Gas station protocol

I was out yesterday, like many, many others, enjoying the first beautiful weekend of spring in the mid-Atlantic region. Bikes and cars were out all over the place. My gas warning light came on and I decided I'd better get some gas.

So, I pulled into a busy gas station (they were all busy!!) and pull up to an empty pump. I proceed to dismount, put down the sidestand (just in case) and then set it up on the center stand. Then I pulled off my helmet (glasses, too), gloves, jacket and dug into my pocket for the credit card.

Just as soon as I had stepped off my bike, a car had pulls up behind me (all the pumps had at least 1 car waiting). "D*%n", I thought. Being a gentlemanly type (otherwise I'd have bought a HD ), I didn't want to make this guy wait unnecessarily..... but here I was....both hands busy trying to fill up the tank w/o running gas over; helmet, jacket and gloves just barely balanced on the seat, and my eyeglasses dangling from my teeth! The young guy in the car behind me is giving me the look and revving his engine, with his sonic- boom-stereo going full bore.

While I wanted to throw a concussion grenade in his open window, I quickly filled up the tank, threw on what I could as quickly as possible and pulled out of the lane and over to the side of the lot, where I put on my glasses, zipped up the jacket, put on the gloves and buckled the helmet.

This got me to thinking.....what's the proper protocol for a biker at a gas station? I suppose I should have kept on all my gear while filling up, so I could pull away from the pump as quickly as possible.

What do you do when you're at a busy gas station?

Just about what you did.

I think that motorcycling rewards aggression...but only just a little aggression. You do better when you claim your space in the lane, when you ride just a bit faster than traffic so that you control your closing speeds, and I think the same thing goes in the gas station. You got there first, you get to fill your tank first. Perhaps a little eye contact, with a neutral expression, would help. I'll guess that the way vast majority of folks waiting, like this yoyo, aren't even conscious of how they're presenting themselves, and intend nothing other than impatience. Impatience is their problem, not yours.

I usually remove my gloves, for greater dexterity, but leave my helmet on. I carry a credit card in the wrist pocket of my Darien. So there's not much to reassemble after the fuel's in. If I'm going to rest, I do so afterwards.

When you've filled up, move your bike. I wouldn't leave it by the pump while I went into the store.

I leave my helmet on and put the gloves back on while filling. I keep the helmet on with the visor down as twice (talk about a short kultz) I managed to splash gas, once in my eyes, while filling the bike. But like you, I for some unfathomable reason feel as if I'm holding up cages filling up my 22 litres, but never feel bad when putting 100 litres into my van.

I park close enough to the pump that I don't have to dismount to refuel. Nothing comes off except the gloves. I refuel, reset the trippy, move the bike close to the doors, go in and pay, making sure to note the pump number before I leave. I'm not in the habit of paying at the pump. On some trips, that's what you need to do, or go in and pay first. This ticks me off, but not enough to go somewhere else for fuel.

Gilly

PS if I had some jacka** revving up his engine, I think I'd leave it parked there and go in and pay, plus have a soda before returning to the bike. Then wash the windshield and check the tires.

There is absolutely no reason I should feel like a second-class person because I'm on a bike. I'm at a gas station or bank or whatever, I have as much right to do my business as anybody unfortunate enough to be in a vehicle with too many wheels. First come, first served. Wait your turn and learn some manners.

Gilly said:

If I had some jacka** revving up his engine, I think I'd leave it parked there and go in and pay, plus have a soda before returning to the bike. Then wash the windshield and check the tires.

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I'd think of it, but wouldn't do it. Too risky. Think how the jacka** would react if he sees you saunter away. That's an invitation to push the bike over.

Gilly said:

PS if I had some jacka** revving up his engine, I think I'd leave it parked there and go in and pay, plus have a soda before returning to the bike. Then wash the windshield and check the tires.

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Agree, I would do that and just act like I owned the joint. Maybe as I get older I just realize I'm a paying customer so... I would make him/her wait just like the rest of us had too.

Let 'em wait. I have just as much right to the pump as any other vehicle. But it is a hassle to put fuel in a bike in a hurry. Actually, even with all the time it takes to get undressed, gased up, and then redressed, I think It is still takes less time than it does to fill the empty tank on my Avalanche.

If you would have been in a car, what would have happened? Would you have hurried? Probably not. Same thing on a bike.

Slow is Fast.

Cal

Busy gas station and bad cagers ? I go in, stand in line and prepay.

It doesn't take any longer to fill up a bike than a car. They guy behind you can and should wait ÔÇö his impatience is his problem. Some people are just in too big of a hurry, and usually for no real good reason. As long as you're not dilly-dallying around, he's not got room to complain. Although I can appreciate the uncomfortable, self-concious situation of him staring at you, urging you to hurry up.

I don't take off my helmet, my jacket or my sun glasses when I fill up ÔÇö only my gloves. Really, the bike hold a third as much gas as a car, so filling is faster, and certainly quicker than the guy who parks his car, then walks over to the attendant to pay and buy a pack of cigarettes instead of using a credit card at the pump.

I'm a newbee, so I seem to be learning everything the hard way except safety which I learned much from David Hough's excellent book.

Before filling up, I put the bike on the center stand which requires me to get off first. After twice catching my heel on a package strapped to the rear seat and almost dropping the bike, I am seriously considering always putting the side stand down first. I learned this from a post from another thread yesterday. However, my shin always hits the left cylinder, and I am never sure that the stand is extended all the way.

Anyway, bike on the center stand, I take off my gloves and remove sunglasses, because I can't read the pump dialog box through the polaroids (I learned the hard way not to ride in the sun without sunglasses.) and balance everything including the gas cap on the seat leaving my helmet on.

Get out the credit card stored in a front pocket not three layers down and gas it up. Wait for the receipt - crap, pump has run out of paper. Go in to get it from the clerk looking like spaceman. I am annoyed and the clerk is frightened just looking at me. Of course I can't hear anything she says because of the helmet and earplugs.

Meanwhile outside, the jerk behind me is getting more impatient. I agree with a previous post that his impatience is not my problem, but on the other hand I try to take care of business in a timely manner and move on.

I want to enjoy life, that's why I bought this machine a few months ago. I try not to upset others and try not to let them upset me and that's my gas station protocol.

Manners (and patience)

manicmechanic said:

there is absolutely no reason i should feel like a second-class person because i'm on a bike. I'm at a gas station or bank or whatever, i have as much right to do my business as anybody unfortunate enough to be in a vehicle with too many wheels. First come, first served. Wait your turn and learn some manners.

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+ 1

I'll gas up then move out of the way to gear up, but that is common courtesy, not from intimidation. Besides, bikers are supposed to intimidate cagers!

manicmechanic said:

There is absolutely no reason I should feel like a second-class person because I'm on a bike. I'm at a gas station or bank or whatever, I have as much right to do my business as anybody unfortunate enough to be in a vehicle with too many wheels. First come, first served. Wait your turn and learn some manners.

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+2

We were traveling across country last year and had stopped in Kansas to fill up. An RV pulled up behind us and the guy behind the wheel started yelling at us to hurry up and get out of the way. That prompted me to be very methodical about our fill-ups...The guy just about had a heart attack right there on the spot...

I just chill out and take it slow and easy. After all, I'm not in a hurry!