History How Many of You Did This ??

I can remember filling my own bike in Oregon when I was in High school. The guy that owned the station where I filled up told his pump guys that bikes were Ok and he didn't want to repaint one.

 

Got out of the Navy in 1999. Went back to school and worked at an Exxon station at night. The owner was an older guy and insisted on clean uniforms and checking every thing on a "full service" car. Saw a LOT of "nice" stuff looking through the windshield, while cleaning it. Tons of funny stories that can't be told here.

 

Funny the last full service station in the KC Metro closed not long after you got out of the service. I don't think that there is any place here that will pump it for you any more.

 

My Dad owned a Sinclair station in the late 30s in middle Tennessee, on a fairly busy North/South road. It was a hard business to make money, and I think the only reason he survived was that his best friend/best man at his wedding was the local bank president. I heard a lot of stories about hiding short loans to buy gas from the bank examiners.
He let a local little black kid hang out, and clean interiors with a broom and an air hose. He didn't pay him, but the kid worked for tips, and whatever coins he found on the floor.
The kid's career as a cleanup boy ended one day after a husband didn't like the way he was aiming the air hose at his wife's skirt. My Dad said the kid was afraid he was about to get shot, so he ran away, and never came back.
I worked at an Arco station from '74 to '76. We didn't clean interiors, but did the outside service and windshields at the full service pumps.
I could start a new thread about how stupid people were who had never pumped gas before, but were determined to save a few cents per gallon, and pump their own. It's a wonder that half of the self service stations didn't burn down during the early years of self service.

 

Same around here. That station I worked at is a McDonalds now. Bought up from the owner by Exxon and dumped. As far as I know, there are no more full service stations in Houston.

 

My old man never stopped at the name brand stations, instead he used the small country stores with maybe a couple of pumps and most of the time no one to pump the gas, you did it yourself. His 67 Ford would spit gas out if you tried to fill it too fast, so he preferred to do it himself. Don't remember anybody ever washing his windsheld, either. By the time I got started driving in the mid 70's, there were only 1 or 2 full service stations around our area, everything else was self serve, so I never got the chance to work at a full service station. I've never stopped at anything but a self service station, don't know of any full service ones around. Don't know of but 1 or 2 with a shop area to do tires or oil changes, either, and they don't pump gas for you.

 

Worked at an Esso/Exxon back in the 70's, owner was known to drink a little so we pretty much had the run of the place. Wish I still had all those Tiger in your tank giveaways. Probably worth a little cash today.

 

OK I bet this happen to you, a older couple pulls up to the pump and ask for 5 gallons of gas and check under hood, so you open the hood and before you can check the oil the driver blows the horn and you jump and hit your head on the hood hold down hook and spring, you look at him and he says don't forget to check the oil, so just before you check the battery he blows the damn horn again you jump again hit your head again and he says be sure to check the battery young man.
so now its time to wash the windshield, as your washing it they both tap the inside of the windshield at the places you missed.
so now its time to collect money and he says well did you check the air in the tires, he gets out and stands over me at each tire I check.
He pays and says I can't tip you but I'ill pray for you!

 

I think that that very same guy moved either to or from Cupertino, Ca. He came into the station where I worked at least once a week...........Had another customer that he had an oil leak in his new Mercury (1962) and he told me that that just wasn't possible, he bought the Mercury, not a Ford so it couldn't be leaking.

 

I was the "driveway manager" when I was 16 at a Fina station. I checked oil, washed windows, wiped headlights and checked air pressure. I worked for an old hippy drag racer that wrenched on cars in the 2 bays and he owned the place. His brother had a paint and body shop out back. When I went to work there he showed me how to fix flats. $3 each. He told me when I fixed them, take the money from every third one and put it in my pocket. I guess I looked confused because he explained "that way you won't steal from me!" So I not only checked the tires for pressure I would be sure they had no nails in them! I was a flat fixing fool lemme tell ya!

 

I worked the overnight shift at a full service station in the not so good part of town.
The first thing I was taught was how to hang the pump.
And yea the stories I could tell.



