Gassing It Up

**idleidolidyll** · 8th December 2006, 12:36

No, not twisting the wrist, filling it with petrol.

Prepay pisses me off.

I know that when my fuel light comes on it's gonna take ABOUT $20 to fill. With prepay, if you want a receipt as I do (GST regd), you go into the station, GUESS how much it'll take to fill, then stick that much in. Of course that might be too little or too much so we don't usually do it that way.

None of is likely able to guess the exact amount it will take to actually FILL the tank which is what we almost always want to do with a bike before a ride.

So what do we have to do? Well, with prepay we have to go into the station, ask for a fill, go back out and fill it up then go BACK into the gas station to get the receipt. Car drivers can just stick $50 bucks in and know they'll go a fair way on that much fuel.

Why do they use prepay? They'll tell you it's about security and to a small degree it is. However, what it's actually about is cost cutting (I have an insider in the business). Prepay means no forecourt attendants and that much less in wages at a time when the oil companies are posting record profits on the back of speculation about fuel supply. Their costs have hardly risen but the prices at the pumps have risen dramatically (thanks Bush you arsehole).
So don't give too much credence to the old argument that fuel prices at the pump ONLY have tiny profit margins. That, although true, only applies to independant owners (and there's bugger all of them left). I reckon the greedy oil companies deliberately manipulate the cost areas of fuel so that they make massive profits BEFORE it gets to the pump and can whine about margins on the markup at the outlet.

So what to do about PrePay?
Well what I do when I enter a gas station with ONLY prepay (Some have 1 or 2 on normal), is to get off my bike or out of my car and ask for the manager. I then tell him that I'll never buy gas off him for my bike or car because prepay is an imposition and a pain in the arse.
You might think that's pointless but it isn't. The Caltex station on the Great Sth rd in Manukau has listened and they specifically let motorbikes fill up without prepay (yes, I've chatted with them).

So support that gas station and try to get others to do the same.
PrePay sucks big time. Eftpos at pump is fine and unlike a few of my friends, I have no problem taking my helmet off for security reasons (I've lived in Asia where you might be shot if you walked into any building with a helmet on).

Of course this kind of thing relies on apathetic Kiwis to get off their arses and make a stand for motorcyclists by letting the gas station know why you have driven out WITHOUT BUYING any gas. Many of you won't do anything about it for just that reason but others might have another opinion:

What's yours?

**Steam** · 8th December 2006, 12:48

Chalk one up for me the apathetic Kiwi. I can't be bothered getting het up about stuff like this. So it's an extra 40m to walk, who cares. I need to walk more anyway, too many pies.

Oil companies evil, yes indeed. They'll get theirs though, when the crash comes. Oh no, wait, that's when they'll start getting REALLY rich.
Ahh well, we're all doomed anyway.

That's a very colourful post by the way, it reminds me of a orange Fruju iceblock. Ahh summer.

**Ixion** · 8th December 2006, 12:50

Now on this I totally agree with you. I hate prepay with a vengeance.

Usually i just look over to where the guy is, point to the bike. Mostly they turn the pump on. If not I go in (very grumpily) and say "It's a motorbike. No fuel guage. No idea at ALL how much it will take. What are YOU going to do ?" And wait.

Occasionally I've had them try the "leave your credit card" trick. No way "You don't trust me. Well, I don't trust you. In fact you look very shifty to me. How do I know that you won't book up all sorts of stuff on my card". Ultimate is "OK. I'll stay here with you . You send your mate out to fill the bike. You *do* know how to fill a bike right? It's not like a car. Can be quite dangerous if you don't do it right, hot engine just under the tank and all".

**onearmedbandit** · 8th December 2006, 12:50

Don't have too many if these 'prepay' systems down here in Christchurch. At least not at the srvos I go to.

**Karma** · 8th December 2006, 12:52

Use Pay at pump, that'll do the job. Anywhere that requires me to prepay doesn't get my business, I'll just go elsewhere.

**Jantar** · 8th December 2006, 12:54

I agree 100%.

I have only used pre-pay once, and that was late at night in an unfamiliar area and I simply didn't know where the next fuel was. The procedure was to go into the station, tell the attendant which pump and hand over my eftpos card to get the pump unlocked. The attendant held onto the card while I filled up.

Now here's something to try.... Tell your bank manager that you willingly hand over your eftpos/credit card to another person and then deliberately let it out of your sight for up to 5 minutes. See if the bank will still honour their policy of limiting any loss if your card goes missing.

If I can avoid pre-pay I will. Even if it means travelling miles out of my way and paying heaps more for fuel. I simply do not feel comfortable with handing over a card, that gives access to my accounts, to someone I don't know.

**bert_is_evil** · 8th December 2006, 12:56

I've never come across a service station that does prepay, is that just an Auckland thing?

**Finn** · 8th December 2006, 12:58

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

Don't have too many if these 'prepay' systems down here in Christchurch. At least not at the srvos I go to.

Switch to "Dark Universe".

I'll save you the hassle though. Bla bla bla pre pay, Bla bla bla GST receipt. Bla bla bla I know a pump attendant. Bla bla bla apathetic kiwis. Bla bla bla conspiracy. Bla bla bla I bet Neil Armstrong to the Moon. Bla bla bla.

This chap moans more than I do.

**Steam** · 8th December 2006, 12:59

IN wellington when I was a security guard, I saw the cops having to go inside to ask for the pump to be released too!

**onearmedbandit** · 8th December 2006, 13:00

Originally Posted by Finn

Switch to "Dark Universe".

I'll save you the hassle though. Bla bla bla pre pay, Bla bla bla GST receipt. Bla bla bla I know a pump attendant. Bla bla bla apathetic kiwis. Bla bla bla conspiracy. Bla bla bla I bet Neil Armstrong to the Moon. Bla bla bla.

This chap moans more than I do.

Ha, I edited my post before you hit reply on yours. I don't wanna switch to the Dark Universe, it scares me. Thanks for the brief.

**Sniper** · 8th December 2006, 13:02

Jesus that hards on the eyes. And you use pink??

**bert_is_evil** · 8th December 2006, 13:04

Originally Posted by Finn

Switch to "Dark Universe".

I'll save you the hassle though. Bla bla bla pre pay, Bla bla bla GST receipt. Bla bla bla I know a pump attendant. Bla bla bla apathetic kiwis. Bla bla bla conspiracy. Bla bla bla I bet Neil Armstrong to the Moon. Bla bla bla.

This chap moans more than I do.

If only you'd posted that before I read it, now my retinas are burned