[Yong]

I don't know about how things are where you all live but in Georgia (and most of US), the gas stations are self-serve. (This means you get out of the car and put the gas in your dam* self hehe).

Though this wasn't much of a problem before my injury, I must say that things are different now. Ever since I got my car about two month ago, one of my family members (or any other passenger) would fill up the car for me. Thus, there was no reason for me to attempt this myself.

Of course, I get in and out of my car at least 10 times a day (class schedule...can't help it..) I have never tried the gas station thing. How do you guys do it?

I ask this not because I don't know how to put gas in the car but because the last time I went to the station, I saw a DISABILITY button on the pump. A simple button. I was contemplating if this button would get the attendants to come out and gas the car for me. Anyone heard or seen this?

[nomis]

I did do it once on my own on a dark windy night in nowhere. I had a van. Unloaded the chair to find I hadn't left enough room between the van and bowser for me to do the job. Reloaded myself and the chair to repark and try again. Second time I got it right but wasn't amused.

I find friendly garages where I can get to know the staff. Frequently I ask someone to fuel for me or to find and ask an attendant to do it. I've always had good responses but I also feel a bit uncomfortable having to ask.

Yesterday, I solved the problem for good. I sold the car. First time in more than 40yrs I'll be without a car. Hasn't hurt me so far.

[RollerDoo]

Well, here in Michigan most of the gas pumps have a little handicap button on them. If you push it an attendant will come out. But I too have got to know the owner of one Shell gas station here in Kalamazoo and whoever is working will come out and pump my gas or get me whatever I need. When I pull up someone almost always comes out with minimal wait. Im a smoker and not having to get out to run in for smokes or a pop is great. I use this station at least once a day. But really, look at the pump for a handicap button. I used to carry a cane or a grabber to poke the button since it is on the pump and you cant get close enough to push it with a finger.

[russ1]

In the UK most petrol (gas) stations will come out to you. However I usually just get out and do it myself as it's just as quick and usually less hassle.

Since changes to the banking system here we now have chip and pin cards which mean that you have to get out and put your pin number in the card machine at the counter if you want to pay with a credit card. So unless I want to downgrade my card to a less secure (signed for) version that doesn't allow cash withdrawals (which I use a lot if I'm abroad) I have to have enough cash on me to pay for fuel if I want to use the attendant service anyway.

At least if I get out I can buy myself a bar of chocolate :-)

Russ

[RollerDoo]

Here is something I found out today the hard way. I went to the gas station and put 25 dollars in my car and since I didnt need anything else the attendant ran my card at the pump. Well, to my surprise I got home and checked my account and I have a charge for 100 dollars. I instantly called the credit card company. They informed me that gas stations with pay at the pump automatically charge 100 dollars and once it clears they refund the amount over what your purchase price was. I was quite angry about this and I will make sure I have the attendant take the card inside and run it as credit and of course not debit so I dont get the "non-atm" fee.

[Yong]

I'm glad to hear about the 'disabled' button. I've seen them on the gas stations I frequent. Good stuff.

[Tim13]

I just drive up to the pump, get out, put my credit card in the pump, fill the car and leave.
My understanding is that the disability full service thing only works if there are two or more employees
on duty but it may vary from state to state.

[RYAN68]

Ahh heck just get out and do it. The little "sticker" on the pump never works, and usually the attendant doenst know any better any ways. I like to get out and fill up my vehicles, except when it comes to paying for them. It costs better than $120 to fill my truck up....

[ryan08/06/88]

russ1, on Mar 13 2008, 11:52 AM, said:

In the UK most petrol (gas) stations will come out to you. However I usually just get out and do it myself as it's just as quick and usually less hassle.

Since changes to the banking system here we now have chip and pin cards which mean that you have to get out and put your pin number in the card machine at the counter if you want to pay with a credit card. So unless I want to downgrade my card to a less secure (signed for) version that doesn't allow cash withdrawals (which I use a lot if I'm abroad) I have to have enough cash on me to pay for fuel if I want to use the attendant service anyway.

At least if I get out I can buy myself a bar of chocolate :-)

Russ

Likewise, I just get out and do it myself...I've never beeped the horn or whatever to get someone to do it for me, it owuld just be embarassing.

When I do go in, quite often the attendant will say to beep my horn in future but I just say no it's cool.

Another option is go to tesco's pumps if you are in the uk as they do pay at the pump and you just put your card in, that way you don't need to go into the shop.

It's not that much effort to get out and do it...although I do have my days when I really cannot be arsed, particularly when its hammering it down...

