My gas station is now pay at the pump only!

[BlueCrush]

I was just at the Super America gas station that I have been going to for about 7+ years and they just switched from 4 pay at the pump and the other 14 were normal to all 18 pay at the pump or go inside and prepay. With the rising gas prices there have been a lot of people that gas-n-go without paying. Well now because of that all of their pumps are pay at the pump. This really pisses me off because I normally go inside to pick up something to drink or a lottery ticket and pay for my gas at the same time. Now, I have to pay for my gas outside with a credit card and if I want something inside I have to pay again. I just take a few a$$holes to ruin it for everyone else. Sorry, I just had to vent.

[ColonelPanic]

Many of the local gas stations here that I always went to went prepay or pay at the pump only around '99 or so. It pissed me off at first since I didn't have a credit card or debit card at the time. These days, it's damn near impossible to find a station that allows you to pump first then pay later...Now, I embrace such technology... People suck, and the less I have to interact with people, the better. (removed)! Stick the debit card in, pump the gas, and be done with it. Of course, if I still need to go into the store, I'll leave the car parked at the pump (especially when they're busy) to (removed) others off. lol!

[NSimkins]

I've noticed a few of the 15+ pump facilities in my area have someone outside 24/7 recording the license plates of the vehicles at the pump in case someone drives off without paying. I guess it has worked at catching a few people guilty of the said crime.

[ColonelPanic]

Wow, I didn't know they did that! I wouldn't mind having that job, just standing around writing down license plate numbers all night. I guess the pictures plastered on every pump of whatever cop holding up john doe's license with a statement such as "you steal gas, I take this" wasn't enough. Those are always funny, usually someone has added their own personal touch to the guy's face on the picture - ripping out his eyes, making them look like a pirate, etc etc...

[NSimkins]

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »I guess the pictures plastered on every pump of whatever cop holding up john doe's license with a statement such as "you steal gas, I take this" wasn't enough. Those are always funny, usually someone has added their own personal touch to the guy's face on the picture - ripping out his eyes, making them look like a pirate, etc etc... I thought that was only specific in this area, I must not have payed attention when I have been out of town lately... but yes, the fun part is seeing the different creative artwork performed on these stickers each time I go to fill-up. Anyway, I pay at the pump about every time now... mostly due to always getting stuck behind someone in line that wants to buy 3 different types of cigarettes, play the lottery (always 10 or more tickets), and taking forever to pick out the type of candy they want to buy as well.

[tnpartsguy]

The gas station I normally use had it's outside card readers break a while back, most everyone that works there knows me, but this was a new person, and she insisted I come inside, so i went inside and tossed her my keys....said I can't drive off now, can I?

[Jahntassa]

I think all of the gas stations around here (Outside Atlanta, GA) make you Pre-pay or card-pay. They do have a couple of cameras to watch in case you try to speed off.. but they don't let you fill and then pay around here...Of course, in Jersey, you have to do full-service..

[jwalcik]

the only gas station i ever frequent that doesn't require pay at the pump requires you to leave a credit card w/ them inside if you don't want to prepay a fixed amount. it is frustrating when you want to make a trip inside, but at the same time i sympathize with the the station owners (who have to buy the gas wholesale). i read this this afternoon and was kind of shocked by the math behind drive-offs.

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by NSimkins »Anyway, I pay at the pump about every time now... mostly due to always getting stuck behind someone in line that wants to buy 3 different types of cigarettes, play the lottery (always 10 or more tickets), and taking forever to pick out the type of candy they want to buy as well. Arrgh! I know what you mean... Those people, standing there pointing at the lottery tickets, "i'll have the #1, #4, #9, uhh the #8, the #17, no wait, a #16, the #11, uh another #1, uh, that's it. " Clerk: Anything else? "Yeah, how much fer a pack of them Marlboros?" > Customer then goes into a rant about how much the price for a pack of smokes is these days then says "Alright I'll have the 3-pack special." Anything else? hehOf course if you're lucky, they'll proceed to scratch the tickets off right there at the counter. Yep, now that I think about it, pay at the pump rocks, wouldn't have it any other way! Anywho, jwalcik- that's quite an interesting article! Really puts things into perspective. I've known for a while that they didn't get much from fuel sales, but I didn't for the life of me expect they only got that little of a cut from the stuff! Explains why we're seeing the megaquickiemarts cropping up where you can do an entire month's worth of grocery shopping (if you want to pay that much for stuff.) No doubt they're making their living off general merchandise, and cool novelty stuff like the Larry the Cable Guy collection, the nifty lighters, the pull my finger pen, ceramic dogs, incense burners, and the little tins you can use to stash your, um, "tobacco."

