Do any of Y'all have any full service, Service Stations left near you?
Here's a story in our paper about the closing of one of ours. We still have 2 left. Pretty rare.
I know a lot of you guys remember them....I do....My Grand-paw ran one.
http://www.heraldonline.com/2014/09/27/6366092/with-closing-of-jacksons-only.html?sp=%2F100%2F101%2F&ihp=1
I miss them ,when I first came to Florida in the early 60ts ,for 25 cents a gallon for gas they washed the windsheild ,checked the oil and vacuumed the floor
Wow that was a long time ago :( :(
We have one located in a town about 15 miles from us, they call themselves "full-service", however the only thing they do extra is just pump your gas, and the gas is $.11/gal higher than the gas station across the street! :o
I used to work at one while going to high school. Pump gas, clean windshields, check oil, charge batteries, change or plug tires. In the winter you also had to keep plowing snow with a shovel. Thanks for the memories. :)
It's been a while since there were any full service pumps around here. It used to be the pumps closest to the store were full. I think it was only Mobil that still had them, and about ten years ago they all went away. A friend of mine from high school used to work part time at one. I don't think I could master saying to a customer "Ma'am, your gas hole is on the wrong side.".
There use to be one next to a freeway when we head out of state. Have not been that way for 10 years.Always made me want to stop in and get a tire fixed. This is a gas station with a service bay. I can't think of any of them around here. Seem like they always had glass panels in the over head doors. And the hose you drove over would ding!! Man I miss that.
In the small town that I grew up in we have 2 full service gas stations. One only has gas,the other has cigarettes and lottery tickets.
Almost all of the service bays around here have been converted into convenience stores, assuming they didn't just tear the whole place down and start over.
We have 3 ;D
When we were in Oregon a week ago, needed fuel so I pulled into what I thought was a self serve. I did the credit card thing put the nozzle in and started to pump fuel when a young man rushed up and said that I can't do the fueling. He said that it was against the law there to pump your own fuel. So what do you do? Let them do it. bg
I think it's also a law in New Jersey that the attendant has to pump it for you.
That happened to me, too. I thought it was NY but it may have been NJ. I thought, what the heck?
It's been a couple years but I remember it being about 20 cents per gallon less expensive than neighboring states also.
In 1971 I went to Sunoco's "Service Station Management School" in Dayton Ohio for 5 weeks. They paid me $90. a week to attend!
I had a 3 bay, 3 island station ready to lease BUT could not come up with the $3500. (secured with inventory) needed for the lease.
The class covered valuable business management information that I am probably still using today with my unrelated business.
I worked (for free!) in a neighborhood gas station when I was 12 years old. The owner let us hang out and pump gas, check/add oil, change/repair tires and even jack up and tear down brake jobs which he would put back together.
Those days were really great!
We still have one in our little town, no vacuuming but you do get your windows washed. StimW, it's a shame those days are gone, my daughter couldn't even get a job (legally) until she was 15 ::) ::).
New Jersey did get this one right all your gas is pumped by attendent. Oregon is the only other state by law it has to be pumped for you. Best of all gas is now down to $2.99 per gallon now.
Remember these? You crank the dial to the desired air pressure, lift the hose off the hanger which opened the air valve and fill your tire.
http://www.bobs-garage.com/gasboybob/ram.htm
I try buy gas at local stations that provide free air. I see some places around me charging a buck for air that would barely inflate a beach ball!
Believe it or not in Oregon you have to pass a written test to be able to pump your own gas! It actually has questions like "True or false you can check the gas level in a tank with a lit match". I could not believe it when I had to take it to be able to pump our ranch fuel. Good news is you can pump diesel without passing the test.
Quote from: WmFritz on September 28, 2014, 11:48:56 PM
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I try buy gas at local stations that provide free air. I see some places around me charging a buck for air that would barely inflate a beach ball!
Out here, all the stations starting putting quarter slots on the air pumps. There were very few stations with free air. Now there is a little sign on the side of the pump (and they still take quarters) that states the station must provide free air to its customers who buy gas. Kind of a pain, but you have to go inside to ask the attendant at the register to push the start button. And then go back again because it stops before you can fill two tires...
I have 2 in town, but they are known for watering down gas. There is another one that's a gas station/car wash/ 3 bay garage. I don't think you could pay them to pump your gas though.
Keep up, it's called a "Forecourt Concierge" now. :D
But the Z chain here in NZ have it at all their stations between 10 & 5. The other stations often have it as well, to keep up. This is only happened over the last couple of years. Of course all the bigger stations are more convenience stores, with "barista" coffee and actually edible food. Much better profit margin on that sort of stuff ;)
As for servicing your car. Modern cars are so high tech that your really need to leave that to the experts. Tyres? I think every car I've owned has used a different size tyre. So you go to a specialist for that too.
Ian
I barley remember back in 1960, I was 4, my brother was 2. We were in the back seat of my Dad's 1956, 4 door Chevy. My Mom went to take my Dad his lunch where he was laying brick on a cotton mill.
I was really hot....no air conditioner. She stopped to get gas and the attendant must have been in the rest room or garage...... or sleeping. She pulled up to the pump and waited....and waited......then set down on the horn. :D
The attendant came out running with a smile and just as cheerful as could be. Gas was 19 cents a gallon.
Blowing your horn at some people today will get you shot! :D
I miss ours too, Lightin's Shell, he did it all if need be, he had a passion for dirt track as well, his wife now runs a hit and miss yard sale from time to time out of the ole station. Vernon passed a few years ago, getting teary eyed just thinking about it. He was a champ.
Like a lot of my generation, pumping gas was my first real job (I'm not counting shoveling snow and mowing lawns) so I would like to see these entry level jobs return. For the same reason I avoid self-checkout at the stores.
Quote from: gspren on September 29, 2014, 07:31:15 PM
Like a lot of my generation, pumping gas was my first real job (I'm not counting shoveling snow and mowing lawns) so I would like to see these entry level jobs return. For the same reason I avoid self-checkout at the stores.
smiley_thumbsup
How about the 'Gas Wars' I remember from the '60's?
One station would drop his price a penny or two... then the guy across the street would drop his price a penny or two below that. I remember regular around 25¢ going to 18 or 19¢. My Dad would stop for gas...tell the kid, "$2.00 worth'' and drive out with a half a tank of fuel.
I don't remember how much ethyl was. My FIL always called it 'high test.' :D
I remember some of the Gas Wars from when I was stationed in Abilene, Texas.
I got gas then for as little as $.10/gallon.
There was/is a full service station in Petoskey but it's not as good as it used to be and it may not even be a full service anymore. Half the pumps were full and the other half were self. For a penny more a gallon you got your gas pumped, windows washed and if you asked for it oil checked etc. Ted sold the station to a large local petroleum distributor and it went to a dime more for the service. Most people quit doing business there. I did. I always got gas there when I was in Petoskey especially in the winter ;)
The station in town I mentioned also has self serve pumps which I ordinarily use but one day a few years ago I took my aunt to get her and my disabled uncle's mini van filled and windows washed so we pulled up to the full service side. Well this should probably go to the stupid thing thread, but they were going on a trip and my aunt wanted the odometer set so they could keep track of mileage. It's a fairly new Honda mini van and I had no idea how to do it so I was fiddling around with gadgets and still have no idea how but managed to turn on the windshield wipers as the attendant was cleaning it, I felt really bad but man he sure can jump.
There was a gas war in Jacksonville TX back in 1992 or 93. Two stations near each other just kept at it until gas was 75 cents a gallon. Oh boy! The cars were lined up with cans in the trunk! It was great.