Petrol stations and helmets again.

[Littlepeahead]

Pay at pump is the way forward isn't it. The local BP isn't and I always get stuck behind some cretin who has decided to do their weekly shop, then change their mind about which flavour of donuts they've decided to buy, then can't remember their PIN. So now I tend to go to Asda or Tesco where I can be in and out in 3 minutes without having to leave my bike for some numpty to knock over.

But the point is if you were going to rob the place would you park at a pump and fill up and come in carrying your wallet? Surely most theft is of the fill up and drive off type, which would be in a car, hardly worth it on a bike, or proper threatening smash and grab violence, in which case you'd be parking out the front with someone else on the bike ready to rev off at high speed, not faffing about with your Clubcard.

[Bibio]

i'm going to defend the petrol station one. i used to get irate about it but last year i was at a petrol station and was asked to remove my helmet via tannoy so i obliged. when i went inside the woman behind the counter was apologetic and said the reason was they have had countless 'splash and dash' with bikers and robbed 3 times within the past 6 months and each time the cheeky fekers filled up before robbing them.

think i have been asked to take my helmet off about 4 times in 6 years. its no great hardship. whats an extra 2min on your day once in a blue moon. after all its their place of business so their rules and they can refuse to serve anybody they like.

as for banks and stores. well my view is its common decency to remove ones helmet, besides i personally get all sweaty and cant breath walking about in a helmet.

[Niall_farley]

Originally Posted by NTECUK

Only if you can't actually get them to authorise the pump and your in a fix for petrol.should you remove your lid.

Once you have the pump running they have accepted the offer for goods as your presented.

Stand your ground

This.... If they authorised the pump then they are in the wrong because you are already taking fuel and could simply ride off! A robber would do this OR pull up get out rob the place aggressively and ride off without filling up because it's more time under the camera for scrutiny if you stayed to simply fill up £15 of fuel isn't really worth it.

So to ask to take the helmet of to take payment when you have patiently que'd up is ridiculous!

[ophic]

Originally Posted by Littlepeahead

Pay at pump is the way forward isn't it. The local BP isn't and I always get stuck behind some cretin who has decided to do their weekly shop, then change their mind about which flavour of donuts they've decided to buy, then can't remember their PIN.

My local BP is the same. But on the other hand... they sell donuts!

[NTECUK]

Unfortunately out my way BP don't do pay at pump. But as they know me it's not been a issue.
Yes I did remove my lid on the first few occasions be for the pump was authorised.
But BP works out better value for money and I'm prepared to go the extra.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Bibio

i'm going to defend the petrol station one. i used to get irate about it but last year i was at a petrol station and was asked to remove my helmet via tannoy so i obliged. when i went inside the woman behind the counter was apologetic and said the reason was they have had countless 'splash and dash' with bikers and robbed 3 times within the past 6 months and each time the cheeky fekers filled up before robbing them.

think i have been asked to take my helmet off about 4 times in 6 years. its no great hardship. whats an extra 2min on your day once in a blue moon. after all its their place of business so their rules and they can refuse to serve anybody they like.

as for banks and stores. well my view is its common decency to remove ones helmet, besides i personally get all sweaty and cant breath walking about in a helmet.

This really. Although in the OP case I see why it is such a faff. If they rudely asked me to remove my helmet they might just get a STFU response, if I'm not in the mood!

For me, it's the total lack on inconsistency for me, if it's a security thing, then everyone should show their face, old, young, black, white, Christian, Muslim, Hindu etc etc.
A garage over the road from me that I've been using for years decided a few months back not to switch the pump on until I had removed my lid, I just rode off and not been back since.

I'm with SP1 - I also wear a flip-front, and I've never been asked to remove my lid, so I'd like to see consistency in this area. The part that annoys me is when the garage claims to be acting in accordance with the law, which you would expect to be the same everywhere.

It appears to be annoying a lot of people in Jaynes neck of the woods, however - I'm hearing rumblings about a targeted demo which sounds very like that procedure.

[dirtydog]

My local BP won't authorise e pump unless I take my helmet off despite it being a flip front and they know me as I use that station loads for the car, van and bikes!
I spoke to BP uk customer services and whilst it is not BP policy for motorcyclists to remove their helmets but a lot of their stations (like my local one) are franchises so it's up to the individual franchisee

[yokohama]

On a similar theme, do people get off the bike and put it on the sidestand to fill up or stay astride the bike to keep it level and wobble it a bit to help the fuel settle?
I normally do the latter and have never had a problem until last week when the local BP refused to authorise the pump until I got off the bike. Thinking they were worried about me riding off, I took my helmet off but they still refused to serve me until I got off the bike.
I asked them WTF was going on (politely) when I went to pay and got some line about it being company policy, for my own safety and how static could ignite he petrol and send me up in flames.
When I mentioned that if they were really concerned about my safety, they could clean up some of the diesel spills .... they just looked straight through me.