Gas stations....

[Lucky13]

Remember when that was (maybe in some places still is) the center of the community, when service meant something and was given by a man in a uniform with a big smile, who greated you with a salute?
Checking the oil among other things as the gas (petrol, fuel) was going into your tank...
How many of these are still standing today, mabye even getting restored to their former glory?
Remember those ads?
What did your parents, grandparents use?
Any favourite brand, always liked Mobilgas and Koppartrans (Swedish) myself...

 

[meatloaf109]

When I was very young every station was full service, some were better than others. There was a Sinclair station (the one with the dinosaur), located in Minneapolis that still did the oil, water, and air thing while wearing the white uniform with the peaked cap up to '76. (I think) Then there was the Phillips 66 at the corner of Hwy.101 and County rd. 6, where the guy would casually notice that a car had pulled up to the pump, spend a reflective moment while having a good scratch, shift a soggy cigar butt to the other side of his mouth, and then ask, "Whadda-ya-want?"

 

[Thorlifter]

I can remember a Gulf station that had full service, but rarely with a smile, except for my mom. That was in '77 and even though the gas station is gone, the man who owned it has run a car repair place and he is still our family mechanic.

 

[Messy1]

We still had a full service Phillips 66 station in my home town during the mid 90's growing up. Several friends used to work there. They'd come out, pump your gas, and offer to check your oil, tires, and clean your glass. Last one I personally knew of still offering full service.

 

[evangilder]

I remember them, but they are a thing of the past around here.

 

[VBF-13]

When I got my license, they'd wash the windows while they were filling up the gas. If your tires were low, no problem, they'd take care of you. If you had a problem under the hood, they'd go right in there, top off the oil, whatever, because they knew what they were doing. When they were done, you paid them in cash, and you never stepped out of the car.

Boy, Lucky, you sure know how to make a guy feel old...

 

[mikewint]

Same here I remember them. There were even stations where 3 or 4 guys would come out one for the windows, one for under the hood, one for tires, ect.
I worked in a station pumping gas mostly in the early 70's while going to the U of I. I would guess that by the late 70's that type of service had all ended.
Remember the Sunoco stations with the 8 different blends: 190, 200, 210, 220 and so on to 260 (102 octane) the only stuff my Marauder woud burn without knocking

 

[Matt308]

I distinctly remember the transition. At once full service. And then full servide islands and self serve with lower costs. The begining of the end. Like grocery checkouts now.

 

[tyrodtom]

In 1968 I drove from St. Louis, to Denver, Col. on my way to Hill AFB, Utah. Did the drive in one day, never once got out of the car, got gas at full service stations, and food from drive-ins. About 900 miles on the roads then, 17 hours. I had very strong kidneys then.
Soon as I stood up out of that car, I had to find a bathroom quick though.

 

[Njaco]

Self-service is banned in New Jersey. Thank G*D!!!!!

My brother worked at an Exxon in the early '80s and he told me one time some guy pulled up to the pump when it was something like 5 degrees outside (unusual for New Jersey). The guy rolled his window down about a 1/4 of an inch, slid a dollar bill out and said "$1". My brother says he got pissed, so he grabbed the dollar then told the guy to pump it himself and went back into the heated little office. You'd laugh if you knew my brother - that was classic!

 

[GrauGeist]

I remember All the different stations we had in Orange County when I was a kid...all the big flashy new ones, the old roadside filling stations and even the two-storey stations that had resteraunts upstairs, and so on...

When I was in high-school, I worked for the Chevron station aboard the Long Beach Navy station...the manager was a retired Navy Chief! I eventually transferred to Seal Beach NWS Chevron and worked in that tiny little filling station (a two-pump holdover from the 30's when that road onboard the station was actually Seal Beach Blvd.) and life was a little easier...my boss was a former Czech army officer that had served in WWII...