Remember when air at a gas station was free?

[riverdeep]

So, were they wrong then for not charging and thereby cutting off a revenue stream, or are they wrong now for commodifying everything?

Where I'm at, it's 75 cents (quarters only!) for a few minutes.

[LeftyMom]

1. In CA, air and water have to be free when you buy gas

It's the law.

[MrCoffee]

6. why not just make it free altogether...what a pain

do they give you some sort of code on your receipt for gas that lets you access the air/water? what a tremendous pain in the ass that would be. seems like it would be easier just to open up the air/water rather than go through the hassle of confirming a gas purchase.


wow, i kind of went off on a whole little thing there, didn't i?

[BrotherBuzz]

7. They used to issue tokens until my son discovered they worked at the video arcades

Now they just turn it on from inside the cashiers kiosk.

[LeftyMom]

9. No, you have to ask the cashier

They have an override button or something to turn it on.

Unless they're total douches, they'll do that if you need to fix a flat bike tire or something, too.

[ThomCat]

11. That is an awesome Dilbert strip.

:)

[LeftyMom]

12. I swiped it off of somebody at another forum.

:D

[catmandu57]

2. It still is here

Every station in town, hell they'll even loan you a tire gage.

[yellowdogintexas]

3. I despise those damn air machines because by the time I get my coordination

set between the valves, the tubes and the car, the damn thing turns off.

[Droopy]

4. Yeah. And how about when their air compressors actually worked?

Those pay air machines don't work half the time around here. But if you go to a locally owned gas station that has a shop you don't have to pay and the damned thing actually works.

[Crabby Appleton]

5. The air is free, using the machine that puts it in your tires costs $$$!1! nt

[riverdeep]

20. The comedy stylings of Crabby Appleton, folks, Crabby Appleton.

He'll be here all week...try the veal and don't forget to tip your waitress. If you going to drive don't drink cause you might spill it. Thank you and good night.

[Rosemary2205]

8. I could care less -- really.

I am physically incapable of putting air in my tires. I pony up for AAA roadside assistance and roadside assistance with my car insurance. When I get the oil changed every few months I get them to check my tire pressure and fix it. I have been known to pull into a Quicky lube type place and ask. I have never been charged once but if they did I would not balk. I guess they figure it's hard enough in a wheelchair so why add to it.

For the physically able - an air compressor is under $30 at about any big box store. They even make 12 volt ones that plug into either a cigarette lighter or the 12 volt jack in your car. - and I do own one of these from before my wheelie days. They aren't fast, but they are good and one doesn't have to drive all over kingdom come trying to find a gas station that even has air, let alone free air.


Back when gas stations were making money on gas then free air was no problem. But it was never really free was it? The station had to pay for the compressor and the electricity and the maintainance, because lets face it - the general public is good at tearing things up. Now your local gas station is barely making ends meet. They aren't making much off the gas - and if you buy less than $10 and pay with a Visa they are probably only breaking even because of the Visa fees to the business.

So no, I don't care if they want to charge a little something for air.

[graywarrior]

10. Some of the Hess stations in FL have free air

[Arkansas Granny]

13. I'm so old I can remember when the air was free and an attendant

would air the tire for you. That was after he pumped your gas, checked your oil and water and cleaned your windshield. Talk about a service station. And the gas he pumped cost around 15 cents per gallon.

[riverdeep]

17. Yeah, I remember full service stations, too.

But America made its bed. It decided it would rather pump its own gas and get a few cents cheaper. Now, decades later, gas companies profits are through the roof. Soon, we'll be bagging our own groceries by default. The savings don't really get passed to us it seems. Ten years from now, someone will post in the lounge, 'Remember when there were cashiers?'.

Oregon still doesn't allow self-serve. I wonder if their prices are more expensive?

[Oeditpus Rex]

14. Hell, remember when *gas* was free at gas stations?

Not only that, but they gave you stuff for letting them give you free gasoline?

Once, in the early '60s, I was with my dad when he stopped at a Texaco station. Just as the five clean-cut, smiling American lads in their snappy uniforms began to swarm about the car to make sure it was in Top Running Condition (also at no charge), one stopped in mid-stride and said, "Sir, we can't, in good conscience, fill this two-year-old vehicle with fine Texaco Fire Chief™ or Sky Chief™ gasoline."

With that, the other four went back to the service bay, wheeled out a brand-new Cadillac and handed the keys to my dad, along with a set of silverware for eight and a 1:16-scale Texaco tank truck for me.



Ah, those were the days. :patriot:

[riverdeep]

16. They actually did give out free stuff, believe it or not.

When I was a kid, our first glassware set was augmented with the free glassware they gave out at gas stations. It lasted for years.

Speaking of lasting for years, my dad still uses the transistor radio every morning he bought in the 1970's when he's getting ready for work. It blows my mind in this age of disposable everything it still works. It crackles when you turn it on, but it's fine after that.

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. Yeah, I know

That's why I posted that.



And the radio that still brings me Giants games was a birthday present in 1979.

[riverdeep]

21. Wait, so that was a true story?

Your dad actually won a free car? I thought it was a riff. I'm a little slow on the uptake, I guess.

edit: grammer

[Oeditpus Rex]

22. LOL! No...

It was just hyperbole on the giveaways gas stations used to have. Somehow, cookbooks and demitasse cups didn't seem enough to make the point. :)

[hippywife]

15. The large local chain of stations in Tulsa

all have free air and water. Seems like only the others charge. They also always keep their prices anywhere from .05 to .10 below the prices of the Shell and Phillips stations.

[Jamastiene]

19. It's a sad day when you gotta buy air.

What do they expect us to do? Blow the tires up ourself? Man, I bet that'd hurt.

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. I'd marry the woman who could do it, though

Hey, maybe I should start hangin' around gas stations...









:hide:

[hoozyorsugadaddy]

24. Actually you are paying for the use of the air machine.