[RollerDoo]

Well to be honest you get over the "embarrassed" thing. I used to be like that. Had to do everything myself and hated help. After 17 years of being in a chair the offer of help is seldom turned down.

[Meadowlarkmark]

Here in Salt Lake I go to the Sam's Club and I will wave the guy ovr who will pump my gas but it is always a pain o get his attention.

[Dancingdolphin]

I go to the same place most of the time + toot the horn + ask for a chocolate too

[ems]

Just do it myself. If someone else is with me, they may offer, but as I usually dump everything on a debit card, I'd have to get out anyway. It really only bothers me when I've switched my cars over and I forget what I'm driving, and the release for the diesel is on the other side.. and I have to get back in the car.. join the queue again and start over!

emma.

[KarenFerguson]

Ug gas stations - they've become so annoying now with out the lack of full service or the fact that there's only one attendant in those little box things.

A gas station (if there's more than one attendant) is required to help you pump gas - that's if you can get there attention. When hubby drove his big van he'd sometimes sit for quite a while in front of the convince store with a hand made sign (a handicapped sticker and a gas pump) and wave like made. He would have attendants look at him then go back to what they were doing - how rude!

Anyway, when I drive my Prius (insert irony of getting gas and driving a hybrid car here), and if the gas station has only one attendant I have to take out my chair and pump gas - it's a total pain. Usually I can reach the pump and credit card slot - I've learned that Chevron gas stations usually have the "lowest" gas pumps. With my Honda Element it's not such a big deal because I can "hop" right out.

Oh, and also those disabled stickers are useless in my opinion. You have to get out of the car to reach them anyway, why not just pump the gas yourself when your out of the car? Totally stupid ... god I hate gas stations and in California you really need to visit them quite a bit. Man I sure don't miss living in San Diego.

This post has been edited by KarenFerguson: 22 March 2008 - 03:58 AM

[wheeliebasketball]

I always have a nightmare filling up my mini @ petrol stations lol cz i flash my hazard lights & sound the horn to try get the cashiers 2 come ot but have to wait ages before they notice even though i am sat right in front of them also holding my blue badge up!! I usually have to call the store 2 get them to come ot which is dangerous as you are not suposed to use a mobile on the forecort, once i had to get the wheelchair out and fill it up myself then the woman was going to refuse me fuel becasue i looked to young & had passed my driving test @ 16 that day so she didnt believe that my licence was genuine becasue normally you have to be 17 but if you are disabled in the UK you can pass your test @ 16 but hardly anyone knows that

[Big Valley]

Able bodied people hate getting out to pump the gas to, but they do it anyway. It is part of driving.

What gets me is I am out, pumping the gas, just waiting for it to fill up, and someone asks if I need any help. With what? Watching it fill up? Always got to have that reminder at least once a day that someone will always think I am incapable of doing the simplest things a able bodied person does.

This post has been edited by Big Valley: 28 March 2008 - 08:33 PM

[dorkette]

Well I think right now everyone, everywhere dreads going to the gas station.

After I blessedly fot my van, the first time it ever had to be filled up I made my Dad go with me to teach me how to pump gas (don't laugh! I was never one of those kids whose parents made them pump while they ran in and paid before debit/credit card machines were everywhere). Anyway, I dripped a little on myself and learned that trying to get me, the chair, hose, in nozsel all to get from point A to point B at one time is tricker than it looks. But no, biggie. Practice is perfect and all that jazz.

So second time I was alone, and well I guess looking back my dad was nice and paid the first time, so there was this whole moment of me looking at the debit card slot, then looking at the car, and looking at the slot thinking this is sooo not going to work. If I stretched to the max I could get the car in the slot but couldn't read the screen. Then that lead to a horridous cell phone call of me trying to get my mom to remember what exactly you press and in which order to get the do-hicky to work.

After that I tried to avoid getting gas, and in the end got my mom to do it. Then with the whole "I'm-determined-to-move-out-look-and-see-how-independent-I-am!" phase last summer I started once again getting my gas. So after like 6, 7 tries of trying every possible combination of sticking my card in, pressing enter, and picking of the nozsel this man sticks his head out of his car and offers help, well fustrated and embarrased, I accept. Come to find that pump was OUT OF ORDER. Thank you for the sign, Shell. We go to the next pump, that doesn't work either so the man suggest we go inside in pay for it. Do that, cashier lady ends up charging it twice and then confusing the hell out of me all before the tank if finally full. Finally, after all that, the man goes on to lecture me on how I should think before I accepting help from strangers, someone could have ran off with my creidit card and then where would I be. WTF? You're going to offer to help me the berate me for taking it? I nodded along and thanked him for his concern but I really wanted to tell him that Mister, I'm 19 years old, intelligent college student, it would have taken me five seconds to call Visa and get them to cancel the card.

