Remember When Service Stations Gave Service?

Crewleader

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Wed Jun-20-07 08:40 PM
Original message

Remember When Service Stations Gave Service?

Suddenly Senior for June 20, 2007

REMEMBER WHEN SERVICE STATIONS GAVE SERVICE?

What a quaint concept! In this day of $3-a-gallon gas, imagine getting 20¢ gas and actual service at a service station. Today, it's as bizarre a notion to anyone under 40 as a gentleman tipping his hat to a lady. Yet, 40 years ago, both were part of everyday America. Here's what happened.

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LuckyLib

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Wed Jun-20-07 08:48 PM
Response to Original message

1. OTOH, pumping my own gas, in and out with the credit card, is the best service there is.

Compare it to every other public venue there is . . . shitty service everywhere. Businesses used to actually treat folks as if their business mattered. Now it's, "Yawn -- yeah?"

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Crewleader

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:15 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Self service and they got cheap makes bad business...

Edited on Wed Jun-20-07 09:24 PM by Crewleader

What Frank was saying:
Then in 1973, OPEC and Big Oil turned a screw creating long lines and high prices at gas pumps, prepayments to grim strangers behind bulletproof glass, and, most shocking of all, forcing ladies dressed in their finery to pump their own gas, wash their own windshields, check their oil and fill their tires with air, "free air" now costing two bits.

To fill your gas tank back in '73, odd or even number depending what your last digit was on your license plate, you then were able to pump gas, also you had to plan your trips wisely....
service stations went downhill ever since.

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elocs

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:06 PM
Response to Original message

2. Does anybody actually believe that it is the gas stations that are raking in the big bucks? n/t

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sharp_stick

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:11 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. No but there is a point to be made in the OP

It used to be that someone would actually wash your window or pump your gas. Now I have a hard enough time getting the lazy puke to actually accept my fucking coupon with the credit card in between texting her idiot friends.

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LiberalFighter

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:21 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. Gas stations use to fix cars and didn't have to rely on non-automotive sales

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elocs

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:28 PM
Response to Reply #3

7. How is any of this unique to gas stations?

Poor service or lack of service is typical of our society. Plus, people who are poorly paid tend to provide poor service. So what if they get fired, they can make the same money somewhere else. Just think, to somebody these are the good old days.

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brook

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:27 PM
Response to Reply #2

6. And when did they bend over?

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brook

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:30 PM
Response to Original message

8. I remember

when working at a gas station after school was a cool job to have. A couple of years ago I happened into a full service station and tipped the kid. He looked at me as if I was from Mars.

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cdsilv

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:36 PM
Response to Reply #8

10. I worked as a 'pump jockey' in 1980-81 at a 'full service' gas .....

station in N. Atlanta. Our gas was right at 2.00/gal when you could get it elsewhere (self serve) for around 1.00/gal. There are people who will pay for service - we checked the oil, washed windsheilds, put air in tires, etc... We also had a 2 bay garage and mechanics. Pay was pretty good too - helped me through Ga. Tech. I finished up at Tech as one of the computer center staff as well as a programmer at an engineering firm next to the gas station. Would get a call every now and then to 'help out' on weekends.

They are still there (self serve), but still have the garage and the mechanics.....

Ahhh memories....

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Crewleader

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:47 PM
Response to Reply #10

12. Good for you cdsilv

working your way through school and achieving your goal with good memories to boot! :-)

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chaumont58

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:35 PM
Response to Original message

9. I do, I was part of it.

I went to work in a Chevron station in 1955. The owner was an old Standard Station employee, and he trained his personnel well. I ran the station alone many times, but still checked oil and washed windows for all customers. Chevron was an independent dealer of Standard products, from Standard Oil of California. Some Standard Stations used to even check tire pressure. I still wonder how is was economically feasable to do all that work, for 19 cent a gallon gas.

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Crewleader

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Wed Jun-20-07 09:43 PM
Response to Reply #9

11. Thanks for sharing chaumont58...

when you went to work for Chevron in 1955 you must of seen some nice 55 Chevys' filling up! :-)

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soothsayer

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Wed Jun-20-07 10:35 PM
Response to Original message

13. My local Shell station still does, and won't take tips either.

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