FORUM

badpenny wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2019 12:20 pm I've never understood the petrolelole'oleum industry. We pay so much in the UK for it, but have you noticed how it doesn't matter where they open a new filling station they always strike petrol? So much of it at times you sometimes see road tankers pulling in to carry it away.
Rip off UK!

BP

malcymal wrote: ↑Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:06 am in particular Esso

Penny-In-Slot' Petrol Pumps Spread To US
From Our Special Representative NEW YORK. March 30.
Self-service petrol stations are trying to break into America's billion dollar a year 'penny-in-the-slot' boom.
Last year, US car drivers helped themselves to 300m. gallons of petrol without one fire or accident.
The US version of the self service petrol station is not as completely automatic as the one proposed by Victoria's 'two bob in the pump' inventor. The motorist fills his own tank, but a cashier collects his money.
The petrol company that installed the first ones in 1946 says their cost is only half the outlay per pump for a conventional service station, a motorist gets away from the pump in two to three minutes compared with five to eight minutes when a serviceman has to do the job, staff is cut by two thirds, and cost is about 5d. a gallon cheaper.
So far there are less than 400 self-servers in the whole of the US — and 90 p.c. of those are in California.
Insurance Risk
Half of the States and most of the big cities, including New York, have banned them for the same reason as Victoria — the risk of fire. But insurance companies, which initially charged 50 p.c. higher rates on them, last year reduced them to the normal service station level. They said the risk appeared to be the same for both.
In San Diego, where 40 self-serve stations have been operating for five years, the fire chief found they may even be safer than conventional stations. Motorists are much more careful than garage attendants about the amount of petrol that spills over their tank.
When the legal difficulties are cleared up, the slotmachine makers are ready to get going with automatic pumps.
But they are only small change in the slot machine business. Last year, Americans poured £558m. into the 'silent salesmen' for 19 billion items — everything from
bubble gum and hot coffee to nylon stockings and life insurance.