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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

not to want to get my hands dirty putting petrol in?

118 replies

mumthemovie · 23/11/2015 20:25

In the olden days, I used to drive my car into the petrol station and someone would come out, fill her up and wipe the windscreen. Plus if I said I was going on a long journey they would check my tyre pressure and water etc.

I would like to do this now, but it appears not to be an option anymore. I would pay a few extra on the gallon obviously, as I pay for many other services in life.

Am I alone in this?

OP posts:

Owllady · 23/11/2015 20:57

:o harriet

cardibach · 23/11/2015 20:59

Oh, and I don't kneel to check tyre pressures, just bend. Not sure why yowould need to kneel.

ouryve · 23/11/2015 20:59

Wear gloves, then. Some forecourts have them available, but it's not hard to keep some in your car door for when you need them.

HappyGrey · 23/11/2015 21:00

You need to go and live in Japan where customers still come first! As one person is filling up your car, another will come and wash your wind screens and side mirrors, offer to take away any rubbish and often give you a little present like an air freshner or tissues! Sometimes we used to get free ice creams too! But the best bit? As you are leaving, a man with a big racing flag will walk into the road and stop oncoming traffic so that you can drive away without even having to look! Sometimes they are dressed up as funky anime type characters or animals! Not great working conditions in the summer heat, mind....

I can't remember ever having our tyres checked etc. but I suspect they would be very willing!

Banzai!

Madbengalmum · 23/11/2015 21:02

Quite alot of Shell petrol stations have started to have forecourt service which is making a comeback and imho is a great idea.
Why on earth not wanting to stink of fuel makes you feeble, i really dont know, but i think it makes you pretty pathetic to judge someone based on whether they are happy to pay for forecourt service or not.

Alisvolatpropiis · 23/11/2015 21:03

I like the sound of this. Though have never seen it real life.

ZoeTurtle · 23/11/2015 21:05

sharonthewaspandthewineywall Your rudeness should embarrass you far more.

I think I'm probably too tight to pay for this service but I don't think there's anything wrong it being available. Petrol garages make very little profit on petrol so I would imagine they have thought about this and decided it wouldn't make them any money.

mrsjanedoe · 23/11/2015 21:08

it always embarrasses me to hear when grown women act so utterly feeble and reliant

??? So that is all cleaners, window cleaners, decorators, car cleaners, gardeners, plumbers, chimney sweepers, car mechanics, dog walkers, floor fitters (please do carry on with the list)... out of business?

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you want to!

Japan sounds fantastic, I must visit.

Sparklingbrook · 23/11/2015 21:08

Ooh I wouldn't like all that Happy it would mean interacting with people and fussing about. In and out at the petrol station no messing.

I am not getting the 'stinking of fuel', how does that happen?

AIN · 23/11/2015 21:08

Someone will fill you car up for you if you sound your horn once youbatebin the forecourt.

Sadik · 23/11/2015 21:13

If you go to the little petrol station (as opposed to the bigger one) in Maenclochog, Pembrokeshire, they fill your car up for you :) Sadly, I rarely pass that way

When we lived in Spain they always filled the car up for you - and there was a cunning thing where you said how much you wanted, they typed it into the pump then left it stuck in your car running and went off to another customer, then came back and took the money. It made everything much faster as they just had a money belt & everything was cash, so no faffing going into the shop bit. (It cut off automatically if you'd overestimated how much would fit in!)

HicDraconis · 23/11/2015 21:14

Someone always comes out to fill my car up 😊 Water, oil and tyre pressures I do myself but I can't remember the last time I put petrol in - was probably 6y ago in the UK. Move to NZ 😉

Sadik · 23/11/2015 21:15

On a side note, I was also amazed when I came back to the UK and discovered that you couldn't top up your mobile at the cashpoint. (Obviously you can now, but it was ages later before you could, at least round here.)

nothruroad · 23/11/2015 21:18

I would love if this was an option. I have rheumatoid arthritis and can't squeeze the handle enough to put more than about £5 worth of petrol in at a time. It is very wearing to have to go for petrol so often.

poocatcherchampion · 23/11/2015 21:19

I mostly get dh to do it. He is a lovely man.

In return I probably do nice things for him. Oh yes - I jump start his old banger when it is flat batt.

HappyGrey · 23/11/2015 21:22

Sparklingbrook

Yes, I guess it works well in Japan because they don't really do 'chit chat' and everyone knows what is expected. If we had this level of service in this country we would probably feel slightly embarrassed by it and feel the need to comment on how hot/cold it must be and how busy they were that day etc etc. British people would may actually actively avoid such a garage!!

lolalament · 23/11/2015 21:25

Shell have attended forecourts now

Sparklingbrook · 23/11/2015 21:26

Yes Happy I would be all 'oh no I need to speak to all these people and ask how they are and wave to the flag person. Stress!

BoomBoomsCousin · 23/11/2015 21:27

YANBU to want an easy life. I want an easy life too. I would like a housekeeper to make my breakfast; deal with the kids whenever they are grouchy and get them to school; do the cleaning; organize any house maintenance; make sure all the laundry is washed, dried and ironed; and make witty quips while baking delicious treats for tea. It's not feasible though to have a whole other person spend their life just looking after me. If only we had robots that were that good already (and really cheap).

Realistically I think it would cost quite a bit to provide such a service, someone waiting around at the pump for the few people prepared to pay for their time. Given that petrol stations advertise their prices to the tenth of a penny it seems quite a price sensitive business. So I don't think that's a service that's going to return. Maybe if you had a chauffeur?

HicDraconis · 23/11/2015 21:28

Our pumps also have the preset option where you ask for $20 worth which they program in then put the nozzle in, squeeze once and it fills up to that amount.

DH has pointed out that the reason I never fill my car up is because I leave it till the light goes on and then he notices and tops it up for me 😊

SometimesItRains · 23/11/2015 21:30

We have a couple of stations like this near us. They are a bit pricier than the supermarket, but if I'm filling up instead of DH then I'll usually go to them as it is so much easier and there's no need to get the kids out of the car.

BarbaraofSeville · 23/11/2015 21:30

Our local Morrisons does attended service between 9 and 3 or something.

bettyberry · 23/11/2015 21:30

Isn't this the same as getting someone to peel a grape and put it in your mouth for you?

I have no problem doing it myself. The short walk to pay helps with meeting my 10k steps a day. Be nice if the pay at pumps worked here but they rarely do.

Sparklingbrook · 23/11/2015 21:30

We have those here Hic if you press £50 say, they whizz up to £49 then the last £1 takes forever. I have been known to just not bother with the last bit.

Mysteryfla · 23/11/2015 21:31

It's not "feeble and reliant" if it's something you know how to do, but choose not to.

I loath ironing, so I pay someone to do it, am I feeble and reliant?

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