Gas Stations in America...

Where do you live?

Honey, i will tell you this. I live in a decent joint. The gas pumps near me always look pristine, with polite hellos misting in the atmosphere. Your experiences reflect more on who you are and the sort of places you hang out.

It’s a place to put gas in your car, not a 5 star resort. The ones in my town are clean though.

Gas stations around me have been converting into gas station/mini-marts and they look so much nicer

Fuck off, Russian America-bashing troll OP.

You go to the wrong gas stations. The ones near me are clean and you can get good coffee for a $1.

The financial margins for gas stations are increasingly in the food marts. The items inside are very marked up. The $ margins on the gas itself are more difficult to increase (last I read it was around 1-2%.

I just found this article.

OP, giving blowjobs at gas station glory holes is over. Take your kneepads and go to the park.

I wish we had something like Sheetz or Wawa on the west coast. The closest thing we have is some of the larger truck stops on interstates, but there's nothing like them in major metro areas.

All of LA seems to having nothing but small, awful gas stations.

All of the C-stores in my area are very clean, welcoming, with deli sections or Subways. The truck stops are also friendly, clean and inviting. Sorry the standards in your area are so low, OP.

Back in the day, OP......

The new trend with the ones around me is to cook BBQ on-site.

And if they haven't gone BBQ, then they have franchised with a fast food chain.

I dream of rolling into a combination BP/CircleK/Taco Bell. I've only enountered the BP/CircleK so far.

I went on a road trip recently and it inspired this thread.

Many of you must be lying because I covered 500 miles and did not see a SINGLE gas station that didn’t have these issues.

And I was in a few very tony areas so there is no way it’s me. The neighborhood didn’t matter, every gas station had several of these issues, if not all of them.

For those claiming to know of clean gas stations, please post the general area.

For those who want to be honest, please back me up here.

Tony areas on a road trip? You're road tripping wrong.

Buc-cee's. Cleanest bathrooms in Texas. Seriously. They are constantly cleaned and you can buy local artisan crafts and eat all in one place.

Also, I think some people can’t smell mildew and some can.

Also, some people just go through life on their cell phones and don’t notice.

Next time you get gas, look around and take a whiff.

Ideal gas station.

Why would you *want* to smell mildew to which you're naturally oblivious?

I can’t wait until they are obsolete. They are hubs for panhandlers and was constantly asked for money or presented with some sob story while I was wading through trash and muck. I forgot to mention the doors and windows with layers and layers of fingerprints.

Would it really kill them to hose down the place once a day?

OP = Boris from Moscow

What's wrong with panhandlers?

I don’t know, r20, maybe you want to know what toxic chemicals that business owners are exposing you to?

R22, do you own gas stations? Are you personally offended?

Let’s save the Boris thing for the real trolls on here.

R23 if they are genuinely disabled then noting, but if they are able bodied lazy slobs they aren’t getting a dime out of me.

That’s all of the troll replies I intend to indulge today.

I made this thread genuinely after being disgusted from every gas stop on my trip. No way that others don’t notice this.

r25 = Ghislaine Maxwell, eating an In-and-Out Burger

Never been to a QuikTrip, OP?

The Buc-ee's in Texas are great. If you are traveling in Texas and see one, stop and check them out. I live on the Texas Gulf Coast and any gas station I've stopped at around here has been clean. Of course, if you stop at a convenience store that sells prepared foods, the health department is strict with them, so your chances of a good experience is better.

R28 needs to go back and read OP.

My gas station has topiaries out front, of dolphins.

WaWas had their day, but even the newer ones seem poorly maintained.

Someone's never heard of Bucees!

I wish we had an Eddie World nearby!

He's so cute too

It is my experience that as long as you stick with the chains, they are fine. It is the smaller independent ones that are like OP described.

No, it’s the chains too. Brands mean nothing these days.

I really think that a lot of people are just used to low-quality everything now and don’t even notice it. It’s like a fish in water.

R37 Maybe it depends where you are. In my area the chains are fine. I have always noticed, however, that the closer one gets to touristy areas such as the beach or mountains, the less clean they become.

