How do you define the Midwest?

[Rothman]

This is the station that the picture was taken at.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3028043,-84.6445456,3a,15y,99.14h,88.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skHdE3X9XpHM__NgUWEVXmQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Actually I would say the pumps are sideways. They should be turned 90 degrees like any other gas station, to make the pumps more convenient to access and prevent the cars at the middle pumps from getting blocked in.

I think you're seeing it incorrectly just like I did.

No, I figured out what's going on in Flint's image, but when looking at the street view link, the pumps are sideways to how they would be at any other gas station. Look at how inconvenient it would be to try and use the pump between the red Ram and black Audi. Redneck or not, I can't fault the driver here.

I can.  The pump is open on either side.

[JayhawkCO]

This is the station that the picture was taken at.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3028043,-84.6445456,3a,15y,99.14h,88.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skHdE3X9XpHM__NgUWEVXmQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Actually I would say the pumps are sideways. They should be turned 90 degrees like any other gas station, to make the pumps more convenient to access and prevent the cars at the middle pumps from getting blocked in.

I think you're seeing it incorrectly just like I did.

No, I figured out what's going on in Flint's image, but when looking at the street view link, the pumps are sideways to how they would be at any other gas station. Look at how inconvenient it would be to try and use the pump between the red Ram and black Audi. Redneck or not, I can't fault the driver here.

The pumps are not turned sideways to how they are in most of the country unless I'm misunderstanding you, which could be the case. I know there are pumps where the display, touch pad, etc. is on the front and the pumps are on the sides, but this is not common at all west of the Mississippi at least.

[Flint1979]

I'm not sure I see what the problem is. There are a lot of gas stations in Michigan that have pumps designed like that.

[webny99]

This is the station that the picture was taken at.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3028043,-84.6445456,3a,15y,99.14h,88.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skHdE3X9XpHM__NgUWEVXmQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Actually I would say the pumps are sideways. They should be turned 90 degrees like any other gas station, to make the pumps more convenient to access and prevent the cars at the middle pumps from getting blocked in.

I think you're seeing it incorrectly just like I did.

No, I figured out what's going on in Flint's image, but when looking at the street view link, the pumps are sideways to how they would be at any other gas station. Look at how inconvenient it would be to try and use the pump between the red Ram and black Audi. Redneck or not, I can't fault the driver here.

The pumps are not turned sideways to how they are in most of the country unless I'm misunderstanding you, which could be the case. I know there are pumps where the display, touch pad, etc. is on the front and the pumps are on the sides, but this is not common at all west of the Mississippi at least.

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

[Rothman]

This is the station that the picture was taken at.

https://www.google.com/maps/@44.3028043,-84.6445456,3a,15y,99.14h,88.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skHdE3X9XpHM__NgUWEVXmQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Actually I would say the pumps are sideways. They should be turned 90 degrees like any other gas station, to make the pumps more convenient to access and prevent the cars at the middle pumps from getting blocked in.

I think you're seeing it incorrectly just like I did.

No, I figured out what's going on in Flint's image, but when looking at the street view link, the pumps are sideways to how they would be at any other gas station. Look at how inconvenient it would be to try and use the pump between the red Ram and black Audi. Redneck or not, I can't fault the driver here.

The pumps are not turned sideways to how they are in most of the country unless I'm misunderstanding you, which could be the case. I know there are pumps where the display, touch pad, etc. is on the front and the pumps are on the sides, but this is not common at all west of the Mississippi at least.

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

You make it sound like Flint's station is unique, when its parallel configuration is very common.

There is nothing that necessitated that driver to fill up perpendicular to the pump.

[JayhawkCO]

The only reason that the parallel configuration is a PITA is because carmakers can't figure out how to standardize which side of the car the tank is on.

[Flint1979]

The other Marathon station closer to the US-127 interchange is the same way.

[webny99]

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

You make it sound like Flint's station is unique, when its parallel configuration is very common.

There is nothing that necessitated that driver to fill up perpendicular to the pump.

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

[JayhawkCO]

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

You make it sound like Flint's station is unique, when its parallel configuration is very common.

There is nothing that necessitated that driver to fill up perpendicular to the pump.

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

How about six?

[Flint1979]

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

You make it sound like Flint's station is unique, when its parallel configuration is very common.

There is nothing that necessitated that driver to fill up perpendicular to the pump.

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

I'll have to find one but I'm sure it won't take me that long.

[kphoger]

When I say pumps I mean the entire units, base and all. The units look perfectly normal, but they should be rotated 90 degrees, like this.

You make it sound like Flint's station is unique, when its parallel configuration is very common.

There is nothing that necessitated that driver to fill up perpendicular to the pump.

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

Three is very common.  For example, this QuikTrip in Wichita, or this random Casey's in Missouri.

[webny99]

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

How about six?

Wow, that is gnarly.

[JayhawkCO]

Is it common for four pumps in a row? It sure isn't around here. I've only ever seen two in a row when they require parallel parking.

