there i was today, just about to fill up when the lady behind the counter tells me i must remove my crash helmet? I wear an open face helmet and i had the chin peice up. I said can’t you see my face?? Yes she says but its our policy you have to take it off. I was paying by card so i said to her "well i don’t really want to leave my card with you as you might clone it. You look a bit dodgy…There was a queue of people at the time. I just told her forget it i’ll go elsewhere. I felt bullied for just being a biker?
I just go elsewhere whenever that happens to me. Jobs-worth pricks, guarantee you go back to the same garage and any other employee would let you fill up no problem.
Ok it’s annoying but if you do drive off without paying you can bet that the manager will be getting that employee to pay for it or they’ll have endless hassle about it… they are employees doing what they’ve been told at the end of the day
It’s happened to me a couple of times but I’ve just driven off without fuelling… except for the once I was on motorway services and needed the fuel.
I was asked to remove my helmet (a Shoe Neotec - flip front, and it was up!) at a station up in Nottingham a couple of weeks back. The station was packed, huge queues, and it was a tiny station with just two pumps. I needed the fuel - so I complied.
I took some tissue and cleaned the ground next to the pump, so that my helmet bag wouldn’t get dirty, and laid out some more tissue on the ground to protect it. I then unlocked my top box, found the fabric bag in which I keep my helmet when it’s not being used, took my helmet off and put in the bag carefully. Once I had placed my helmet in a safe location, I got back on the bike, took off the side stand so that it was standing upright, and nodded to the lady, who activated the pump so that I could fuel up the bike. I paid my money, and then had to spend time getting everything back on and put away before riding off.
I’m pretty sure that forcing me to do all of this added no value from a security point of view, while significantly increasing wait times for the people in the queue behind me…
the reason why they ask you guys to remove your lids even as an openface, is that the camera is pointed at an angle from above, so you cant actually identify people even with an openface.
me. i walk in the garage with lid and sunglasses on. never been asked to remove any of them. maybe is a woman thing. or maybe when i pay i open my wallet on the counter which displays my licence with picture and details. who knows.
I’ve never had a problem with this, although I’ve started seeking out pay-at-pump garages to save faffing around - I guess they don’t care who you are when they already have your card details.
Last month coming back from Biker Down, stopped for fuel just off the A13, had to pay up front, cash only! (American stye) Never been asked to take the helmet off yet, but would prob go elsewhere…
I don’t normally have a problem, If they ask me sometimes I will and if I don’t want to I go to another station. A couple of weeks ago, I rode to Ascot for a mates party, dark, pissing down with rain, pretty wet and was riding around trying to find the hotel for ages, couldn’t see a great deal either with the amount of rain, so, not in the best of moods…
I pulled up to refuel and the guy started the pumps gave me about £2 worth and then stopped them and asked me to remove my helmet, I replied that I was soaked freezing and unlikely to do so and he’d already been serving so why doesn’t he finish. He then started giving me the speech about not being allowed to serve me with it on, so, I said fair enough your mistake I’ll go somewhere else then and started the bike.
He then motioned that he was going to report me to the police for not paying the £2. At this point the normally mild mannered me lost it a little, got off the bike and entered the shop. He didn’t seem to accept that he had screwed up, gone against his company policy by serving me with helmet on and then locked me into either getting off the bike and paying for the £2 or taking my helmet off. I even offered him my drivers licence to hold while I filled up, which he refused. I told him what I thought in no uncertain terms, apologised to the only other customer there, emptied the change from my wallet over the sweet counter (about £2) and left.
I don’t have a problem with people doing their jobs, but, if you’re going to do it, do it properly, so, that others have the choice to comply or move on. Also if you do screw up be reasonable, you’ve already broken the rules, so, just sort it with the minimum of hassle to the other party.
Meal a proper meal of it, take as long as it can possible take to get your gloves and lid off, cash in a fiddly pocket so you have to take your jacket off etc etc, then take forever t put it back on, while staying put at the till, i would…
If you do sod off because they won’t give you fuel, make sure you drop the hose on the floor next to the pump. The’ll need to walk over to put it back in the slot that way.
Bloody cheek of calling a customer a potential thief ?!? and over a £20 tank worth of fuel! Piss take, go else where every time
