headlights on at servo = security threat?

[blueoval]

Originally Posted by fmc351

.....I switch my car off to fuel, but the car pulling in behind me waiting for the pump is still idling, doesnt mean I should just leave mine idling anyway.

thats an interesting observation. I never looked at it that way.

[SB076]

Originally Posted by Pinkbits

Slightly off topic.
I put $30 in the coupe at BP in Lyndhurst Vic and paid with a new $100 note.
The attendant took the note and was fumbling around on the counter, then crouches down behind the counter and says to me "i just have to check it". I sarcastically replied "don't worry mate it's all there".
I said to him, "have a look at that car out there, do you think i would be so stupid to hand over a counterfeit note driving a car that obvious"
All he said was "company policy". Can someone confirm this?
Probably never seen one before.

I cant confirm that, but I had a similar problem at BP Lyndhurst, the pump wouldnt start (tried several goes) anyway after awhile it finally started. When I got to the counter the girl said sorry, but thats the pump everyone does a runner at, so we were writing down details. I said you wouldnt do a runner in a car like mine cause it stands out a bit and she said no its always cars like mine that do runners. I just shurgged my shoulders.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by fmc351

Provided it is deserted, and you arent mistaken by missing that one car.

Or is deserted 4 cars an hour, 12 cars, 30? The problem is shifting rules like you imply are arbitrary, each individual has a different idea on what constitutes deserted. For some, its anything that isnt Punt Rd during peak hour.

so you've never jay-walked?!

[Ben Williams]

Something in this thread made me remember a situation I had a few months ago that really annoyed me. Always use BP servos and am aware how about half in Melbourne that are 24 hour have the "leave card or pay" before fill thing once dark.

The servo I attended this night did not have notice of this but my pump would not work so I went inside and asked attendant, he said it was pre-pay and to read the signs, but I tried telling him the signs weren't out. Whatever, I left my card with him and started to fill up.
Now while I am filling another person pulls up to 2 pumps down and just starts filling away no worries at all. Almost decided to bring it up with attendant, but couldnt be bothered in the end.

Wonder what caused his reason to stop me filling. I am younger sure (well, 24), car is a 02 Subaru Liberty. So am not sure if either factor had anything to do with it. Any ideas anyone?

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

so you've never jay-walked?!

Its more of a jog.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by fmc351

Its more of a jog.

[stockNAfairlane]

Originally Posted by Ben Williams

Something in this thread made me remember a situation I had a few months ago that really annoyed me. Always use BP servos and am aware how about half in Melbourne that are 24 hour have the "leave card or pay" before fill thing once dark.

The servo I attended this night did not have notice of this but my pump would not work so I went inside and asked attendant, he said it was pre-pay and to read the signs, but I tried telling him the signs weren't out. Whatever, I left my card with him and started to fill up.
Now while I am filling another person pulls up to 2 pumps down and just starts filling away no worries at all. Almost decided to bring it up with attendant, but couldnt be bothered in the end.

Wonder what caused his reason to stop me filling. I am younger sure (well, 24), car is a 02 Subaru Liberty. So am not sure if either factor had anything to do with it. Any ideas anyone?

Certain pumps can be prepay while others aren't, to do with visibility, camera's etc

[JamesR]

posting to say i have sent sms' while filling up and am still alive.

[csv8]

So, how do VOLVO drivers fill up their car ?they have lights permanently on ???

[JamesR]

Originally Posted by csv8

So, how do VOLVO drivers fill up their car ?they have lights permanently on ???

turn the ignition off....

[BHDOGS]

I would say im a cok head and believe that if there just doing there job then as a customer it is my job to complain and give them a hard time if the people serving me dont like it theres the door they can quit at anytime ;)

[StealthAu]

3 pages of complaining about having to turn a switch when you pull into a servo?
Who gives a crap why you can't have your lights on, talk on the phone and so on, I wouldn't class these as major inconveniences for the 5 minutes I spend there filling up.

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I would say im a cok head and believe that if there just doing there job then as a customer it is my job to complain and give them a hard time if the people serving me dont like it theres the door they can quit at anytime ;)

I agree with the first bit.

[Jack91]

Originally Posted by BHDOGS

I would say im a cok head and believe that if there just doing there job then as a customer it is my job to complain and give them a hard time if the people serving me dont like it theres the door they can quit at anytime ;)

I agree with that bit

[dom_105]

The attendant at my local servo writes down all the number plates on a little notepad. I assume this is so if anyone does a runner they have the details. Maybe with your lights on they cant read the plate.

Yep, plenty of places do this, for two reasons.