How about six?

Wow, that is gnarly.

Last time I stopped for gas there, there was an exotic car club all lined up getting gas - Lambos, Ferraris, McLarens, Lotus. It was kinda crazy.

[J N Winkler]

I personally don't like configurations that require me to parallel-park to access a free pump in the middle when the ones at the ends are in use, but there are bigger things to worry about.  Generally, my priority when pulling up to refuel is to position the filler opening directly opposite the pump handle so I can secure the best possible hose dress.

At Murdock and Broadway in Wichita, there used to be a QuikTrip that underwent remodelling in the mid-2010's to upgrade it to the current-generation configuration for the convenience store and to convert the pumps from parallel to perpendicular layout.

Before condition, July 2015:  10 pumps in parallel configuration (one rank with five filling bays on each side)

After condition, May 2017:  16 pumps in perpendicular configuration (four ranks, each with two filling bays on each side)

However, in order to accomplish this, QuikTrip had to essentially double the size of its parcel at this location by buying the land underneath several houses on the west side of Topeka (next street to the east) just south of Murdock.  These dwellings are visible in July 2011 StreetView imagery but all of them had been cleared by August 2015, except for a Victorian mansion that looks like it is in the early stages of being moved.

I suspect that similar configuration changes elsewhere fail to survive feasibility analysis, despite according more closely with customer preference, for reasons connected to site constraints (zoning, neighbors being willing to sell) and expected cashflow (less scope to grow footfall and revenue per customer within established neighborhoods).  This QuikTrip is sort of an exception that proves the rule, since the chain sold it to JumpStart (which has bottom-feeder status in the Wichita area) after the security guard for the attached convenience store was fatally shot in the face in May 2021.

[kphoger]

This QuikTrip is sort of an exception that proves the rule, since the chain sold it to JumpStart (which has bottom-feeder status in the Wichita area) after the security guard for the attached convenience store was fatally shot in the face in May 2021.

A friend of ours used to work at various QT locations in Wichita.  My, the stories he used to tell about that location...

[kphoger]

the best possible hose dress

https://www.sanssoucie.ca/store/regenerateleannedress

[triplemultiplex]

I didn't think I lived in redneck country. This was taken in Houghton Lake, Michigan.

He's like trading paint with the support column, so it's like how does a person think that's fine?  Wow.

[IowaTraveler]

The 100 least populated counties in the US:

It just so happens that I made a similar map a few weeks ago. Here's every county in the United States with a population of less than 5000:



One of the things that surprised me most while making this is how consistently the counties in western Kansas fall into the 2000-2999 range.

I also noticed that these counties form a near-continuous band from Mexico to Canada, with only a single-county gap in Texas.

Yeah there are only about 30-40 counties with a population under 1,000. I think most of them are in Nebraska and Colorado.

Out of the 37 counties with populations under 1000, 12 of them are in Nebraska. Texas is next with 8 counties under 1000.

[freebrickproductions]

I'm surprised at how many states don't have counties with less than 5,000 people in them.

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm surprised at how many states don't have counties with less than 5,000 people in them.

Indiana's smallest county is just under 6,000, so it's close.

[Flint1979]

Michigan just has one county under 5,000 in population. It's the most remote county in the state as well.

[webny99]

I'm surprised at how many states don't have counties with less than 5,000 people in them.

Which states in particular? There aren't many outside the Northeast (and Arizona, whose counties are massive).

Indiana's smallest county is just under 6,000, so it's close.

New York should have had an easy one, but Hamilton County almost impossibly grew by 5.6% from 2010-2020 to just eke over 5,000 (2020 Census pop. 5,107). Given the concerns about Census data in NY and the overall trend of rural upstate counties losing population, I couldn't take issue with putting it in the 4000-4999 category.

But Hamilton is also the only New York county that comes close. Schuyler is next-closest at 17,898, and no other county is under 20k.

[3467]

Illinois is close to more .There is occasional talk of consolidation.

Next time anyone thinks there needs to be anything more than a Denver interstate...pull out that map.

[kphoger]

I'm surprised at how many states don't have counties with less than 5,000 people in them.

Agreed.

Which states in particular? There aren't many outside the Northeast (and Arizona, whose counties are massive).

For me, it's how few are in the cluster of IA-MO-IL-IN-KY-TN.  I expected there to be a lot more sparsely-population pockets in those states—especially IN and KY, considering how geographically small the counties are.

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm surprised at how many states don't have counties with less than 5,000 people in them.

Agreed.

Which states in particular? There aren't many outside the Northeast (and Arizona, whose counties are massive).

For me, it's how few are in the cluster of IA-MO-IL-IN-KY-TN.  I expected there to be a lot more sparsely-population pockets in those states—especially IN and KY, considering how geographically small the counties are.

Indiana has a lot of counties in the 6k to 17k range. The two least populated counties are under 170 sq mi and are the two that are under 7k population, but the rest of the counties under 17k in population are mostly > 300 sq mi.