Town mandates that gas stations provide free air and free tire gauges

[HamsterStyle]

I dont mind paying for air. I have a compressor that I COULD carry in the trunk. I choose not to. I have to pay for that consequence.

And my Kia likes to throw the TPS light on for no reason when I drive more than 100 miles on the highway. So I get to find them regularly in case I actually have to put air in. (Typically its a false alarm, and Kia wont fix because it never throws a code to prove its coming on and me snapping a pic of it isnt good enough)

Sounds like they are a bit sensitive. Have you tried Nitrogen inflation?

 

[dusty88]

If the mandate isn't bad enough, look at the comments. Everybody thinks it's great.

What are they going to do if someone doesn't offer that? Block their business? What a bunch of morons. Less small business owners all the time, less that understand capitalism or running a business. Or even how the heck jobs are created.

This country's economy is truly circling the drain.

 

[dusty88]

I still offer free air and pressure gauge at my store. Plus on Monday, coffee is free all day.

Great to offer services. Another thing to be told you must.

 

[actaeon277]

Why outlaw any of it? Let the market take care of itself.

I've got a compressor at home on the farm. I carry a spare & a can of fix-a-flat in the vehicles as a last resort. I've had to buy air before, yes it's expensive for what it is. I've also needed air when I didn't have any cash or coins on me. In that case I drove to the station I normally get my gas from. They have a pay air pump. I went inside and told them my problem. The lady gave me a 4 quarters and said "don't worry about it, see you tomorrow." I filled my tire, went home. The next day I stopped back and filled my tank, then took her $2 as a thank you.

(I might have mentioned this a time or two. Customer service matters.) I've been going to that station for a long time. I will continue to go there. In the winter they are a little more expensive on their kerosene that the other stations around, I still go there.


There is no need for the government, local or otherwise to get involved in something like this. This town council sounds like a group of busy bodies that have taken it upon themselves to decide what "the greater good" is for everyone. Looks like they are a bit full of themselves and their self-importance.

Greater Good

 

[actaeon277]

If the mandate isn't bad enough, look at the comments. Everybody thinks it's great.

What are they going to do if someone doesn't offer that? Block their business? What a bunch of morons. Less small business owners all the time, less that understand capitalism or running a business. Or even how the heck jobs are created.

This country's economy is truly circling the drain.

That's why we're circling he drain. Not because of politicians, but because enough people are okay with the loss of freedom.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Well if a town can force citizens to pick up the slack for a tax abatement for a new business coming to town, they should be able to force a company to offer a service for free in exchange for a business license

 

[HubertGummer]

You find plenty of that "thinking"in New England and Cali.

Fify

 

[HubertGummer]

That's why we're circling he drain. Not because of politicians, but because enough people are okay with the loss of freedom.

Not only OK with it but utterly ignorant of what is being lost.

 

[Alpo]

Well if a town can force citizens to pick up the slack for a tax abatement for a new business coming to town, they should be able to force a company to offer a service for free in exchange for a business license

Agree. There is a quid pro quo between business and the community. A license to do business comes with obligations. If every gas station is owned by an Asian, who's to say there isn't some great Asian conspiracy to charge everyone for air? And I'm only partially snarky here.

 

[Libertarian01]

I do wonder if the service stations could respond with, "Fine, the first pound of air IS free, as per the law. We have met the burden of the law. After that it will be $10 per pound." There is no law that cannot be played with for a very, very long time.

Regards,

Doug

 

[Cameramonkey]

Sounds like they are a bit sensitive. Have you tried Nitrogen inflation?

No its the brains. If I am paying attention, I'll see the light flash first, then go solid for a while. My manual tells me that flashing indicates a system error of some kind. But like I said, its not throwing a code in the computer so Kia wont acknowledge it is happening. (when it happens it is supposed to throw a code) They are being idiots frankly. "if there is no code we cant fix it because its not telling us where to look" I miss the days where they could diagnose trouble themselves instead of simply reading and error and responding to what the error tells them is wrong.

I'm about to the end of the warranty and I ahve a small oil leak. I'll probably take it in and press the issue harder this next time.

 

[Rookie]

I see no problem with offering free air. I also have no problem with someone charging for the electricity needed to compress the free air.

 

[SSGSAD]

It wasn't all that long ago that the service stations around here all had free air and the gauges were made into the air chucks. Most of the old owners sold their stations back to the oil companies who have sold them to Indians or Pakistanis. They did away with any service bays, turning the buildings into convenience stores and now have these crappy little pay for air stations.

I had a station owner tell me why .....

Air compressors cost money, when "kids" are out late at night, and cut the air hose, the air compressor, runs all night.

so the owner, spends HIS money, and puts a detachable hose, and takes it in every night, and back out in the A M .....

So the "kid" comes back, and puts the "adapter" on it, and the compressor, runs all night .....

You can get the pic, from there .....

 

[hopper68]

I had a station owner tell me why .....

Air compressors cost money, when "kids" are out late at night, and cut the air hose, the air compressor, runs all night.

so the owner, spends HIS money, and puts a detachable hose, and takes it in every night, and back out in the A M .....

So the "kid" comes back, and puts the "adapter" on it, and the compressor, runs all night .....

You can get the pic, from there .....

That is what shut off valves are for.

 

[Bill of Rights]

That is what shut off valves are for.

That or the owner spends a night on the roof with a paintball marker. It would only take one night.

"Hey, you hear about Jimmy? Old man Jackson down at the gas station busted him cutting the air line! Cops were waiting for him, too!"

He could even tell the cops he was doing it, so they could be close by when he calls in that he's got one he's about to paint.

That lets him continue to provide the service he wants to, without it costing him money to do it.

 

[BogWalker]

That or the owner spends a night on the roof with a paintball marker. It would only take one night.

"Hey, you hear about Jimmy? Old man Jackson down at the gas station busted him cutting the air line! Cops were waiting for him, too!"

He could even tell the cops he was doing it, so they could be close by when he calls in that he's got one he's about to paint.

That lets him continue to provide the service he wants to, without it costing him money to do it.

Not sure about this one. With today's youth, and I'm not far detached from that label, you're more liable to get further reprisals rather than the behavior ceasing.

 

[Sylvain]

That's not old enough to have been CM! It has rubber tired, that wasn't invented yet when he was a kid.

That's more like the kind of bike he used, of course they had no pictures at the time so it's just the bike now ...

 

[pudly]

That's more like the kind of bike he used, of course they had no pictures at the time so it's just the bike now ...

Still not old enough. The wheels are round.

 

[Sylvain]

Still not old enough. The wheels are round.

Well it's one of his latest bike obviously, not his first one with the square wheels made of stone ... that wasn't very fast.

 

[Alpo]