When brand new,they are maintained . As they age,they arent. I agree with OP on many of the points he made. When I worked for Hess for many years,we had the windows cleaned professionally at least once a month,and the parking lot was pressure washed just as often. Every shift had to clean the bathrooms,as well as sweep.,mop and make sure the counters were wiped and everything was stocked. Coffee was remade every 15-20 minutes.We also had to change the garbage bags. Now mind you,there were usually 3-4 of us on each shift.Now most stores run half their shifts with just one person.Its all about the companies not giving a shit and shafting employees. I quit the c-store business when Hess was bought out as I was already seeing the handwriting on the wall. I also had my retirement bought out as the new company wasnt going to continue contributing. I loved c-store work.It was easy,fun and I met scads of people,many who Im still in touch with .

I get all my gas at Costco or Sam's Club so this is not an issue.

OP, you don't say where you were when you encountered these stations? State or states you traveled through. Highways or side roads? Small towns, suburbs or big cities.

What brand of gas do you buy and do you stick to one brand?

All of the above r41. It’s been a while since I hit the highway and it was every single one. Mostly the east coast but not exclusively. It’s not like I was out reviewing gas stations for fun.

Thank you r39 for the inside scoop. That matches up to my experience entirely.

The photo at OP is a branded station (Shell) and it is exactly what they all look like now.

R41 he won't say because this is a generic America-bashing post.

In my area the ones owned by people from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh are total dumps. The others are just fine.

I just watched In Bruges R45, and couldn't believe how badly they portrayed Americans. It was idiotic.

Many years ago I stopped at a run-down Texaco station in Kettleman City, CA, which in those days was a raggedy little dorp on Highway 41 in the middle of the desert. The restroom was coeducational. On the wall, someone had written, [italic]Josie were here. She dun shit and gone.[/italic]

I couldn't stop laughing at that almost sad little declaration. I mean, why would Josie even write that? She obviously couldn't spell very well, yet she found it necessary to memorialize the fact that she had "dun shit and gone" in a ratty little gas station in the middle of the desert. I have no idea why i still remember that.

[quote]The photo at OP is a branded station (Shell) and it is exactly what they all look like now.

When speaking of chains, the brand of gas is irrelevant. Independent stations can also be Shell, BP, Exxon, etc... chains are Circle K, QT, Wawa, Buc-ee's, etc...

Someone should start a new chain that might charge a tad more for gas but be clean and sanitary.

I’d be the first in line.

Is it true that they used to put the gas in the car for you?

They still do. In NJ, it’s the law.

I live in NE Ohio, and the Sheetz stations around here are actually quite nice. Plus they've got a pretty big selection of food on their menu's, at reasonable prices. We also have "Get Go" gas station/convenience stores which is an extension of the Giant Eagle grocery stores (based out of PA). They have a "fuel perks" program with their loyalty cards, so when you shop for groceries at their stores, you can earn discounts on your gas at their Get Go locations.

With Sheetz at least, it depends on location I guess. There were some Sheetz's in western PA testing out using blue lights in their bathrooms, to deter people from shooting up in them (made it harder for them to find their veins).

R53, sorry, I forgot to include a link. But they've got a better menu than most major fast food joints.

The lines at sheets typically snake around the store and sometimes out of the door.

They love to put one cashier per 12 ppl in line.

I live in an affluent college town with a Sheetz on every corner and they are pristine. Guess it depends on your area.

Gas stations - what are they?

[quote]They still do. In NJ, it’s the law.

Oregon, too.

In Arizona, the QT stations are museum clean. Very nice clerks, the bathrooms are immaculate. The stores are orderly and spotless. Pretty amazing compared to Circle K stores which are horrifying in their disgusting filthy stores and horrible people working at them. I just got back from Oregon on a long road trip. All were clean and well maintained. LA though is completely disgusting for its gas stations. Just a fucking mess.

Cumberland Farms gas stations seem to be pretty consistently clean and well maintained, bathrooms and all.

Make sure you check the expiration dates, especially on sodas and snacks.

My favorite, Beverly Hills.