Dark, closed gas stations...

[Stig / Major Tom]

I frequently need to stop in the wee hours to gas up my scooter.
Stopped for some Super Shell this morning at 5:00am. The station was totally darkened....but the pumps were on. Used my flashlight and filled up. I've found BP station pumps are off... but the Valero pumps are on.
So, if you need gas middle of the night - worth stopping to see.
Of course, there is probably an ap for this....
Stig

[pipster326]

Well, in New Jersey, we are not allowed to pump our own gas. So if the station is closed,you are out of luck, unless you find a station that is open 24hrs a day

Rich


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[hypophthalmus]

Well, in New Jersey, we are not allowed to pump our own gas.

Apparently Oregon too! That is incredible.

[CROSSBOLT]

Yes, in Oregon! Had a Bounder motor home with about 10' of horizontal pipe to fuel tank. Took forever to fill 75 gallons! Could not ever convince attendants what was required in Oregon. They are now a sactuary state. That should finish them off!

Karl
 

[big blue]

In Oregon the attendant lets you fill if you have a motorcycle or scooter. The no customer fill rule gives more work to people who otherwise would be jobless. Yeah Oregon!

[ole two wheels]

Been that way around the Memphis area, at select stations, every since the pay at the pump, pumps were first used. They get to sell their gas and don't have to be there to collect. neat.

[Tromper]

Oregon passed  a self-serve gas bill just this year, but it's not statewide, nor is it 24 hour, but it might help on those long lonley road trips
They do allow bikes to self serve & have for at least a few years.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/self-service_gas_bill_heads_to.html
http://gov.oregonlive.com/bill/2017/HB2482/
https://votesmart.org/bill/22900/59558/limits-self-service-fuel-dispensing-to-low-population-counties#.We1-Y9enG7E (scroll down for high points)

[Stig / Major Tom]

Wow, had no idea there were states doing the no self-pump thing.
As for employing folks - I  think that is great.
There are SO many places around here with Help Wanted signs up....it is getting harder & harder for me to stay unemployed!
To paraphrase W.C. Fields, "Every time I  think about getting a job again, I sit down until that feeling goes away."
 I do still get out of bed at the same time - just no job at the other end of my scooter ride!
Yeah... I know how lucky I am to have had a job with a pension.  I do know that....
Stig

[boo]

My wife and me were visiting family for Christmas. We decided to go home Christmas morning early. After leaving, I looked down and discovered my gas tank was almost empty. We past service station after service station. All were closed. My family that we were visiting lived way out in the boonies. It was Christmas morning and it seemed everything was closed. I started to sweat. We finally found one that was open and filled up. It taught me a lesson. Never go out in the boonies without a full tank of gas.
The lady at the service station told me that I could buy gas at some stations even if the business is closed. She said some stations leave their pumps on. I did not know that.
Now I need to learn which stations leave their pumps on for future reference.

[Snorvey]

There's only one filling station in our area that I know of that the young lad (who's normally washing the forecourt cars for sale) comes over and fills your vehicle up (although he lets me do the DT - the filler cap is quite awkward and small tank means it fills up a little to quickly for someone who's used to filling up cars.

All the rest of them that I know of are self service, card payments, do it yourself stations. Some of these have extremely large mini supermarkets attached to them, often resulting in folk doing their weeks shopping whilst leaving their car sat at the pumps. Very annoying!

Stig:

I've found BP station pumps are off

I thought BP was a dirty word in America these days? I had read a few years ago that, in light of the GoM disaster the BP stations were rebranding to Amoco (i.e the little US oil firm that the company formerly known as British Petroleum took over in the late 90's)

[Stig / Major Tom]

There's only one filling station in our area that I know of that the young lad (who's normally washing the forecourt cars for sale) comes over and fills your vehicle up (although he lets me do the DT - the filler cap is quite awkward and small tank means it fills up a little to quickly for someone who's used to filling up cars.

All the rest of them that I know of are self service, card payments, do it yourself stations. Some of these have extremely large mini supermarkets attached to them, often resulting in folk doing their weeks shopping whilst leaving their car sat at the pumps. Very annoying!

Stig:

I've found BP station pumps are off

I thought BP was a dirty word in America these days? I had read a few years ago that, in light of the GoM disaster the BP stations were rebranding to Amoco (i.e the little US oil firm that the company formerly known as British Petroleum took over in the late 90's)

Pretty sure they're still BP here in Ohio...anyway, they're green. We vacation on the Gulf of Mexico each summer in Florida...and never an issue after that bad spill.
Locals certainly weren't happy ....and tourists stayed away...for no good reason. Empty beaches and restaurants were even more empty.
It was not a good thing for the gulf. And very bad if the currents didn't favor your locale.

I've  yet to see the fuel warning light on my Piaggio...but fill up always before heading into the sticks.
Stig

[pipster326]

In Jersey ,it has been like this since 1949. Supposedly for safety reasons. IDK, why it is more dangerous to pump your own gas here,then other parts of the country. When we travel,I actually like pumping my own fuel. Years ago, the attendant would even clean your windshield for you , as your vehicle was filling up, now you rarely ever see that.

Rich


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[TroutBum]

Here is Cali a lot of gas stations in the metro area are 24/7. It's only in the country will you find pumps closed at night. I worked at such a station in my college days. We had one pump dedicated to self serve. After the gas crisis and rising fuel cost of the 70s and early 80s did we see a sharp rise in self serve pumps. Now they are the norm.

[ole two wheels]

Yelp Pipster, those were the "good ole days". I worked at a Esso station in the mid 50's and I pumped , cleaned the windshield and asked the driver if they wanted me to check under the hood and check the tires. All at no charge. The station required us to offer this free service in hopes that we might also sell them a quart of good ole Esso motor oil, at, 32 cents a quart. I carried a tire pressure guage in my uniform shirt pocket and a shop rag in my right rear trouser pocket. I did it all with a full tooth smile and a loud, "come back and see us", as the drove away. Yelp, them was the Good Ole Days.
VW's buys were just arriving in the US at that time and I saw the first one when a little ole lady pulled up at the pumps. After she and I finally located the gas cap , I asked if I could check under her hood. (bonnet) and when I raised the front lid up, I said, "there is no motor" She leaned out the window and said Oh,,, well that's okay, there's a spare one in the trunk, (boot).

[pipster326]

Great story, ole two wheels. I’m not that old, but old enough to know that I miss the good old days. Everything was much different and people were much more friendly back then. It’s good to reminisce,every now and then.

Rich


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