Self service...a boon or not??

[dragoneggs]

Yeah I remember the free stuff at the Gulf station. My parents outfitted the kitchen with drinking glasses. But what I don't get is the comments here about 'having' to pump your own gas. I say get off your arse and do more DIY stuff. I don't need someone to pump my gas. That said, I do miss the old days of your hood being lifted... fluids checked... windshield washed... even tire pressure checked. Ahhh.. the good ole days.

 

[whistlepig]

Yeah I remember the free stuff at the Gulf station. My parents outfitted the kitchen with drinking glasses. But what I don't get is the comments here about 'having' to pump your own gas. I say get off your arse and do more DIY stuff. I don't need someone to pump my gas. That said, I do miss the old days of your hood being lifted... fluids checked... windshield washed... even tire pressure checked. Ahhh.. the good ole days.

The gas companies would certainly agree.

 

[bcp]

Remember when...

gas stations used to be service stations?

Bruce

 

[dragoneggs]

Remember when...

gas stations used to be service stations?

Bruce

... and a nickel would buy you a candy bar

 

[JDgreen227]

... and a nickel would buy you a candy bar

Oh brother...my thread has morphed into "The good old days...." :laughing:

 

[Jstpssng]

I prefer to pump my own gas, but often will walk past the ATM, bypass the drive-through window, and walk into the bank for some real interaction. A lot of the other things described above we don't have here... self serve groceries?

Doing business in some convenience stores can be a pain though... sometimes I'd like to grab the phone off the clerk's ear so she will pay attention to what she's paid to do.

 

[3930dave]

Yeah I remember the free stuff at the Gulf station. My parents outfitted the kitchen with drinking glasses. But what I don't get is the comments here about 'having' to pump your own gas. I say get off your arse and do more DIY stuff. I don't need someone to pump my gas. That said, I do miss the old days of your hood being lifted... fluids checked... windshield washed... even tire pressure checked. Ahhh.. the good ole days.

A buddy of mine used to work at an old school Texaco station, years ago. Many people relied on that station to watch over their cars - oil and tire top-ups done at that station before a long trip saved quite a number of people from problems on the road. Vehicles and tires today are better, but many people today choose to rely (blindly) on technology to report their vehicle conditions. Systems like TPMS can be useful, but I'd still carry a manual pressure gauge myself.

Whether from being lazy, or lack of knowledge, many people don't want to ever raise the hood of a car. Their choice, but that practice is too expensive for my tastes.

Rgds, D.

 

[Looking4new]

So let's see what you do remember. Do you remember "Humble" (a tiger in your tank). .

Esso gas , 'put a tiger in your tank'.
Shell gas had TCP in it. We called it Tom Cats Piss.
How about the multigrade Sunoco pumps. 200 - 260 260 was as close to AV Gas as you could get on the street. 110 octane.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I rarely, if ever, use the self-serve at the grocery store. I always have something like Asparagus or Ginger root that screws up the system; and besides, if I'm too slow or don't put the bread in the bag I get an android arse chewing. To heck with that; I get enough of that at home. Besides, they have to approve my beer purchase any way.

Purchasing gas with the card is easier and quicker to deal with, although I often fill my truck and a couple of 5 gallon cans. I use the high octane, no alcohol stuff in my tractor, weedeater, chainsaw, etc., so I have to shut off the pump after I fill my truck and switch to the higher octane. About half the time, the pump won't let me change over because it thinks I've stolen the credit card and am filling up my fleet of vehicles. I can usually handle it at the pump though.

 

[JDgreen227]

Those who talk about the old time gas stations...well, back in the early 60's my dad had a sideline business where I helped him install service station signs, lights, banners, etc. Sad to say, at one time we had a HUGE scrap metal pile of old signs like Gulf, Sinclair, Hy-Flash, etc. and we sold them for scrap at pennies a pound. At one time we had this HUGE round red Coca-Cola sign that was about 4 feet across and we used it for target practice....:laughing: had I saved the stuff and stored it today it would be worth tens of thousands of dollars. My cousin's dad did gas pump repair and replacement and my cousin and I broke up dozens of those old gas pump glass globes....:laughing: and we remember that all there years later.