Gas station rules

[munterk6]

I pulled in to a BP the other morning to fill the GSXR and as per usual, I popped the gas cap whilst still sitting on the bike (obviously to pack as much in as poss) and grabbed the pump and proceeded to fill...there was a short squirt of gas, then nothing.
I looked at the attendant in his cage and he got on the speaker "Please get off the bike before you fill it"
I closed the cap and rode off to the next gas station.
Does anyone know if this is BP stations only that have this rule?
I have never been asked to get off before.....why? Safety reasons?
Safety shmafety!! I have never heard of any bike catching fire at a servo.
I reckon they have "Hitler training" going on. What do you lot reckon?

[EJK]

Mostly safety reason. Also if you accidentally drip some, it will flow down down down and it's not good for your manly part...

Yea, mostly safety reason. Also some might accidentally drop the bike (e.g. the classic folded side stand incident) and it'll make alot of mess. It happened once while I was working at BP station.

[Whynot]

Ahh, but did you remove your helmet?

[Anarkist]

Static charges caused by discharging on bare metal have started many petrol station fires. I suppose there's a remote chance of not being earthed while on the bike but then touching the metal of the pump handle or something similar.

Also, there's more chance of you dropping the bike if you're sitting on it than when it's on it's stand.

Technically the small amount of petrol you rode off without paying for was theft too, unless it was just the backwash from the last person who hung it up without pouring out what was in the nozzle first.

It doesn't make a huge amount of difference whether you're sitting on the bike or not as to how much you get in the tank. Seriously, you might get what? Another dollar or two extra which equates to another 10-15km? Surely you wouldn't run that close to your reserves unless you were doing some long trip or had a set destination that you could travel perfectly 'x' number of times on a perfectly full tank.

[pzkpfw]

Did you wave at him?

[Ragingrob]

Yep I see on many gas stations signs for no sitting on bikes while fuelling along with the usual no mobile signs etc.

[grusomhat]

Static charges caused by discharging on bare metal have started many petrol station fires. I suppose there's a remote chance of not being earthed while on the bike but then touching the metal of the pump handle or something similar.

Also, there's more chance of you dropping the bike if you're sitting on it than when it's on it's stand.

Technically the small amount of petrol you rode off without paying for was theft too, unless it was just the backwash from the last person who hung it up without pouring out what was in the nozzle first.

It doesn't make a huge amount of difference whether you're sitting on the bike or not as to how much you get in the tank. Seriously, you might get what? Another dollar or two extra which equates to another 10-15km? Surely you wouldn't run that close to your reserves unless you were doing some long trip or had a set destination that you could travel perfectly 'x' number of times on a perfectly full tank.

When you only get 150km out of a tank, every lasy drip counts

At almost every station straddling the bike while re-fueling is a no-no. Most don't actually enforce it though. If you don't have a center stand it's probably the best way to do it.

[munterk6]

Did you wave at him?

Nah...just glared with a smug look that he couldn't see LOL!
I guess I have a problem with handing over money to a little shmuck that gets off on bossing people about.

he was only doin his job but seemed to show enjoyment in it> weird...

[Mikkel]

I absolutely agree with you.

One thing about sitting on the bike while filling up - you have to get off it to go pay anyway, so when you lean it over to get off the extra bit that you managed to get in by keeping it vertical will most likely just seep out through the breather hose. I know it does on mine...

If you're sitting on the bike wearing leathers there are nothing in that situation that would build up a static charge so the fire danger is quite exaggerated.

[LBD]

I absolutely agree with you.

One thing about sitting on the bike while filling up - you have to get off it to go pay anyway, so when you lean it over to get off the extra bit that you managed to get in by keeping it vertical will most likely just seep out through the breather hose. I know it does on mine...

And if you have your helmet on while sitting on the bike, you look like you are about to do a bolter

[Gubb]

It's all Servo's, not just BP.

[sunhuntin]

its mainly a safety reason, not only the danger to ones nether region, but if you are someone who rides and smokes and accidentally drops a lit bit of ash or even the butt... whoosh! chargrilled meatballs? plus, long term contact with petrol can cause birth defects in women, so id hate to think what spilled stuff does to the swimmers, lol.

when i was at bp, i never bothered telling people to get off their bikes while filling. preferred to pick my battles. smokers were more of a danger than anything else.

[discotex]

Given the pumps were on lock I'd say he was more concerned that you would ride off with the gas than the risk of you turning into a fireball.

Why risk getting a lap full of petrol? It's bad for your leathers and *very* bad for your privates.

[pritch]

When I was travelling on the Hornet I used sit on the bike while I poured so as to fill the tank properly. None came out the overflow unless you totally overdid it. That allowed me to get to Ngauruwahia from New Plymouth without the reserve light coming on. Very restful.

The VFR has a centrestand, no problem.

[mdnzz]

I get out of the truck to gas up, I get of the bike to gas up, not much difference really, no need to juggle the bike or worry about any overflow. Go in pay come back out gear up an bugga off, don't care if it takes me 1 min or 10.