petrol stations and lids

[Janet]

My problem is that I wear (expensive) glasses. It's not so bad taking a helmet off, but I find that I need to put the glasses down briefly when I put my helmet back on. Garage forecourts are often quite windy, and the last thing I can afford to have is my glasses blowing away and getting scratched on the ground. Because of this I tend not to remove my helmet, but I can honestly say that I've never had any problems (or even comments or unfriendly looks from filling station staff), even when there has been a sign on the door requiring helmets to be removed. I live in Weston-super-Mare, where they must get a fair bit of out of town trade in the summer, but it really hasn't been a problem in practice. When I'm touring further afield I'm with my husband anyway, so he usually goes to pay. As he doesn't have the same problem as me, i.e. doesn't wear glasses, and is a big bloke who people could possibly find threatening, he does remove his lid.

[rayburn600]

Quote "I do too, I just consider it polite and frankly taking it off and putiting it back on adds less than a minute to the time you spend there which, as you say, isn't really a big deal."


At the end of the day, we are the first ones to complain about other people who are short of manners & particularly about the foreigners who have the burka, which is another issue, or even hoodies around the town.

It’s all to do with Respect.

If we as Bikers Respect others, even if it means removing the helmet, this act is noticed by the people that matter. We have nothing to hide, do we?
Plus it gives us the moral high ground in our own eyes, In other words, Self Respect.
Sadly lacking today as some have commented.

I have a flip up helmet, and I flip it up at every time.  Not once have I been asked to remove this, anywhere.

That may well be cos of the bike I'm riding.  :rollin
It demands respect...

[bwizz]

Similar issues here in Cornwall at some Shell and Sommerfield's . In one case I was asked to move to another pump as they could not see me properly. I regard it as to much hassle and go to stations without this policy. I wrote to the manager of Shell , he gave me the people needing to be over 16 to get fuel excuse  , i wrote back telling him this was a crap excuse and that he could probably live without my weekly £50 pittance.  Write to these stations HQ ,tell them their policy is nonsense

[AdieR]

I personally remove it anyway for the minute or so it takes. I have used open-face lids and left them on without a problem, though I tend to use the same filling station anyway and they tend to recognise me (or the bike) anyway.

That said, one filling station round the corner from me was robbed at gunpoint about 6 months ago (female cashier on own and late at night). The "gun" was an imitation and incapable of firing, but if you're face-to-face with that, would you know? Or wish to find out? A 16 year old and an 18 year old locked up this week for said robbery.

[Grahamm]

Quote "I do too, I just consider it polite and frankly taking it off and putiting it back on adds less than a minute to the time you spend there which, as you say, isn't really a big deal."

At the end of the day, we are the first ones to complain about other people who are short of manners & particularly about the foreigners who have the burka, which is another issue, or even hoodies around the town.

Excuse me, but I believe (even though you haven't attributed them) you're quoting my words there, however whilst I might complain about people's lack of manners, I most certainly *DO NOT* complain about "foreigners who have the burka or hoodies around the town", so please don't suggest that I do.

If we as Bikers Respect others, even if it means removing the helmet, this act is noticed by the people that matter. We have nothing to hide, do we?

WTF has "nothing to hide" got to do with anything?? As I said, I take off my lid because I consider it to be polite, no other reason.

[dx408]

This IMHO has nothing to do with respect or nothing to hide or even the moral high ground, if there is a sign on the pump along with the Cards accepted no under 16's no mobiles no smoking etc saying please remove helmets that's one thing but not having those signs and not having the pump authorised along with a voice on the tannoy telling me to remove my helmet MAKES me look like a possible criminal or suspect person which enforces the stereotypical image of a biker to every other person on the forcourt, now that is [u]disrespect[/u], this is made worse when I am wearing a flip which is up, and compounded by wearing ear plugs with my bad hearing making it hard to hear the announcement especially with some of the crappy tannoy systems garages have in place.

If they want helmets removed place signage to that effect AT THE PUMP I can then choose to use that garage or not use that garage. Yes it only adds a little time to remove and replace the helmet but it takes time waiting to be asked to remove it on bad days you get cold and wet even on covered forcourts especially if you are on the outside pumps. If they think you are a drive off risk have the ANPR cameras facing the rear of the vehicles after all CARS also have plates on the rear and as mentioned before the fuel capacity on a bike compared to a car is very small who would do a drive off and take the risk for such a small amount of fuel ?