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When it got cold people always asked for me to check their antifreeze. When I worked at the shell station a guy who had a big 1968 buick Electra and always smoked a big cigar {I loved that car white convertabile with a red interior} brought his wifes covair in and asked me to check the antifreeze in it. I wasn't thinking and when I opened the rear hood. I thought to my self W.T.F.???? this is air cooled. I had to explain that to him. Good times LOL. Bruce.

 

Who hasn't, almost everyone I presume did that when younger. I worked every Saturday and with every car we checked the tyre pressure, oil and water before washing the front and rear screens. No vacuuming or blowing out the interior. It was full driveway service before self serve. We used to take the money and use the cash register long before credit cards became the norm. No uniforms but a corporate shirt from memory. The customers loved it as they didn't have to get out of the car or do anything. There were no drive offs without paying in those days.

 

you should have told him he ran out and sold him some.

 

I worked a Chevron station right down from Disneyland.
Yup, window cleaning was where it was at.
One day this hippie kid came in with a VW bug and had me fillerup.
Then he starts going on about how, "Its the lord's gas and we shouldn't have to pay for it".
The owner was retired Navy and just a hoot.
He comes out and tells the kid, "Cant do that. He was here just minutes ago and told us to stop giving it away".
I had to siphon 10 gallons of gas outta the kid's car and send him on his way.
The owner told me to put it in my car cause we cant put it back in the tank.

 

In high school, in the late '50s, I first worked at a Marathon then at a Shell station. Cleaned all the windows and asked if they would like to have the oil and water checked. We also checked tire pressure, anti-freeze, ect. if asked. Cleaning the windshield could be quite pleasant at times but in the summer it could be a real pita. The area we lived in was mostly river bottom land and when the bugs were out in full strength the windshields would be completely covered with smashed bugs. Sometimes we would resort to using Coke to cut the bug juice. Also this was before automatic shut off nozzles and you really had to pay attention to not overflow the tank. We also gave TV stamps for gas purchases. Great experience for youngsters just learning how to deal with people.
Jim

 

Yep. Washed the windshield. Sometimes a good view when the day was HOT;

Ben

 

I can smell the bug juice now.

 

My great grandparents owned a Flying A station in the 50s, we still have the full uniform tucked in a closet.


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I worked at a Derby station that just had pumps no service bay.
But did all the check this check that clean the windshield.
At work one day this guy rides up on the chopper Harley and he wants me to fill it up and I ask him to shut the bike off and he says no he just spent 20 mins to get it started so I start pumping gas in this bike and was standing back looking at this beautiful bike with the tank molded into the frame and the velour king and queen seat and as I was filling it I see flames dripping fro the carb and as I see this I see the gas fumes come out of the tank and flow down the side of it to the flames at the carb.
Now we know what happens next...... poof I shut off the fuel and throw the pump handle away from the flames and grab the bug water and put the fire out on the end hose.
Now as this is going on the guy is still setting on the bike screaming about his bike and then the heat got to much and he bailed off and the bike hit the ground and man did those flames go up.
So I run in the office and call the fire department and they say stay on the phone and like a dumb ass I do but I am holding the fire extinguisher out as far as the phone cord would let me but no one see me.
Now one of our regular customers see this going on and pulls up jumps out and has a gallon milk jug full of water and with one hand on the bottom of it and the other on the handle points it at the bike and pumps this jug and in seconds the fire is out.
When the fire department shows up they ask how we got the fire out I tell them and they say don't ever tell anyone you put out a gas fire with water.
Not sure what that was about but I just seen it work.
Guess it was my fault for fueling it while running but the flames started at the carb so I think it was going up in flames anyway.

 

I thought gas was expensive now but $25 a gallon is crazy.

 

Those darn decimal points sure can make things seem much different, can't they?

 

option-4 =¢

 

Mid 70's did all the stuff mentioned above.
Big deal with our station was it had a huge parking lot that would hold up to 15 cars.
It was on the main drag and there was a side street that came off the main and led to a crush yard 2 blocks down. Many a time I would be pumping gas when a wrecker would turn to go to the crusher with a old car on the hook. I would flag them down and pay a couple bucks more to have it dropped in our lot. I would strip them and haul the hulks to the yard. After 3-4 months wrecker operators and anyone local knew I was a buyer and brought cars to the station.
Owner was cool with it and let a kid of 17 run a parts selling operation out of the back bays.

