discounts gas by 3 cents/gallon if you pay by cash.  Others will discount gas if you purchase a car wash, or they will take off $1.00 of the wash itself if you pump over 8 gallons.  There are still other stations, usually gas stations associated with grocery chains, that will give discounts of 3-5 cents/gallon if you scan your shoppers card first.  These same grocery store stations will sometimes discount gas even more to 10 cents/gallon on a one-time shot every time you accumulate $xx.xx of non-gas purchases in the same store using your shoppers card within a certain time frame, or for every so many prescription refills, or gift card purchases. 

-  Full Service pumps are few and far between -- mainly because most gas/carryouts only employ 1 or 2 people to run the store at any given time (usually just one person), so who will mind the store if the employee is pumping gas???  There is a law that requires full serve for self-serve prices for those with a handicap placard or license plate, but I think there is either a rule(s) that state(s) that there has to be at least two people working at the store in order to pump gas for the disabled, or there is only a certain time period that they are required to pump it (sunup to sundown).  Most full-serve places I have ever seen are at gas stations with full-service garages/repair shops attached to them -- which are rare out in populated areas of Colorado.  I seemed to notice that there are more gas/garages than gas/carryout combos in California and Arizona than in Colorado.

- 24/7 Self-serve Unattended Gas Stations are scarce, but many rural areas have them, either for fleet vehicles or for towns that roll up the sidewalks at 5PM.  However, there are many stations in Western Colorado that keep pumps open 24/7 even though the store itself is closed. These stations are credit-card only during those times. 

-  Having to enter a ZIP code before pumping with a credit or debit card is an either/or proposition.  I tend to see more ZIPs required at stations along major highways than I do at the stations for the locals.  Personally, I would like to see it a state law for ZIPs to be required at self service credit terminals, gas pumps, etc... and photo IDs at all other manned register check-outs, or that credit cards must have a user's photo on them (Shell Mastercard used to do this over 10 years ago).  I can't tell you how many times clerks don't ask for ID even though I write SEE ID in big letters in the signature box -- And yet both the merchants & credit card companies complain about the rising costs of credit theft & fraud.

-  Pre-pay for cash pumping is everywhere, and I think it is used more as a deterrent for drive-offs (I have heard that some stations will deduct the amount of the drive-off(s) from the employees paycheck) moreso than a ploy to get the customer to drop a few more bucks once in the store.  The last time I have seen an actual cash machine at the pump in which you insert bills to get credit for the pump was at an experimental unmanned Shell station on the west side of Cleveland, OH about 8 years ago -- didn't last too long & it didn't give change either.

[agentsteel53]

(I have heard that some stations will deduct the amount of the drive-off(s) from the employees paycheck)

what's the poor employee supposed to do?  Keep a Winchester behind the counter??

[deathtopumpkins]

Farm Fresh grocery stores around here recently installed unattended gas pumps, as did BJ's Wholesale store-thing, and the Farm Fresh pumps accept cash or credit (you feed the bills right into the machine), and the store doesn't use a savings card or anything, but certain items get you a few cents off of gas per gallon when you buy them, in the form of an extra receipt that can be scanned at the pump. The pumps only issue change, however, in the form of a voucher good at your next purchase.

Unfortunately over the past year the pumps have gradually become attended, usually by some annoying old sexist man or a retarded guy. The sexist one forcefully tries to pump my mom's gas for her, but completely ignores me, and the retarded one comes up and starts talking to you while you're pumping your gas. Needless to say, I never stop there anymore. Their gas has been really expensive recently too ($2.539/gal compared with $2.439/gal at the 7-Eleven a few miles down the road.

As for zip codes, there are a good number of stations around here that require them with credit transactions, but usually only the franchised stations like Zooms.

Prepaying for gas is a requirement at every station I have ever gotten gas at in my life. If you're paying cash (except at Farm Fresh) you must go inside and guess how much you're going to need, and if credit you swipe your card first. Virginia's had its fair share of drive-offs I would assume (though I've never heard of one around here), judging by the large stickers on all (I believe all of them anyway) pumps proclaiming that if you don't pay you will lose your license. For how long it doesn't say, but it says it "may be the last time you drive."

[Scott5114]

I can't tell you how many times clerks don't ask for ID even though I write SEE ID in big letters in the signature box -- And yet both the merchants & credit card companies complain about the rising costs of credit theft & fraud.

You wouldn't believe how many people balk at being asked to show ID even though they've written SEE ID on the back of the card. Also, half the people don't even bother putting anything at all in the box there. And then what do you do about the people who state that they "have their wife's credit card"?

