Remove your helmet

[short-circuit]

SC - don't be so fucken inconsiderate and lazy.

My prerogative - I'm a paying customer.

Your conventions not mine.

[Ragingrob]

The second Bollocks...I'll bet you a thousand dollars cash...I can remove my helmet in a few seconds. So dunno how you can say Bollox to that either.

Well you did actually say remove and replace. A few seconds? Gloves and all too?

[ManDownUnder]

My prerogative - I'm a paying customer.

Your conventions not mine.

Au contraire - you don't have to be served at all. There's no obligation whatsoever

[short-circuit]

Well you did actually say remove and replace. A few seconds? Gloves and all too?

Gloves are a given - you need to take em off to get into your wallet.

But the balaclava and helmet off and on is a pain in the arse that I don't need.

"Convenience" is supposedly a selling point for "service" stations

[ManDownUnder]

Well you did actually say remove and replace. A few seconds? Gloves and all too?

I can remove mine in a few seconds - and replace it in a few seconds. No need to remove gloves.

[short-circuit]

Au contraire - you don't have to be served at all. There's no obligation whatsoever

But I have been every time - helmet on. So the vast majority of servo workers have more sense than you.

The minute this becomes a problem my money goes elsewhere

[ManDownUnder]

The minute this becomes a problem my money goes elsewhere

Oh my God.... noooooooooooo your $15 will BREAK ME! ...now fuck off....

[Crasherfromwayback]

Well you did actually say remove and replace. A few seconds? Gloves and all too?

Yep. Mind you...I only ever wear unlined race gloves...so can perform said fucntions with them on. And I don't have a smelly head...so don't need a balaclava.

[short-circuit]

Oh my God.... noooooooooooo your $15 will BREAK ME! ...now fuck off....

Speak to me that way face to face and I will break you.

[ManDownUnder]

Speak to me that way face to face and I will break you.

I'll still outwit you though - and to paraphrase Churchill - I will heal

... but back to the original point - there is no prerogative to be served wearing a helmet. There is no prerogative to be served at all. I fail to see why this is such a huge point of contention.

A little consideration on both sides solves the problem

[Swoop]

Gas stations bringing back eftpos at the pump and not being greedy bastards trying to con people into "upselling" you into that mars bar/CD/woman's weekly, would help the issue.

"Servicing the customer". Double entendre...

[duckonin]

This thread is like others..without an end...

To those that agree to taking helmets off do so, those that don't leave it on simple really, who is paying for the gas in your bike U..

[SixPackBack]

Okay. I can see both points of the argument and have a couple of points I would also make:

• I now ask attendants if they mind the helmet staying on. This is done with the visor up, a grin and either cash or card in hand. I do this at diaries and liqourshops as well, but stand in the door and wave. All of the local businesses I frequent know me and are more than happy to sell me their product while I have my helmet on.
• Removing my helmet in winter is pointless as I wear a balaclava that looks questionably dodgier than the helmet, removing the balaclava requires me removing my bag, gloves and undoing my jacket.
• What about the rain?,,,,as I ride every day taking a helmet off with wet hands, wet helmet results in me frequently getting soaked when re-applying the helmet.

Comments?

[Mikkel]

Last time I checked there wasn't any laws in effect that forbids you to wear face concealing headgear in a publicly accessible place.

A petrol station is very much open to public access - no matter what company policies and little signs they put up they actually can not enforce a helmet ban. They may refuse to serve you I suppose - but that is a bit late when the petrol is already in the bike. They can not choose to not accept payment for the petrol and then proceed to call you a petrol thief...
Now, if they had their pumps turned off and the petrol was never pumped - that's a different matter.

Never really had any issues, I keep my helmet on - but I have my wallet ready when I enter the store and, of course, greet the guy behind the counter in a friendly manner. Shouldn't be a problem really.

[Marmoot]

Gas stations bringing back eftpos at the pump and not being greedy bastards trying to con people into "upselling" you into that mars bar/CD/woman's weekly, would help the issue.

Hardly gas stations' decision. This is more likely a "mandate from heaven" (a.k.a., the oil company) that the gas station attendants probably hate as much as we do.

I now ask attendants if they mind the helmet staying on. This is done with the visor up, a grin and either cash or card in hand. I do this at diaries and liqourshops as well, but stand in the door and wave. All of the local businesses I frequent know me and are more than happy to sell me their product while I have my helmet on.

Why waste the time and breath. It would probably take as much time and effort as removing and wearing back your helmet.

Removing my helmet in winter is pointless as I wear a balaclava that looks questionably dodgier than the helmet, removing the balaclava requires me removing my bag, gloves and undoing my jacket.

Try the woolen neckwarmers. They're more practical and doesn't make my face cold at all. Not to mention easier to wear, unless you have a fetish.

What about the rain?,,,,as I ride every day taking a helmet off with wet hands, wet helmet results in me frequently getting soaked when re-applying the helmet.

Hardly an argument. Either your hand will be dry by the time you finish queuing and paying, or there are normally wipe papers by the pump, or there shouldn't be that much water flowing from your hand to your helmet unless you have very sweaty palms.


Just be honest, for most of the against-helmet-removal activists here it's about pride isn't it? It's just that desire of fighting against establishment, isn't it? A vent-out?

Don't be ashamed. It's a common syndrome.
I guess if we're stuborn enough to ride in the rain then we'd be stuborn enough to want to be different from the norms.

Just remember that a little courtesy to the low-paid immigrant service station attendants who are afraid of being robbed and are stuck between you and their bosses might just help cheer up their miserable days every now and then.