REMOVE YOUR HELMET!!!

[dx408]

Advantage of a flip front. I would definitely return there and be wearing a burka under the helmet!

Yes I HAVE (flip front) and had no problems not asked to remove it did not even get any funny looks but then again banks have less money than petrol stations these days 

[dx408]

Bugger that should have quoted " would you go into a bank with a crash helmet on" 

[Rusty]

It's occurred to me what's wrong. All this week I have been eating in restaurants, drinking in bars, and enjoying the facilities of various places. None of those places have security cameras, neither are they in evidence on the streets. Last night I ordered peppered steak for two, ice cream desserts, and four pints of lager. It was all served outside, and I could have easily walked away without paying at any time. The bill came to around £50.00 which I paid afterwards When leaving.


If I fuelled the Yamaha up to the brim it wouldn't hold £50 quids worth of fuel yet we are treated as potential thieves. The difference between the two examples is that the first one took place in Majorca where life is lived with the presumption of innocence, and the latter in the UK where the presumption of guilt is the norm. There are thieving bastards everywhere, but in the UK there is the presumption that you are one.

[demic77]

Digging up an old one here, apologies. Went to the bank today on t'fazer, Roof boxer lid so flipped it up. Asian lass (I presume, could have been anyone) in front of me in a burka gets served no problem, my turn, "Please take off the helmet sir"
I think the French have this issue nailed. Fizzing.

démie soixante dix sept.

[fazersharp]

I too was at a petrol station and the tanoy said remove your helmet befor they would activate the pump---- I shrugged my shoulders at them and rode off ----slowley as i needed petrol.
Whats the point in removing the helmet as they have the reg what more do they want a DNA sample for god forbid I ride off with £5.50 worth of fuel.
These stations should be visited by 30 bikes all putting £2 in the tank and refusing to remove helmets, and whilst they are refusing to take all of the £2s every single car is driving by to the next station.
I do not take my helmet off as I have great problems in getting plugs to stay in and on and off with the helmet rips them out.
And I have to take off my glasses and risk them falling on the floor, and every time my lid gos on and off its getting wear and tear, and station that demand my lid off then I ride off and dont go back, I also dont go back there in my car

[midden]

I take mine off automatically, like  mentioned  earlier when going on to bank and even off licence since one local to me ban them due to multiple raids by helmet wearers.


That said I do agree with the point about burkas.  I even be interested in the assistants reading of the rules when confronted with a turban wearing biker. after all it is classed as a helmet. or does the rule mention fullfaced

[Buzz]

Maybe we should all wear a burqa/niqab under our balaclavas and helmets to see what happens. 

[b1k3rdude]

It takes less than 30 seconds to take a lid off and put it back on again.

Maybe in the summer, but in the winter Er no actually it dosent. I've had this a few times and depending on my mood or how late I am and depending on the attitude and tone of the request I will do one of several things -

• Take me helmet of, smile for the camera and then put it back on.
• I will remove my helmet putting on the counter in-front of me and then after paying without moving from my spot in-front of the counter/till, put my my helmet back on. And only at that point will I make my way back to the bike.
• Ask why and if I get any attitude kick up a fuss blocking anyone else from using that till untill they accept my payment.
• Ignore the request and I ask them if they are going to take me my payment in a loud and very clear voice holding myt debit card in clear view of the cctv, I will do this atleast 3 times and then walk out if they refuse to take payment. Once I get to work call the police & the HQ of the station to make a complaint stating I tried to pay but was unable due to do the confrontational attitude of the PS in question.

I have only had 2 requests for me to remove my balaclava(during the winter), to which I have stated if they want me to do that I will do it at the till and they will have to wait for me to remove and put back on at the till. At which point the argument is over and they just want to take payment etc.

[simonm]

I'd say flip front or pay at pump.

I can understand them wanting helmets removed, your voice will be muffled and your body language hidden.