[Psychobroker]

Why don't you just go inside first, pick up your goodies, and pay for the gas then?

[ColonelPanic]

Can't speak for BlueCrush, but I can speak for me. I can't go inside and pay before pumping because generally, I will fill up the tank. I'm not one to just put ten bucks in the thing and go on down the road. It's hard to get a good guestimate on how much gas you're going to end up needing to fill the tank. Then if you need to go over that amount you've gotta walk back in a second time and give them more money, if you go under, you still have to go back and get the difference. Blah.

[BlueCrush]

Exactly, I always fill up my tank. I'm going to try some other stations to see if they are all going to be pay at the pump. To me it seems as though they will lose business due to poeple not wanting to have to pay twice. If they paid outside, there is really no need to go in.and don't most gas stations get their income from the inside store sales anyways?

[zionzr2]

there is a gas station in Omaha and i'm sure they are other places that is stricktly pay at the pump THERE IS NO INSIDE!!! NOT even an attendant. The pump is only activated by a valid CC.

[Psychobroker]

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush »Exactly, I always fill up my tank. I'm going to try some other stations to see if they are all going to be pay at the pump. To me it seems as though they will lose business due to poeple not wanting to have to pay twice. If they paid outside, there is really no need to go in.and don't most gas stations get their income from the inside store sales anyways?I understand this point. I guess I'm just so used to paying either inside if I want something, or just at the pump. I don't think the pump-before-you-pay station exists anymore here in SoCal. I also just fill up at Costco for what's usually the lowest price in town (for good gas i.e. not ARCO - I NEVER get as much out of a tank of ARCO), which has no convenient store.

[northvibe]

has any one had gas stolen out of their car yet?

[Pick]

(removed), if i pull into a gas station WITHOUT pay at the pump i leave and find one that is, i detest going inside to pay for my fuel.

[sloth]

I've seen several of these. There was a gas station in town that closed at 5:30, but you could pay at the pump 24/7. Unfortunately due to a dispute with a seperate company that owned the tanks, they no longer sell gas.I think the pump only, pay at the pump would be about the only way a gas station could pull a decent profit. Very little overhead.

[tecton]

im telling you they should lock down the cars before they activate the pump, that way you cant get away til they authorize it

[millster]

Quote, originally posted by tecton »im telling you they should lock down the cars before they activate the pump, that way you cant get away til they authorize itInteresting idea, but I can see people still trying to get away and causing all kinds of havoc. Thieves are highly motivated and often not very bright.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by northvibe »has any one had gas stolen out of their car yet?Not since the 70's I don't know how hard it would be to siphon gas out of a Vibe. I assume there is something in the filler tube to discourage that.I pay at the pump. never got a GM credit card but I have a visa that gives me a kickback on every charge, so I always charge whatever I buy. If the gas stations around me went to pay before pumping I wouldn't notice. Maybe they already have.

[ColonelPanic]

Lazy criminals wouldn't like our cars, the inside fuel filler door release would require much more work to get open. Not sure how easy it would be to pry one of those things open. I'd rather just go for a car that's got a fuel door you can open just like that. Or better yet, find an aztek, ain't even no door on them to have to open, just go straight for the cap. HOWTO: http://www.misterfixit.com/siphon.htm lol!

[Pick]

Quote, originally posted by tecton »im telling you they should lock down the cars before they activate the pump, that way you cant get away til they authorize itYeah, that's a great idea, and the first time it fails to release your vehicle and you're stuck there for a couple of hours you'll change your tune. How about we just pay for our gas before we pump, oh wait almost all of us do at every fill up anyways lol

[AzFusionGT]

Pay-at-the-pump works well for me..I hate dealing with a clerk with a less than cordial attitude...plus the lottery ticket and cigarette people irritate me to end at all. Just make a choice and get the @#$% outta my way. If I find a place without pay-at-the-pump, I typically will go somewhere else.