yesterday at the garage

[maddog04]

so I pull up and begin to fuel up, I'm sat on the bike as usual and then the lad behind the counter gets on the mike, gestures and says something I can't decipher coz of my ear plugs. I start to think that he's saying I need to move pumps and I look at the pump which has stopped delivering at £11.36. and won't deliver any more fuel

I ride the bike around to the next pump and he's at it again before I can get the nozzle out of the pump. WTF?
A woman opens her car door and tells me he's saying I have to get off the bike to get the fuel, so I do and fuel up.

I enter the shop and ask him what its all about and he says elf n safety.........  I might get burned if I had a flashback/fire whilst sat on the bike......FFS

I ask is this his policy or company policy and tell him that I could also get burned from a flashback/fire whilst stood next to the bike and being a fireman, I'm well aware of the dangers of fire. he mumbles some crap about using mobiles too; so I mentioned that if they're that keen on saving me from burning that it maybe a good idea to have all those extinguishers which are lined up outside the shop, placed at the pumps instead.
I then mention that I'm surprised he hasn't asked me to remove my lid but it being a flip that's up, he's ok with it but does say that if I had a dark visor and lid then he would ask me to remove it so he could see my face...............cue me ask him if he'd ask a woman wearing a burka the same question.
He starts to lose it and shouts "I'm not getting into this"

then from behind comes the comment
"GET ON WITH IT......THERE'S A QUEUE HERE"

Now I feel the red mist rising like a volcano but manage to keep my cool, I turn to see an arl tw*t in the queue and tell him that I'll move when I'm ready. They open up another till to ease the queue and I ask the crying tw*t if he's happy now

I'm not into aggro for aggro sake but it does my tits in when people just accept shit, especially under the guise of elf n safety without challenging these goons

[Exupnut]

Dosn't surprise me a bit altho i would be equally pissed of i s'pose. I've heard of lids needin to be removed or that bikers need to pay for fuel first but off the bike to fill up? That's a new one on me. I would have challenged it aswell. Possibly without the restraint u clearly demonstrated. It feels good not to blow a fuse when u know ur in the right tho.

[snapper]

yep been down this road before ! i parked up next to a pump flipped open my helmet and started try to put petrol in
 nothing ! waved at the bloke behind counter no responce finall I got arsey went into the shop and he demanded i pay before I fill up !  nope not having! that so afew choice word and left  thats the first and only time i've had the issue but I've heard its more and more common
 

[stevierst]

There's a couple of fuel stations around where I live that try telling you to take your helmet off. I always give them the burkha line, and for people wearing baseball caps, large shades, and scarves around their necks. Always het the same response, "speak to the manager".

I've even had the health and safety line thrown at me when asked to take my helmet off, to which I just laughed at the spotty oik behind the counter and told him that he wanted me to remove safety equipment for h&s reasons! He didn't think that one through properly did he?

It's an old debate, but one I tell the cashier that every biker uses fuel, and pretty much every biker has a car, quite a lot use vehicles at work.
Do you really want the fuel station being boycotted by bikers and all their other vehicles? Because they will lose quite a bit of custom!

[NorthWestern]

It is annoying having to remove your lid but I tend to remove it now regardless of the garage policies to avoid wasting time.  Where I live (well - more accurately local ones I use) all garages all require helmet removal so its become second nature.

[stevierst]

I also say to the cashier. If they want my helmet off, provide me with either a clean area to put it, or come out here and hold the bugger, as petroleum based fuels are really good at rotting helmet materials, which of course is safety equipment that I use to protect my head!

[fazersharp]

It's an old debate, but one I tell the cashier that every biker uses fuel, and pretty much every biker has a car, quite a lot use vehicles at work.
Do you really want the fuel station being boycotted by bikers and all their other vehicles? Because they will lose quite a bit of custom!

   
 Too right I think we should have a name and shame and boycott

 Ive come across the lid off one. Came to fill up nothing-waved at the operator-- nothing, I knew what it was all about but played dumb untill someone came out, --well leant out the door and shouted to which I pointed at my ears and shook my head, they shouted louder, I pointed and shook, by this time they were looking like they were dancing to YMCY, gesticulating that I should remove my helmet, I got bored and said oh you want me to take my helmet off, they said yes, I said NO and foc-ed off humming to myself  " I said young man dah dah da du dah dah".    

[NorthWestern]

Wonder what they would say if you did a bit of a Tommy Cooper style switch, bend over - head hidden behind bike, helmet off, quickly stand straight with a burka on (requiring minor adjustment)!.

[Robbie8666]

Wonder what they would say if you did a bit of a Tommy Cooper style switch, bend over - head hidden behind bike, helmet off, quickly stand straight with a burka on (requiring minor adjustment)!.

or remove helmet to expose a balaclava!!
with my old lid I used to wear an anti-flash hood in winter as it was warm n tucked under my belstaff! they cant moan about that if it is a fire hazard! lol
 

[Dead Eye]

So far I've never had any trouble in any of the fuel stations I've used. I guess the West Country is less concerned? More likely to have their cows tipped, or apples stolen :P

[Exupnut]

When I moved to Gloucester i got pulled by a m/c copper cos i ad me lid flipped up. I told him everybody in london coppers included ride with the flip up. His answer ,,, "well we aint in london now are we sir" he did let me go with a warning tho.