To be fair though I don't agree with the wearing of the burqa/niqab in England either on the basis of "when in Rome"

If they have attitude just don't fill up there again.

[lew600fazer]

Oh dear, here we go again...

It takes less than 30 seconds to take a lid off and put it back on again. Is that minute *SO* important to you that you can't be polite enough to remove your helmet? Would you keep it on if you went into a shop? A bank? A Police station? Someone's house?

If it matters to you that much, get a flip-front.

Oh and if a woman is wearing a burkha it's incredibly unlikely that she would be driving a car in the first place because her faith would prevent her from doing so, only the men are allowed to drive...

Wrong there is nothing in the Koran that says woman cannot drive , go on show us were it says it. I think the point being made is it is discrimination, but I do take your point is it worth the hassle.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Wrong there is nothing in the Koran that says woman cannot drive , go on show us were it says it. I think the point being made is it is discrimination, but I do take your point is it worth the hassle.

There should be, we all know women can't drive, surely God knows this too? 
I know, I'll never get to 'eaven...

[lew600fazer]

Wrong there is nothing in the Koran that says woman cannot drive , go on show us were it says it. I think the point being made is it is discrimination, but I do take your point is it worth the hassle.

There should be, we all know women can't drive, surely God knows this too? 
I know, I'll never get to 'eaven...

[mickdel]

It's just the way things are.  We all know the stations have standing orders for their staff and customers regarding wearing helmets,  so it's just pissing in the wind getting worked up about something you can't change.  I've enough stress inducing elements in life, without looking for more confrontation.   


Talking of confrontation,  I was out a couple of weeks ago with my daughter, walking our new pup.  We'd just left the flat, and instead of walking straight onto the road, we took the internal path to access it 50m away. The pup picked the route.   I'd spotted a 20/30 something, for want of a better word,  chav,  looking at us for longer than people usually do.   When we got onto the public pavement,  he was sitting on a low wall, and as we walked past, said "it's not hard to be offended round here is it mate?"  I asked,  politely,  what he meant.  He said "you saw me, and then deliberately walked on the internal pavement to insult me"  He said something else as well, and I started politely again, to say how dare you talk to me like that in front of my daughter (she was getting upset).   Then I flipped and walked up to him, forcing him into the middle of the road, and said "If I ever see you around here again, I will rip your fucking head off"   He fucked off pretty quickly.  I didnt realise I was screaming until I saw all the people looking out of their flats.   I told my daughter that "some people just need to be hit love".  She told me she felt sick, and went home.


I don't handle confrontation well.   It causes stress, and things like taking your lid off at a filling station,  is one way to avoid it.  Unless of course you're deliberately seeking confrontation,  in which case,  keeping your lid on is one way to get an opportunity to scream at someone 

[Hedgetrimmer]

"Looks like they asked Mickdel to remove his helmet again..." 
 

 
 

[mtread]

Maybe in the summer, but in the winter Er no actually it dosent. I've had this a few times and depending on my mood or how late I am and depending on the attitude and tone of the request I will do one of several things -

Take me helmet of, smile for the camera and then put it back on.
I will remove my helmet putting on the counter in-front of me and then after paying without moving from my spot in-front of the counter/till, put my my helmet back on. And only at that point will I make my way back to the bike.
Ask why and if I get any attitude kick up a fuss blocking anyone else from using that till untill they accept my payment.
Ignore the request and I ask them if they are going to take me my payment in a loud and very clear voice holding myt debit card in clear view of the cctv, I will do this atleast 3 times and then walk out if they refuse to take payment. Once I get to work call the police & the HQ of the station to make a complaint stating I tried to pay but was unable due to do the confrontational attitude of the PS in question.
I have only had 2 requests for me to remove my balaclava(during the winter), to which I have stated if they want me to do that I will do it at the till and they will have to wait for me to remove and put back on at the till. At which point the argument is over and they just want to take payment etc.