1) The camera's are pretty average

2) If someone was to do a runner at night, with all the video equipment locked up in the manager's office, it allows the attendent to ring the cops straightaway, rather than wait until morning

Slightly off topic.
I put $30 in the coupe at BP in Lyndhurst Vic and paid with a new $100 note.
The attendant took the note and was fumbling around on the counter, then crouches down behind the counter and says to me "i just have to check it". I sarcastically replied "don't worry mate it's all there".
I said to him, "have a look at that car out there, do you think i would be so stupid to hand over a counterfeit note driving a car that obvious"
All he said was "company policy". Can someone confirm this?
Probably never seen one before.

Most places it is, yeah.

I would like to know HOW they 'check it', to confirm its legit?

They put it straight in the safe, which has a note reader attached to it, which is usually under the counter.

Ever gone to get change at a 24 hour car wash, try to feed the $10 dollar note in and it spits it back at you? Works on the same principle.

The reader automatically knows if the note is legit. If it is, it sucks it into the safe, never to be seen again. If it thinks it's a fake, it spits it back out at you. It's not perfect in that it will reject good notes sometimes, but it will never accept fake ones. Normally when it does that you give it another shot and it works fine.

You should have taken off your balaclava whilst filling up.

That always helps, yeah.

The servo I attended this night did not have notice of this but my pump would not work so I went inside and asked attendant, he said it was pre-pay and to read the signs, but I tried telling him the signs weren't out. Whatever, I left my card with him and started to fill up.
Now while I am filling another person pulls up to 2 pumps down and just starts filling away no worries at all. Almost decided to bring it up with attendant, but couldnt be bothered in the end.

Wonder what caused his reason to stop me filling. I am younger sure (well, 24), car is a 02 Subaru Liberty. So am not sure if either factor had anything to do with it. Any ideas anyone?

Different places have different rules, but normally the pumps further away from the store will be either pre pay or pre pay at night.

With the mobile phone thing, it also has to do with the fact that people are not concentrating on what they should be concentrating on, that is, filling up their car with petrol.

Time and again you will have fuel spills where somebody has been on the phone or not paying attention which causes problems because 1) it can get into the storm water drain which can be a legal problem and 2) it's a pain to clean up.

People don't make rules for the sake of making them. Usually it is to try and limit the chances of things going wrong that have gone wrong in the past. While the chances may be low, the fact that you are literally standing on top of tens of thousands of litres of petrol, means that you shouldn't take any chances, no matter how small or seemingly meaningless, within reason.

[blackers10]

mobile phone rings person leans into car to pick up phone
fabric causes static

person touches fuel filler again..

BOOM

because of the static

also its the risk of it COULD blow up

theres plenty of footage

ask the BP counter staff they do a training day with videos on why it happens etc

[SSVPom]

Mobil petrol station cnr. Mitcham and Springvale Rds, same thing happened.

A guy in a Telstra BA Wagon starts to fill up with LPG whilst his lights are still on (they are permanently on with the ignition) whilst I'm queuing to pay. The attendant starts shouting over the PA "turn your lights off please" to the Telstra guy, whereupon I advise her that he probably cannot turn them off with the iginition still on...

Anyway, she doesn't listen and the keeps bugging him, as he's smiling over at the kiosk shrugging his shoulders... come's in a minute later and she gives him a bit of a lecture (I think she was all of 18) She explained that it was a fire risk, and company policy and should have shut the pump down on him !

Never heard of this before, and reading this thread jogged my memory ! This happened only about a month ago.

[dom_105]

Originally Posted by FairmontPom

Mobil petrol station cnr. Mitcham and Springvale Rds, same thing happened.

A guy in a Telstra BA Wagon starts to fill up with LPG whilst his lights are still on (they are permanently on with the ignition) whilst I'm queuing to pay. The attendant starts shouting over the PA "turn your lights off please" to the Telstra guy, whereupon I advise her that he probably cannot turn them off with the iginition still on...

Anyway, she doesn't listen and the keeps bugging him, as he's smiling over at the kiosk shrugging his shoulders... come's in a minute later and she gives him a bit of a lecture (I think she was all of 18) She explained that it was a fire risk, and company policy and should have shut the pump down on him !

Never heard of this before, and reading this thread jogged my memory ! This happened only about a month ago.

Stupid woman.

I work for the same franchisee and have never, ever, heard of that policy. Not to say it dosen't exist, but I'm 99% sure she's full of it. She has probably got a manager who is making up his/her own rules, or she worked at another company beforehand, or mabye she's just doing it for no valid reason.

[Buddy 1]

Originally Posted by stockoau

3 pages of complaining about having to turn a switch when you pull into a servo?
Who gives a crap why you can't have your lights on, talk on the phone and so on, I wouldn't class these as major inconveniences for the 5 minutes I spend there filling up.