Credit cards are a joke, really.

[Truvelo]

Regarding the zip codes wouldn't a better system be to use the 4 digit PIN number? This would work with all credit cards regardless of the country it was issued in. Furthermore I feel the US is very slow to embrace Chip'n'Pin and still uses the antiquated signature system when purchasing from a store using a credit card.

[J N Winkler]

Quite a lot of Americans don't know their credit-card PINs.  I got caught out by this almost 15 years ago when I drove up to Washington, DC, thinking I would be able to withdraw cash from an ATM with just the card, and discovered it didn't really work that way.  I don't know if this is still the case with most banks, but at that time and with the bank that issues my parents' and my credit cards, PINs were supplied on request only and separately from the credit card itself.  It is not like Britain where Barclays has always issued me my PIN and debit card at the same time, but in separate mailings.

As has been noted above, many retailers have a policy of not accepting foreign credit cards for pay-at-the-pump and commercially available credit-card verification software has settings which are designed to support this.  (Some British merchants have similar restrictions.  For many years Expedia.co.uk would not accept credit cards with non-British billing addresses and their customer service had to treat me as a special case when booking air tickets.)

[TheStranger]

Someone earlierm entioned Arco's general cash/debit only policy...some Arco franchisees here in California do accept credit, but very very few.  (One of those locations in Rancho Cordova is now a Texaco; the other two I know of are in Fair Oaks (operated by Valero) and Live Oak.)

[US71]

Yes, stations are supposed to pump gas for someone who isn't able to, but I see exceptions all the time. Usually, it's "I'm the only one here and I can't leave the cash register"

Pic n Tote's almost always have 2 people working. Flash Mart's usually just have one.

[allniter89]

So, with the full service in Jersey and Oregon, do you have to tip the attendant?

I worked at alot of full service stations from 1970-1985,  and I cleaned windshields w/out being asked, always asked to check the oil and I dont remember getting tipped more than a couple of times.

[Bryant5493]

^^ Oh, okay. The reason I asked that is that I've never been to a full-service gas station in my life, being from Georgia.

For me, it's easier to pump my gas, clean the windshield and whatever and be on my way. Having to wait for an attendant, depending on how busy the station is, would be a major inconvenience. I'm not knocking the jobs full-service stations create, but it can be inconvenient to some drivers.


Be well,

Bryant

[yanksfan6129]

We don't generally tip the attendant here in NJ. Perhaps we should.

[florida]

-  Having to enter a ZIP code before pumping with a credit or debit card is an either/or proposition.  I tend to see more ZIPs required at stations along major highways than I do at the stations for the locals.  Personally, I would like to see it a state law for ZIPs to be required at self service credit terminals, gas pumps, etc... and photo IDs at all other manned register check-outs, or that credit cards must have a user's photo on them (Shell Mastercard used to do this over 10 years ago).  I can't tell you how many times clerks don't ask for ID even though I write SEE ID in big letters in the signature box -- And yet both the merchants & credit card companies complain about the rising costs of credit theft & fraud.

I asked for ID once, and got the "Is it cause I'm black?!" spiel complete with a stare-down which made me laugh at him.

BP will ask you for your ID, but most other places don't unless you're "suspiciously" buying $40+ in goods from the store. (Especially gift cards.)

[agentsteel53]

the real question is, was he actually black or was he Ali G?

[Duke87]

Windshield washing at gas stations is stupid. Really, that's what that blue-dyed alcohol they call "windshield wiper fluid" is for. And you don't even need a pit stop, it's completely on command!

As for checking the oil, that's even more useless and obsolete. Most new cars these days will automatically sound chimes, light up lights, etc. to alert drivers to a low oil level or a due oil change (among a plethora of other issues major and minor). Who needs a dipstick?

[Michael]

Windshield washing at gas stations is stupid. Really, that's what that blue-dyed alcohol they call "windshield wiper fluid" is for. And you don't even need a pit stop, it's completely on command!

The sponge/squeegee combos do work better than the windshield washer fluid, though.

[Bryant5493]

Sometimes, windshield wiper fluid is useless, especially with bird caca on the windshield. At times, wipers can smear the fluid, which makes the situation worse.


Be well,

Bryant

[Michael]

^^^ YES! 

[roadfro]

Sometimes, windshield wiper fluid is useless, especially with bird caca on the windshield. At times, wipers can smear the fluid, which makes the situation worse.

Ditto that for other things, like splattered bugs...