Petrol Station carnage
 

Haven't seen anything official but am picking up numerous bits and pieces that indicate petrol stations are going 'self service'.
Although this will deprive me of my weekly chance to see the shock, awe, and discomfort on the face of the attendant as I fill my own vehicle, it is something that I am looking forward to.
The letters in 6days imply that you will have to pre-pay though - does anyone else sense another ill conceived, badly executed, and completely haphazard (with the emphasis on the hazard) plan?
CH

Re: Petrol Station carnage
 

omg...the thought...

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One thing I actually miss is being able to put Petrol in my own car (I don't miss UK prices though!!)

I did get rather annoyed recently when the attendant at a particular garage wouldn't let me fill my own car up, but I tried anyway. He was like "No sir, please sir no sir, It is the rules sir" :rofl:

Bring it on!! :eek:

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why though? why do it? it works perfectly well and surely not to save money, I'm usre these young lads get paid next to nothing.

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Why are you looking forward to filling your own tank? Mostly I prefer to just go and peruse the range of gluttony available :p. I have to admit that on a frosty morning the smell of benzine in still air is nice though.

Petrol is only a hazard if you are a numpty :D.

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yeah i agree, but as far as i know the procedure is that you rock up to the pump, park, go inside, pre-pay for your fuel (and no doubt bugger around for 10 minutes), back to the vehicle, fill up to the pre-paid limit. Bugger off.
It is going to be a nightmare because:

1) loads of people fill their tank and have only a vague idea in advance how much it will cost.
2) So many people will struggle to get their heads around this in general (language, general lack of common sense)
3) loads of people will just be too damn lazy/proud (you know what i mean)

As i say, carnage.

CH

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I can't see it happening....

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agreed it will be carnage if they do.
The national had an article a while ago highlighting just how dangerous self service was!!! :rofl:

there will be a large no. of people here who have never actually used a pump before, i cant wait to watch them try to fill up.

all that said i actually like having someone else do it especially during summer.

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How do you know how much petrol you need? "Enough to make the tank so no more can fit in please...i.e. Fill it up"?

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In Europe, various petrol stations in several countries require prepayment at night (UK, France and Belgium spring to mind immediately, but I'm sure there are others).

In fact in certain parts of my home town you have to pre pay at many stations even in the day as they have so many 'drive offs'.

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There are certain US states where self service is not allowed on safety grounds. Oregon is one IIRC, and a few others as well.

I generally fill up, so with this system you would need to queue (nice and orderly :rofl:) to pay your guess, then queue again to settle the balance. :curse:

It might work if they have staff on the forecourt to take your money directly as you complete filling.

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Yeah I can see it now...people with lit cigarettes filling up then blowing up the whole station.

Orderly queues? Pay an estimate then pay any outstanding balance? I'm sorry but most people in this part of the world are not capable of such things....self service will be a nightmare.

N.

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Heard on the radio this morning that it's ENOC that will be implemennting it. The concept is for pre-payment and intially over just 10 petrol stations.

Dubai Eye Business Breakfast (103.8) say Enoc will be on the show tomorrow to provide more info and discuss. Should be an interesting listen .... :unsure::unsure:

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Someone has suggested elsewhere that the real reason for this is the change to the visa rules. Can't imagine what they're getting at... ;)

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If you catch fire because you where smoking a ciggaret in a petrol station consider it a Darwin award.

Here the pre-pay just lets you use up to the maximum amount on your card and then the pump shuts off (or so I have been told by someone who worked for a petrol station).

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so they no longer accept credit cards and now they want self service...they must be feeling the pinch what with having to buy their fuel from Abu Dhabi

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y'auld cynic...

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Once the first couple of filling stations have gone up in a ball of flame they will soon re-introduce the attendants.

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If it works the same way as elsewhere, they are going to have to accept credit cards...
The idea is that you swipe the card into a card reader fitted on the petrol pump and they system requests authority up to a certain spend (lately in the UK its been asking up to £70 due to fuel costs!!!). You start to fill up and, when the pump stops, you are either full or you have reached your pre-authorised limit...

It is pretty idiot-proof, if you know how the damn petrol pump works in the first place, of course!!!:rofl::rofl:

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They could fit "reverse ATMs" like the ones Etisalat have in some of the Malls for bill payment. Feed in a note and fill up. That could be a nice little earner for them as they don't have to give change so if your tank is fuller than you thought before you fill up......

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Start crying when you pay bloody € 1.62 for a liter of petrol!!! :cool: And for that price I can fill my own bloody tank.

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Just got a call from the Ass Factory; my brand new 2009 Donkey will arrive in 2 weeks' time...

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I take it you are having the 20" alloy hoofs..

Be interested to see where they put the speakers for the stereo...

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Over here people are already crying over paying €28,000 plus a year to rent a poxy 2 bedroomed apartment..

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€ 10.200 is considered normal (all in per year) for a 2 bedroom apartment here. But try filling a hobby on wheels for € 1.62 per liter, that really hurts.

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No stereo...Au naturel...

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Going for the minimalist approach then?

I converted a '89 Honda Civic into an open top "moon roof" a couple of years ago, I looked up the prices of convertibles and descided that I could make a better job of it on 'the cheap' ($450 as it turned out). So with the aid of an angle grinder I cut away the centre section of the roof leaving a sort of "moon roof" opening along the length of the car (I would have cut it lower but I didnt want to compramise the structure of the car). Result: Plenty of scuttle shake and a $450 convertible for the summer :thumbsup:.

To be fair though you needed a pair of these to drive it at more than 70km/h:
http://www.linksengineer.com/Admin/N...62d1e78085.jpg

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Or even simpler just go with pre-paid…..

You buy a pre-loaded smart card in advance; decide how much credit you want added on it and pay in the shop, if you want to do it one fill at a time so be it but if you want to stick 500 AED on it in one lump that ok as well.

When you fill up, slot it in the machine and just use the pre-paid credit. Whatever you don’t use sits on the card til next time, when you run out of credit just go back in and top it up again.

Further down the line link this to either E mobile top up and / or web payment for an easy flexible corporate or personal solution….

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or even simpler...just sit in your car when the nice men fill it up, you give them money, you get change and you drive off....

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that makes far too much sense for out here mate, we dont even have debit cards or direct debit. Emobile payments wil faze them completely.

Its the right solution though

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oh i love those men...they fill my car, wash my screens, check my oil and water...if it wasn't for them, my car would have been buggered up years ago, they can't get rid of them...

MM, xx

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They are trialing it in 10 filling stations....3 in Dubai (don't know where) and the rest in the Northern Emirates.

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What did your last hustband die of?

Seriously most modern cars should be fine as long as you follow the service schedual.

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You don't need a hobby on wheels in most of Europe mate...they have excellent public transport in most cities and the climate is great for walking if you live within a mile or two of the office.

N.

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Correct as for the hobby, just a boys dream come true fore me. Wrong as for the Dutch public transport, but you're a tourist I'll forgive you.

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Warning: I got a virus report from that. Any one else?

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anything to do with catboy is bad for you...

MM, xx

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Come again? I must be having a blonde moment. :p

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I hope they don't implement this and it is not because I am too lazy to fill my own car up, these poor guys will lose their jobs and they need the money for their families back home :(