Also mentioned that garages can do with out the small amount of money lost from you not going there but how many bikers are there in this country? so would say Esso miss it if every bike boycotted their stations I think the answer would be yes this could be made worse by every biker then also writing a complaint letter to the offending supplier.

[ddtwelve]

girlfriend being to said petrol staion as its the cheapest around and walked round to see if there any stickers with take your helmets off nothing on pumps until you get to shop door where it says when entering the shop take your helmet off, so in theory i have the right when at the pump not to take my helmet off?

[madmondeoman]

Wear a burka over your crash helmet?

[wraith600]

[color=rgb(204, 204, 204)]ts weird so many peps have problems i live in a dodgy part of north london never take off me lid and never have problems [/color][color=rgb(204, 204, 204)][/size]. only once when walking through BRENT CROSS shopping centre was asked to remove me lid by some security guard told him to feck off & walked away didn't get hassled after :lol [/color]

[ddtwelve]

:eek well im jnkjnnbkndn off are lass went again to the same station tonite and low and behold the same snotty kid on the till saying the same thing, but previous months  we had no problems until this kid was on, ive sent a email off to esso for there so called company policy about forecourts and lids lets see if they return my email    then watch this space as one snotty nose kid gets the sack or a nice knucle sandwich hehe from the missus 

[Lazarus]

i know someone who gets snotty when asked to remove his helmet when filling up at "pay at the pump" pumps.

He does the simpple thing - gets back on his bike and rides away.....................leaving the nozzle lying on the garage forecourt. If hes really grumpy, he maybe lifts off the other side pump and lies that down too.

me - i always take the helmet off when paying in shop.

[pitternator]

bikers just dont like being told what to do ,and any excuse for moaning they are being discriminated against...next I spose someone will moan why we have to wear crash helmets in the first place !....

just do as you are feckin told ! Its a condition of sale, its their petrol...dont go there if u dont like it . End of... :b



oh and I once got asked at a morrisons to take my helmet off. I did so of course, happy to do so, so they could see my boyish good looks.

[SteveH41]

Are we all not getting a little bit over excited about the simple act of removing your helmet? I like to take mine off for a breath of fresh air, if you have hair problems and getting it back in then perhaps it's time for a bit of a trim No.3 on top, No. 2  sides and back, taper neck please

[Slaninar]

Star Wars Episode VI Vaders Death

[Lazarus]

Are we all not getting a little bit over excited about the simple act of removing your helmet? I like to take mine off for a breath of fresh air, if you have hair problems and getting it back in then perhaps it's time for a bit of a trim No.3 on top, No. 2  sides and back, taper neck please

oh how I wish I had enough hair for a #3 on top!!!!

[karlo]

Never had the problem but I do wear a flip front which I generally flip up when stopped but as Pittt says doesn't take more than a minute or two max to take a bash hat off and on. Look at it from their point of veiw no cctv recognition with a helmet on and they don't know if the bike is on a false plate or even if the bike is robbed or not unfortunately bilking seems an everyday occurance maybe due to high fuel prices.

I blame the Government.  :rollin

[ddtwelve]

The problem is this kid our lass goes to same petrol station each week and I've been too never had a problem till this kid came on citing company policy , so if he's stating that are the other 6 pump attendants wrong ?

[BBROWN1664]

I never take my lid off to fill up and would go to another garage if asked. I dont like balancing it on the bike and would never put it on the floor or on the pump as they are contaminated with petrol however clean they may look. I know this as my family used to run a few Esso locations and still have one in the depths of Kent.

Petrol and plastic do not mix and lids fall from bikes. £20 worth of petrol plus £300 for a new lid anyone?

BTW, I have a flip front I normally wear and do open that up to stop any arguments about seeing who i am. Once or twice I have been wearing a balaclava which defeats the object

[Phil TK]

I leave my black visor down and usually respond to the till monkeys request for removal with a brusque 'sod off'!  8)

Actually I don't. I remove my lid if asked, if you imagine yourself in the till persons position you can understand why they want you to do it. We all look menacing enough as it is.

[caretaker]

following on from the bhurka thing, i sometimes say..  "are you picking on me cos i'm a muslim?" that throws them a little. try it.