UK Petrol Stations

[CheeseSlice]

- why can't you put the pump in the tank, start pumping and fix it with a little lever so you can go off and wash your windscreen instead of having to stand there holding it all the time?

I've hired cars on holidays in Sicily and Cyprus, and in both not only did the attendants from the petrol station fill my tank for me, they also used the clip to leave it filling with the amount I specified, THEN continued to wash my windscreen for me! One place even checked my tyres pressures for me, pointing out that I had a slow puncture...
When it was all done, they even took my payment whilst I sat in the car and returned with the change.

compare that with the UK where you fill your own tank in the freezing cold, often with no squeegee to clean your windscreen, whilst the staff sit in their nice warm, and overpriced Shell shop.

[Spacecadet]

compare that with the UK where you fill your own tank in the freezing cold, often with no squeegee to clean your windscreen, whilst the staff sit in their nice warm, and overpriced Shell shop.

What utter utter tosh

Shell shops are not nice

[lilelvis2000]

I've hired cars on holidays in Sicily and Cyprus, and in both not only did the attendants from the petrol station fill my tank for me, they also used the clip to leave it filling with the amount I specified, THEN continued to wash my windscreen for me! One place even checked my tyres pressures for me, pointing out that I had a slow puncture...
When it was all done, they even took my payment whilst I sat in the car and returned with the change.

compare that with the UK where you fill your own tank in the freezing cold, often with no squeegee to clean your windscreen, whilst the staff sit in their nice warm, and overpriced Shell shop.

Yeah they got some of that in Canada. You might pay a couple of cents more per litre, but when it was -40C, it was worth it. They also checked the oil and fluids as well! Becoming more rare now...but they still had that clip so you could clean your windows while it filled.

I blame thatcher.

[Support Monkey]

I've hired cars on holidays in Sicily and Cyprus, and in both not only did the attendants from the petrol station fill my tank for me, they also used the clip to leave it filling with the amount I specified, THEN continued to wash my windscreen for me! One place even checked my tyres pressures for me, pointing out that I had a slow puncture...
When it was all done, they even took my payment whilst I sat in the car and returned with the change.

compare that with the UK where you fill your own tank in the freezing cold, often with no squeegee to clean your windscreen, whilst the staff sit in their nice warm, and overpriced Shell shop.

its because all the fuel stations over here are owned by THE MAN, large corporations, the days of the pulling up and an old fella in a benzole coat coming out and asking if you want a squirt of redex in your 4 star are long gone and its our own fault because instead of just wanting petrol we want murray mints and milk and loafs of bread and jaz mags and capuccino, petrol is a secondary consideration, thats why few people use the credit card at the pump as they prefer to go in the shop and browse the 60s hit mix CDs

Dave Gorman did a very good programe about driving across america only filling up with fuel at independent fuel stations, he realy struggled but did make it in the end, there would be no chance of getting from John ogroats to lands end doing the same thing

[original PM]

you know what I find really annoying - when you are waiting to fill up your car and the muppet at the pump has decided to do their weekly shop in the petrol station - I mean by all means by a packect of fags or even rush and get some milk but don't spend 20 minutes mincing around

pointless ignorant feckers

[Lockhouse]

I've hired cars on holidays in Sicily and Cyprus, and in both not only did the attendants from the petrol station fill my tank for me, they also used the clip to leave it filling with the amount I specified, THEN continued to wash my windscreen for me! One place even checked my tyres pressures for me, pointing out that I had a slow puncture...
When it was all done, they even took my payment whilst I sat in the car and returned with the change.

compare that with the UK where you fill your own tank in the freezing cold, often with no squeegee to clean your windscreen, whilst the staff sit in their nice warm, and overpriced Shell shop.

When I was a kid I worked on a garage forecourt using the petrol pumps doing that (err...approx 35 years ago...). Used to have to check the oil, water and tyres as well (cars were less reliable then). We had the locks on the pumps to keep them pumping as well. I used to be able to stop the pump dead on exactly the right price or number of gallons. Sadly these days the prices move too fast.

[gingerjedi]

Dave Gorman did a very good programe about driving across america only filling up with fuel at independent fuel stations, he realy struggled but did make it in the end, there would be no chance of getting from John ogroats to lands end doing the same thing

I don't want to be a pedant but sod it, you need one half decent diesel car and one independent fuel station somewhere in the middle of the journey, how hard can that be?

The reason we get tulip service, mini supermarkets and few independents is there's no money in petrol, the UK has the cheapest pre tax fuel in Europe apparently.

[TheFaQQer]

I don't want to be a pedant but sod it, you need one half decent diesel car and one independent fuel station somewhere in the middle of the journey, how hard can that be?

To be precise, what Dave Gorman did was travel from one side of the country to the other, only staying in independent hotels, buying petrol from independents, eating at independents, only calling independent garages when the car broke down - not giving any money to "the man" (apart from when he ate at BK, McDs and Wendy's as punishment for failure).

Which is a bit trickier to manage.

[gingerjedi]

To be precise, what Dave Gorman did was travel from one side of the country to the other, only staying in independent hotels, buying petrol from independents, eating at independents, only calling independent garages when the car broke down - not giving any money to "the man" (apart from when he ate at BK, McDs and Wendy's as punishment for failure).

Which is a bit trickier to manage.

POP in this country, though we are heading down that path I think there are enough people with money who prefer to use independent services to stop it happening entirely.

I remember talking to a yank who would only eat in chain restaurants as he liked the standardised quality, he didn't trust family run places.

[SueEllen]

you know what I find really annoying - when you are waiting to fill up your car and the muppet at the pump has decided to do their weekly shop in the petrol station - I mean by all means by a packect of fags or even rush and get some milk but don't spend 20 minutes mincing around

pointless ignorant feckers

It's not always their fault.

All the fuel stations near me particularly the ones that are 1p cheaper per litre have massive queues. Unfortunately they only have one person on the till so if you get some old git (and it is usually an old git) who takes ages paying then everyone is stuck waiting to fill up on the forecourt.