Yep agree with you, first thing I do is turn off Engine & remove key.
Take Mobile from pocket & place in console.
Then lock vehicle to protect my Valuables (while I am inside paying.)
Fill with fuel, Pay the poor Sod working inside & getting paid Peanuts so he can Cop all the Abuse over high Fuel prices & rules he has to enforce.
Go back to my vehicle & Drive away, all without my Lights on :

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

Having spent some time working in a Servo when I was a young Fella the reason you should turn your lights off when in a servo is a safety issue with all the Fuel vapours around at headlight height which could be caused to ignite by your headlights.

Have you not ever taken notice of signs at Fuel Depots or on some Tankers saying to turn off headlights or no naked lights etc...

I’ve only just stumbled across this thread and nearly feel on the floor laughing. Buddy, do you believe everything that people tell you? If so, you have a lot to learn.

Do you know what the difference between a headlight and a naked light is?

[Buddy 1]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

I’ve only just stumbled across this thread and nearly feel on the floor laughing. Buddy, do you believe everything that people tell you? If so, you have a lot to learn.

Do you know what the difference between a headlight and a naked light is?

I am the last person to believe what people tell me however this was not a once off I was told this it was over a period of a few years at 3 different service stations so have to figure it has some element of truth in it.

Is not a naked light one without a cover, like no glass?

As I said I did never test the theory for myself so cannot say if a Hot headlight would be able to ignite petrol fumes.

I can say it is sooo stupid for people to want to leave their lights on while filling petrol though as what would be the point of it???

Or for that matter leaving vehicle unlocked when in paying for fuel.

[Mansal]

Originally Posted by DRHEMI

Prob becuase you had your Fog lights on as well as everyone hates those people who drive around with their Fog lights on when its not FOGGY!!!! : :

...especially those back ones! How many Beemers I see down tullamarine way with them on!.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Buddy 1

I am the last person to believe what people tell me however this was not a once off I was told this it was over a period of a few years at 3 different service stations so have to figure it has some element of truth in it.

Is not a naked light one without a cover, like no glass?

As I said I did never test the theory for myself so cannot say if a Hot headlight would be able to ignite petrol fumes.

I can say it is sooo stupid for people to want to leave their lights on while filling petrol though as what would be the point of it???

The only truth here is that there are three different morons telling you a similar thing.

When you see a sign that says “no naked flame” it means just that. For example, no cigarette lighters. It does not mean no headlights. You will have more chance of being struck by a bloody asteroid than having a sealed beam or halogen headlight ignite fuel vapours. Next time some moron tells you a story like this, tell them that it’s actually flicking the switch that causes the spark, not the headlight being left on.

I will admit that I’ve driven petrol and gas tankers for a total of eleven years, although, I could never possibly know as much as some clown running a servo spinning BS to young console operators who wouldn’t know either way. After all, they are the ones wearing the shirt that says BP, Shell etc.

[sfr rob]

Originally Posted by jcxr

2 reasons. 1st is they would automatically think the engines running, ready for a getaway. 2nd is glare, not enabling camera recognition.

Exactly right. I Would have slapped the $3 on the counter and told the bloke to stick it for the inconvenience.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

Im assuming you're aiming this at me, so lets get a few facts right here.. i was NOT a customer of the station, i did not enter the shop, i was merely walking past the station which was on a corner, i took a short cut diagonally from driveway to driveway, i didnt get closer than 5 meters to a pump... this attendant went out of her way to not only disrupt 4 people's refuel, but interupt a phone conversation and chase me while i continued to walk off the property.. this particular attendant had to leave the shop to have a crack at me... so i let her know my feelings about her lack of manners and considerable over reaction to what i would consider a nonsensical situation...

A man does a burnout on a quite backroad, knowone else (besides cops) are around, its dead quite and it was only a 10m skid. The Cops confiscate his car for 3 months and he looses his license. Them's the rule's...

Most OHS things are silly but in todays world of lawsuits everything is cotton balled. If a fire had started because you walked past with a phone the petrol company would face a lawsuit for failure to prevent the accident.

[[Tonko]]

Originally Posted by Nikked

A man does a burnout on a quite backroad, knowone else (besides cops) are around, its dead quite and it was only a 10m skid. The Cops confiscate his car for 3 months and he looses his license. Them's the rule's...

But, as you said... there are people around.... cops.
And 10m is a decent skid, why wouldnt this hypothetical person just do it where it is legal? its not like he must do a skid...

Or at least not be so stupid and check if there is anyone around in the first place.