So after that incidient I refused to ger my own gas. But once I found an apartment I knew I'd had to to something like Karen said, Chevron's card slots are almost always way lower and within easy reach. The only problem is that it's hella expensive... once it was 15 more center per gallon then the racetrac across the street. So now, usually, I'll get my roomate at the racetrack to do it when we're out in a about (I told her to she only had to do the card part to which she told me whatever, no big, by the time you get out of the car i'd already be done so just toss the wallet and kill the engine). Now, if I'm by myself I go to chevron with a pissy inner thoughts the entire time.

Sorry for the incredible long tale.

last time I filled up: $71 into the grandcaravan

also, like Tim in Karen said, those little handicapped button/sticker usually has that nice little fine print that says two attendents have to be on duty for it to be worth a snot

[azx43]

Yong, on Mar 12 2008, 10:07 PM, said:

I don't know about how things are where you all live but in Georgia (and most of US), the gas stations are self-serve. (This means you get out of the car and put the gas in your dam* self hehe).

Though this wasn't much of a problem before my injury, I must say that things are different now. Ever since I got my car about two month ago, one of my family members (or any other passenger) would fill up the car for me. Thus, there was no reason for me to attempt this myself.

Of course, I get in and out of my car at least 10 times a day (class schedule...can't help it..) I have never tried the gas station thing. How do you guys do it?

I ask this not because I don't know how to put gas in the car but because the last time I went to the station, I saw a DISABILITY button on the pump. A simple button. I was contemplating if this button would get the attendants to come out and gas the car for me. Anyone heard or seen this?

I actually like gassing up my car myself- except for the prices these days! I feel that when people see me and my chair independently filling up the car, it does a little education that people who use wheelchairs are really just like anybody else. I drive a minivan with a ramp so after I get out, I fold up up the ramp so there is plenty of room for others to drive through. There is always at least one pump with the "disability button", but I've personally never had trouble enough to use it. It's nice to know that there is someone who will help me if need it. Also, I have found that in places where a lot of folks come with big boats and RVs, the gas stations usually have wider aisles and longer hoses, which can be a good thing for those who need accessibility. Have fun and enjoy your driving independence, and the fueling isn't a big deal!!

[Hapahowlee]

My husband drives a van with 2 gas tanks and I go with him to fill up both tanks when he gets low. His gas caps are too hard to screw off (sounds nasty doesn't it), but he isn't able to reach everything anyway. There have been times, he's forgotten that he needed gas and I told him to try to reach the button on the pump with the handicap insignia. If there is more than one attendant, they are required to help you. Problem is, most people who work at gas stations don't know this.

It's best to get your gas during the day because you have a better chance of getting help. Most evenings there is usually only one attendant and they can't leave the store to help you. My husband will also ask another patron to tell someone working at the gas station that he needs help.

I have a somewhat amusing story that triggered in my mind when I read about someone smoking. My husband is in the process of getting his new van converted. He is driving a 1986 Ford and one tank doesn't register so he tries to keep track of the mileage and flips his switch to the other gas tank. Then he started having problems with the car dying when the tank got close to empty and when the car died he wouldn't be able to start the van even if he switched tanks. So on his way home one day, he called me at home to let me know he was stuck, and wasn't able to quite pull all the way off the road. So I rushed off to get some gas. All the store had were 1 gallon gas containers. What a pain they were to fill up. Gas was spewing everywhere and on me. So I pull up behind my husband and the gas fills up on the driver's side. How great, with all the fast moving traffic coming. So here I think I'm going to get killed by these fast approaching cars, while I try to get enough gas in to start the van. All of a sudden I see my husband flick his cigarette butt out his window and landed about a foot away from me. I said, "Yo MORON BOY, are you seriously trying to kill me or what?" Now we signed back up with AAA. No way I'm doing that again!

[Tim13]

Big Valley, on Mar 28 2008, 08:31 PM, said:

Able bodied people hate getting out to pump the gas to, but they do it anyway. It is part of driving.

What gets me is I am out, pumping the gas, just waiting for it to fill up, and someone asks if I need any help. With what? Watching it fill up?

Lucky you, not only does nobody offer to help but two different people have asked ME to help THEM*.







*a senior citizen and a girl who had just got her car and didn't know how to use the pump