PrePay SUCKS! Name and shame the gas stations.

[Ixion]

Bikers also use banks, and have the common courtesy to remove their helmets there. After having a gun stuck in my face on two separate occasions, one of whom was wearing a helmet, it still nerves me a little when people walk into the store with helmets on, hoddies up. Or have guns waving around.

Was he also wearing pants? If so, do you get nervous when people walk into the store wearing pants?

And, as the other gun-sticker was NOT wearing a helmet, how come you don't get nervous when people walk in not wearing helmets ?

However, it is courteous to uncover when addressing people, whether it be hat (backwards cap and beanie wearers please note !) or helmet.

[Tank]

Was he also wearing pants? If so, do you get nervous when people walk into the store wearing pants?

I get scared when they are wearing no pants and I can see their helmet.

[Max Preload]

Bikers also use banks, and have the common courtesy to remove their helmets there.

You don't go to banks anywhere near as frequently as you put petrol in your bike. And most of your business with a bank can be done without entering one - banks don't purposely inconvenience you by putting the ATM inside at the point furthest from the entry forcing you to walk past the chips & drinks you don't want, and if you did you'd get regardless (I know the subliminal crap works on the minions, but they need to sharpen up). Furthermore there's no in depth exchange of information needed at a petrol station like would be required for a personal visit to a bank. I haven't even stepped foot in a bank for god only knows how long - probably 2 years.

[Wolf]

Furthermore there's no in depth exchange of information needed at a petrol station like would be required for a personal visit to a bank.

Quite correct. In fact, to tie this back into the original thread of prey-pay, if the servo does not require you to approach the counter and give over your order and pay in advance like some kind of fast-food outfit, the depth of information exchange in going to a petrol station is limited to them asking if you want the till receipt or a couple of common "autopilot" pleasantries of the "Howzit goin'?"-"Orright." variety that we all say and seldom pay attention to.

I enter a bank around three times a year, maximum. I enter a petrol station at least once a week. I enter the bank to have lengthy discourse on some matter of my account; I enter the petrol station to pay for petrol and possibly V and/or cgarettes and get on my way.

The whole "assume everyone is going to steal the petrol/rob your store/rape or mug you" crap - that has half the World by the short and curlies, paralysing people and prompting companies to introduce stupid policies (if only using the "risk" as a pretext to mask their own money-grubbing pseudo-psychological marketing plans) - has to stop.

The whole planet needs a good tall drink of HTFU with a dash of "fuckin' GROW some."

I've been burgled, beaten up by youths while having a wander along the river bank, followed by a group of unsavoury sorts down the main street of Frankton after dark, bloody-near deliberately run off the road by a Mongrel Mob member and a few other times have had reasonable cause to believe my life was at risk from some people. And I'm fucked if I'm letting any of that paralyse me with fear or cause me to assume that every group of teens is going to beat me up and treat them like shit because of paranoid stereotyping. Nor am I going to act like every member of the human race is my enemy and just looking for a chance to rob me or rip me off.

About time individuals and corporations removed head from arse, got some oxygen to the brain and found intelligent ways of dealing with the LOW PERCENTAGE of people who're thieving/violent cunts that do not affect the MAJORITY of law abiding citizens.

And they can begin by not treating every customer as if they're criminals.

Hubba Gubba, sorry you had to face a firearm a couple of times, but get over it. Not everyone on the planet is an armed offender. Like not every bunch of teen Maoris is going to beat the shit out of me and my mates when we're enjoying a relaxing walk by the river and not every motorist on the road will try to ram your bike into the curb. Not every motorist is going to fill the tank and fuck off without paying, either.

[jafar]

Now that I have been informed that they are under no obligation to give change if you are forced by their silly policy to over-estimate the price in order to fill your tank, I will be even more vehement about telling those who insist on prepay to shove their so-called-service-station up their arse.

They are obliged to give you change, to not give you change is theft. It's another reason to get you back into the shop to {hopefully} buy something else.

[xwhatsit]

G.A.S., that flaming orange petrol station at the arse-end of Coronation Rd in Mangere Bridge (the road you head down as if you were going to use the old bridge) is pre-pay, but seems to let bikers fill up. At least they always unlock it straight away for me. They've got bulbs and fuses and glue and fishing hooks; not a huge selection, but it is only a tiny wee shop.

As a plus, their 95 seems to agree unusually well with my humble motorcycle. They may/may not be more expensive than the larger chains, but even ten cents a litre matters little even to a perpetually broke student when you're only putting 7-8 litres in.

[pritch]

However, it is courteous to uncover when addressing people, whether it be hat (backwards cap and beanie wearers please note !) or helmet.

I freely admit that I may be lacking some of the social graces.

One should also remove a hat indoors, failing to do so is bad manners, and can be expensive. In the military, and consequently in many RSAs, failure to remove a hat means you may have to buy everyone present a drink.

I do note that this custom doesn't extend to my local cafe/bar but I don't wear a hat in there either. Just in case.

At gas stations I will keep the helmet on during the day, if they don't like it, there's plenty more gas stations. At night though I will remove the helmet to spare the (usually lone) staff any concern.

[Morcs]

Bikes should not have to use pump prepay.

Rock up at the pump, get off your bike, pick up nozzle and insert. Press button and look around until they active the pump.

If they dont activate it for after quite a while (I waited 4 minutes at the mobil on lincoln road last week) then simply go the a gas station that will. and most do.

So my list of fuckwit gas stations currently is:
MOBIL1 LINCOLN ROAD. (henderson)
SHELL RATA STREET (avondale) - these guys also wouldnt let me straddle my bike to keep it upright to get more gas in. I ended up throwing a traffic cone at their window...

[Waylander]

I freely admit that I may be lacking some of the social graces.

One should also remove a hat indoors, failing to do so is bad manners, and can be expensive. In the military, and consequently in many RSAs, failure to remove a hat means you may have to buy everyone present a drink.

I do note that this custom doesn't extend to my local cafe/bar but I don't wear a hat in there either. Just in case.

You can have my hat when you pry it from my cold dead fingers.
And good luck getting me to pay for drinks, I'm broke 98% of the time.