# How do you choose a gas station?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 26, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634 "2014-09-26T13:46:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/1 "2014-09-26T13:46:16Z")
In general.
Obviously there are going to be circumstances where personal preference is not a factor, e.g. you’re in a place with only one gas station for miles and miles around, but **generally** , what are the primary factors in your choice of refueling establishment?
---
### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/2 "2014-09-26T13:51:04Z")
Is it there? Does it have fuel? Can I pay at the pump?
I don’t care if it’s a BP or a Shell or a Superamerica or a Holiday. I don’t even care about prices, as long as it’s not outrageously more expensive.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/3 "2014-09-26T13:51:29Z")
Primarily location and the store attached (mini-mart). Prices don’t vary enough around here to care about that.
---
### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/4 "2014-09-26T14:16:43Z")
I usually get 20 to 80 cents off per gallon at Safeway. Plus, it’s right there at the Safeway. So, unless I’m somewhere else when I need gas (in which case, any station is fine) I get my gas at Safeway.
---
### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/5 "2014-09-26T14:17:54Z")
Price and location combined. I could save 3 cents/gallon by driving a few miles out of my way, but the station is a pain to get into, doesn’t take credit cards and isn’t usually on my way anywhere. Not worth the hassle.
---
### Author:  [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/6 "2014-09-26T14:22:29Z")
I voted other. Shop and Shop grocery store gives points off their gasoline for every $ spent in the store. So if I buy 100 worth of groceries that month I get an additional .10 off a gallon.
---
### Author:  [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/7 "2014-09-26T14:25:12Z")
Price
Proximity to my house.
Clean bathrooms
---
### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/8 "2014-09-26T14:26:10Z")
Other. If there is a tanker filling the tanks, then it’s a good idea to fill up somewhere else as they can stir up any sediment that’s lurking down there.
Well, that’s what my Father in Law told and he was a senior something or other with the fuel division of Shell.
---
### Author:  [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/9 "2014-09-26T14:26:34Z")
Mostly it’s a matter of what’s nearby when I’m heading toward empty. I will sometimes pick one over another if there’s a price difference, even a relatively small one. I know that realistically I’m probably gonna save no more than a few cents, but somehow it’s the principle of the thing.
I don’t know of any stations that don’t take credit cards, though there are a small number in our area that don’t take them at the pump, and I usually avoid these.
I think this may have been brought up in another thread awhile ago, but some stations have demanded inputting your Zip Code at the pump when you pay with a credit card. A while back, though, I visited one that also demanded your house number. I was mightily pissed of by this, but then realized that this station was in a part of town that has probably been victimized by credit card fraud more than others.
This is the only station I’ve ever seen that asked for this.
---
### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/10 "2014-09-26T14:32:12Z")
> [@DChord568](#):
>
> I think this may have been brought up in another thread awhile ago, but some stations have demanded inputting your Zip Code at the pump when you pay with a credit card. A while back, though, I visited one that also demanded your house number. I was mightily pissed of by this, but then realized that this station was in a part of town that has probably been victimized by credit card fraud more than others.
>
> This is the only station I’ve ever seen that asked for this.
I got that at a gas station outside of Boston a few years ago. I’ve been back there since and they weren’t doing it anymore. I assume it was an anti-fraud measure.
---
### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/11 "2014-09-26T14:32:18Z")
Other - loyalty card, like **Proctustus** and **CT\_Damsel**.
I never know how much I’m going to save when I go to the Get Go fuel station with my Giant Eagle card, because my parents and I share the card so many times they use the discount before I do. But I still save 3 cents a gallon even if I don’t have points.
Used to be you would get points towards groceries when you bought gas, so even if I didn’t have gas points I’d be compelled to go to Get Go. But they stopped that program. I think a lot of people stopped using Get Go when they didn’t have any gas points, so they introduced a “3 cents off with loyalty card, regardless of points” thing to compel us to always use Get Go all the time again.
---
### Author:  [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/12 "2014-09-26T14:44:45Z")
who has the better coffee.
---
### Author:  [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/13 "2014-09-26T14:48:53Z")
A new thing a big chain (Ricker’s) in central IN is doing is giving “up to” ten cents off for its “members”. To be a member, you provide them with your bank info, and you receive what amounts to a Ricker’s-only debit card. This amounts to a cash payers’ penalty, so on principle, I refuse to buy gas there.
---
### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/14 "2014-09-26T14:51:27Z")
Usually I buy gas at the Kroger near me, mainly because of their discount and also because I make that a part of my grocery run. But I checked several of the options.
Now and then I will boycott one or more oil companies for their anti-environment shenanigans or bad PR in general.
---
### Author:  [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/15 "2014-09-26T14:53:54Z")
I used to go to the closest but now with my Safeway discount I go to the Mobile.
I saved a dollar a gallon the other day.
---
### Author:  [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/16 "2014-09-26T14:56:52Z")
Location is the primary consideration for me, but brand also comes into play. The detergents in some brands run better in my truck.
---
### Author:  [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/17 "2014-09-26T15:08:02Z")
There are stations that don’t take credit cards? 😕
Locally, I used to fill up at a gas station next to my dry cleaner. It’s usually not busy and it’s a pretty location with lots of greenery. I pay an extra 5cents a gallon for the scenery and the low traffic. Also, they always have some very interesting old cars that they’re working on so I get to geek out at those while I fill up.
But I recently started a new job and the gas station next to the office turns out to be the cheapest within a two mile radius, so for convenience and price, I’ve started to fill up there. The scenery and traffic sucks and access from the road is not great because of the way it’s situated.
But my favourite gas station is in Paradox, NY, just off 87. 1) because cool town name, 2) because lovely scenery, 3) because that means I’m just steps from Vermont, and that’s always a good thing.
---
### Author:  [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/18 "2014-09-26T15:12:58Z")
Price, the right side of the street, takes credit/debit (most all do now in my area), and no lines. Hate waiting.
---
### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/19 "2014-09-26T15:40:35Z")
I own stock in four different companies that sell gasoline so will usually aim for doing business with someone who sends me a dividend check every quarter.
---
### Author:  [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634/20 "2014-09-26T15:44:21Z")
Price, first and foremost. I generally know which ones are cheapest in my area. Second, they need to take a card. Yes, there are many still out there that don’t, and I’m not going to pre-pay, because that’s dumb. Then the next criteria is generally that it’s on my way wherever I’m going. I won’t go out of my way for gas.
On road trips, it’s different. Price is still important if there’s a choice, but generally I just stop at the next exit after I decide it’s time to fill up. If I need a snack, or to go in and use the bathroom, I’ve decided Casey’s and QuickTrip are consistently good options. But whatever looks clean and well lit. If your bathrooms are on the outside of the building and locked, I’m just going to piss on your dumpster.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-choose-a-gas-station/699634.md?page=2)