[fazersharp]

i got pulled by a m/c copper cos i ad me lid flipped up.

Whats the law problem with that then, is it a danger if the wind catches it - and where in the law would that fall under

[wezdavo]

i got pulled by a m/c copper cos i ad me lid flipped up.

Whats the law problem with that then, is it a danger if the wind catches it - and where in the law would that fall under

It adversely effect the strength of the lid

[mickvp]

Don't some of the new flip lids get tested with the flip part up as well though. (Dual approval?)

[risticuss]

You can ride with a flip-up lid in the up position, but only if it locks open. T'was what I was told whilst doing my training a couple of years ago.

[Hedgetrimmer]

i got pulled by a m/c copper cos i ad me lid flipped up.

Whats the law problem with that then, is it a danger if the wind catches it - and where in the law would that fall under

It adversely effect the strength of the lid

But....flip-up helmet testing doesn't include the chinbar....

As far as I'm aware, there is no existing standard, or rules and regulations concerning riding with the chinbar up. The only obvious thing is, as mentioned, riding at higher speeds - not advisable cos at the very least it'll give you neck strain!

[fazersharp]

This is all what im getting at ------ yes its not a good idea to ride at speed like that but where is it said and what law is being broken

[demic77]

Don't some of the new flip lids get tested with the flip part up as well though. (Dual approval?)

Blurb that came with my Roof Boxer says dual tested. When I'm pootling about I ride with it open, it's half the reason I bought it.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Don't some of the new flip lids get tested with the flip part up as well though. (Dual approval?)

Blurb that came with my Roof Boxer says dual tested. When I'm pootling about I ride with it open, it's half the reason I bought it.

Yes, meaning the helmet is safe as an open-face lid or with the chin bar closed. But the actual structural integrity/protection level of the chin bar itself is not tested as I understand it.

[Hamos]

I ride the bike around to the next pump and he's at it again before I can get the nozzle out of the pump. WTF?
A woman opens her car door and tells me he's saying I have to get off the bike to get the fuel, so I do and fuel up.

I enter the shop and ask him what its all about and he says elf n safety.........  I might get burned if I had a flashback/fire whilst sat on the bike......FFS

I have not had to use my pre planned answer, but if someone said to me that I had to get off the bike to fuel up, I would point out that with me off the bike and on its side stand the bike has 3 points of contact.  With me sat on the bike it now has 4 points of contact and so more stable.  Also with the filler neck vertical there is less chance of fuel spilling onto a hot engine and causing a fire.

As for the helmet, I tend to take mine off automatically, or use my nearest petrol station that has pay at the pump.

[mtread]

I tend to use a local petrol station that has a 'pay at pump' function, where you don't need to go into pay the cashier. No problem leaving your lid on then.


I  must say that in the winter, especially if it is pissing down, and as I wear glasses, I do object to taking my helmet off. It's quite a faff doing it comfortably all back up again, and anyway I prefer to be treated as innocent rather than potentially guilty.


As I said in a previous thread, the way to deter this, if they insist and don't switch the pump on, is to carefully lay the nozzle on the ground, and ride off to fill up somewhere else 

[Beeblebrox2nd]

I know for a fact (brother works there) that Sainsbury's policy is not to ask for bikers to remove helmets as it could cause aggravation, even though they'd appreciate it if we did.
The only time they WILL ask to remove a helmet is if anyone wants to buy cigs or booze so that they can confirm the age of the customer, which I can accept as a company policy, 'though my brother has said that if they can see that the biker is definitely over 25 (say, 40+) then some cashiers won't bother asking for removal!
Anyway, I always fill at Sainsburys as they're generally cheaper, if there's no pay-at-pump available anywhere else.

[Andy FZS]

I was asked to pay before fueling once, early one morning on my way to work in the car. I said I was willing to pay if he could tell me how much I was going to spend filling my tank, he couldn't and I didn't pay until I filled it.

[fazersharp]

Yep I wear glasses too and also have an issue with earplugs so taking helmet off tends to dislodge them and I will need to sit back at the pump with my finger in my ears untill they have expanded and fit in again. Dont reply about the plugs as that is way off topic and another story.
Anyway its about holding up the station is it ?, as in --- gimmi all your money. So I must be on a stolen bike also because my reg number is being recorded on cctv is it not.
How many petrol stations have been done over this way I wonder.
And if I were to do so I wouldnt pretend to need filling up first inorder as an excuse to need to walk in, as I would just walk in --------------- I dont get it, whats behind the remove your helmet thing.
And yes I always (mostly ) use the pay at pump ones which will lead to the atendents loosing their jobs

[apage16]

This guy has tried the "take off helmet, put on balaclava" response.