Yep agree with all of that. And if they refuse to switch on the pump while you are waiting to fill - solution is don't put the nozzle back, place it on the floor. Ride off and fill up elsewhere. They'll soon get fed up with it.

[fireblake]

It's your choice, fill or not to fill. I'm lucky as all my local garages don't have a policy to remove helmets. I mostly fill up going  to work so I'm usually wrapped up well and will not remove. If they asked me to remove it I'd probably fill up later when I had time to faff about.


Whilst I abhore violence Mick did the right thing as some of these people look for weakness and will exploit it. Sometimes you have to go on the offensive. And that is a shame.


Mickey

[mickdel]

"Looks like they asked Mickdel to remove his helmet again..." 
 

Now that pic just reminds me of home (Armagh).   Every year, one particular filling station got that treatment.   I think a different policy, rather than removing lids,  was the bone of contention - the filling up of crates of milk bottles in the trunks of cars.  (as there was a riot in progress a mile away  , and fresh molotovs were needed,  mitigating against the normal practice of filling jerrycans,  and then filling the bottles at a different location.)   If memory serves correctly,  it got burnt to the ground  6 times.   Before passing into an ownership that provided free petrol during the rioting season.   And it hasn't looked back since.

[midden]

To resurrect the dead.......I had to smile at my visit to Morrissons petrol station earlier. 
I found it quite amusing that a Biker with open face lid dark sunglasses and a bandanna covering his face was able to fill up unchallenged by the pump operators. He may as well have been wearing a fullface lid.
Makes me wonder if it was lenient operators or the biker was on a Harley and a chapter member with shitloads of patches on show 

[Robbie8666]

To resurrect the dead.......I had to smile at my visit to Morrissons petrol station earlier. 
I found it quite amusing that a Biker with open face lid dark sunglasses and a bandanna covering his face was able to fill up unchallenged by the pump operators. He may as well have been wearing a fullface lid.
Makes me wonder if it was lenient operators or the biker was on a Harley and a chapter member with shitloads of patches on show 

this wasn't at Waterlooville was it? we have both red & white & black & white back patches round here plus a few side patch clubs ,, must say when they ride out & all fill up it is a grand site to behold ( and like you say never much problems at filling stations!!)
 

[Doddsie]

Waterlooville... I used to live near there,.........35 years ago !!!!

[midden]

No, in Kent. He was Lakeside chapter from across the water
 

[HarryHornby]

Strange this one has popped up again today, for the first time ever, in the 5 years I've been riding the lady behind the counter refused to turn the pump on, signaling for me to remove my helmet.  I had already put the bike on the centre stand, taken one glove off and got my wallet out to show my intent to not drive off.  I wasn't prepared to then take the other glove, helmet and ear plugs out just for her, so I calmly put the nozzle back and rode off to the next filling station which was 1p a litre cheaper!!  BONUS! 
I did have to laugh a little, she had a head scarf on and I could see as much of her face as she could mine!  LOL

[darrsi]

Strange this one has popped up again today, for the first time ever, in the 5 years I've been riding the lady behind the counter refused to turn the pump on, signaling for me to remove my helmet.  I had already put the bike on the centre stand, taken one glove off and got my wallet out to show my intent to not drive off.  I wasn't prepared to then take the other glove, helmet and ear plugs out just for her, so I calmly put the nozzle back and rode off to the next filling station which was 1p a litre cheaper!!  BONUS! 
I did have to laugh a little, she had a head scarf on and I could see as much of her face as she could mine!  LOL

Should've told her to remove hers as well at the same time.

[HarryHornby]

It did cross my mind, but I didn't want to give us bikers a bad name, I just thought sod you and rode off with no fuss.

[sadlonelygit]

we have an occasional blitz against petrol stations that seem to think we are up to no good.
5 or 6 bikes all put in a fiver each, then go to pay with 4 pound coins and a bag of copper
always works best if no 3 in the queue drops his bag on the floor as well. ties up the pumps for a good 10 mins
they seem to have a more lenient attitude after that.