 

Worked at H&R Chevron (corner of Colorado & Central in Glendale, CA late '60's/early '70's. Worked the graveyard shift so got all kinds on interesting things going on. Anyone remember the S&H Green Stamp v. Gold Bond Stamps war about that time? 10X stamps on Tuesday (ladies day)?

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Back in the late 60's American Oil made a big move to the Seattle Area. I was the district trainer. On every car that came in for gas, we pumped the gas, checked the oil, checked the coolant, checked the fan belt, checked the battery water, washed all the windows, used grease stick and lubed the door latches, then vacuumed the carpets. Oh forgot we aired the tires and including the spare.

We also wore the uni's. Stripped blue pants, and a white shirt with a tie. I might have forgot a thing or 2 but it was very full service.

just sayin'

brasscarguy

 

While Pork'nbeaner was in Forest Grove, I was down the road apiece in S.E. Portland 'late 69 and '70 at Jack's Enco. No uniforms [Jack was known to be a cheap ass] but we did full service. Every Wednesday afternoon this old lady in a battered '41 chevy pickup would swing in [ding-ding!] and buy $1.00 of regular. Everybody else would be too busy to help her so I was elected. Not only did she require me to check all the regular stuff, I was instructed to remove the battery access panel in the floor and fill the battery with distilled water and don't try to sneak in tap water! Cleaning the battery connections were also required.
One night Jack sent his nephew up to my apartment to check the battery in my 57 Pontiac....Jack suspected me of stealing one of his batteries for my car. Buzzy was the kid's name and he took down all the battery numbers and reported back to Jack....of course I hadn't stolen Jack's battery and it pissed me off to be a suspect.
Jack said I could use his lift to do the engine/trans swap in the ol pontiac when I switched it to a 389/ 4 speed....for ONLY 20 bucks a day! I paid it. For two days.
Then the station closed! It was found ol Jack was not only managing the Enco station, but managing a Shell station at the same time! Both companies fired his ass and had to find new managers for both stations.
I bolted.

 

My first tax paying job was at the Hilltop Texaco, in Athens, Ohio. A few years earlier we would torment the owner by placing the bell hose in the street. It was full service, including all types of mechanical repairs. One evening, the owner's brother was doing a tune-up and an oil change on a Kharmann Ghia. The customer stopped by to see how it was going, and the brother fired it up for him. After a minute or two, he shut it off with a sheepdog look on his face. After the customer left he pointed to the unopened Havoline cans he neglected to put in before firing up the car. oooops.

 

^^^^^^^ I've told this story before. On the weekends, I worked with a school teacher that drove a VW Bug. One day, he does an oil change on the Bug; drains the oil, pulls the screen and cleans it up, replaces the gaskets, and then we got a run of customers. After the run, he lowered the Bug down from the rack, and drove it out to the parking lot. He's gone for a few minutes, and then walks back into the service bay area. He looks at me and says, "you won't believe what I just did". Oh yeah, I believed it, he was't really too mechanically oriented. He had driven the Bug to the lot without putting oil back into the engine; no harm done however. At least he did't do it with a customers car.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

My first job @16 for minimum wage .85 ¢ per hour at a Clark gas station in 1964, Milwaukee WI. Wiped windows, checked oil every car and tires when asked, also had to run out and sell cancer sticks at pump island, PIA. Got my first paycheck, after some taxes and fica taken out, said, Shit, made more money with my paper route. So..... Asked around and in Milwaukee back then the grocery stores were union, stated at Kohl's, grocery packer 1.35/ ended up a National T foods, stocker, senior year of high school 1966 made 2.70/ .05¢/ more than my Dad working in a factory as a maintenance mechanic. After HS, besides working 55 hours a week as a apprentice (started@ 40% of rate) Tool & Die Maker, still working @ National foods part time, 16/20 a week, worked in the Winter for a Texaco station doing service calls and plowing for cash when the bad weather hit, was lucky, the grocery store manager understood why I would not show up in bad weather, Tool Shop, not so much. On those few bad weather days I made a week's wage in 1 day. Yes I remember full service stations, had a few friends that made a good living back then with them, but like so many things, change happens, not aware of any here in Northwoods Wi. and can't recall any in last 20/25 years Milwaukee area.