# The gas station by my house stopped having free air **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 8, 2013, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651 "2013-08-08T00:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/41 "2013-08-08T14:15:55Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > :dubious: Somebody should tell the gas station managers around the Pasadena area, then. Yeah, that is the law, but I see lots of stations that charge in the Bar Area, too. Fucking Capitalist pig-dogs!!! ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/42 "2013-08-08T14:17:12Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > … > people before pennies, i always say I bet more often you’re one of the people and not the guy with the pennies. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/43 "2013-08-08T14:26:38Z")
No, you’re wrong. The air is still free…it’s the mechanism for delivering it into the tire that costs money. And thank you Quik Trip for, in addition to the 1,000 other things that make you awesome, free air. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/44 "2013-08-08T14:45:06Z")
Just take that money you use to tip the ticket ripper guy at the movies and use it to buy air. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/45 "2013-08-08T15:15:59Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > People, please note who the OP is before you respond in earnest. That’s all I ask. Yes, he’s a totally awesome poster who was even more entertaining before a bunch of uptight losers got their panties in a wad about how he wasn’t actually talking about “his friend” who wanted to know something ludicrous, and then those tightasses browbeat him into dropping that hilarious gag. Who are you again? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/46 "2013-08-08T15:28:47Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Soon they’ll be putting water in bottles! Nonsense! Who in their right mind would pay for bottled water? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/47 "2013-08-08T16:00:50Z")
Someone provides a service that I find to be of value, and they expect compensation for providing that service! Waah! ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/48 "2013-08-08T16:10:29Z")
I work on a military base and the NEX gas station has free air. Well, I suppose it’s actually taxpayer-paid air. So, thanks for the air, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/49 "2013-08-08T16:13:26Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Well, I suppose it’s actually taxpayer-paid air. So, thanks for the air, everyone. Typical Socialist bullshit. Providing services for free and denying American Job Creators the right to make a profit off of it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/50 "2013-08-08T16:22:36Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Meh. Get a compressor. But he doesn’t want to buy a compressor, he wants someone else to buy it for him and then let him use it for free. Alternatively…There’s free air all around you. It’s up to you to figure out how to get it into your tires. ---
**Author:** ![Coustralee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Coustralee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coustralee)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/51 "2013-08-08T17:12:46Z")
i’ve never seen anyone charge for it in Australia… even with newer fancy systems where you have to press buttons to select the pressure. You’d think giving away air would be an incentive to bring people in. My pet hate with those things is when i’d roll up on my bike wanting to give it half a squirt and someone clueless would barge in before me and make a hash of trying to fill up all their tyres. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/52 "2013-08-08T17:40:37Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > people before pennies, i always say You have literally never said this in your entire life. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/53 "2013-08-08T18:43:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, that is the law, but I see lots of stations that charge in the Bar Area, too. > > Fucking Capitalist pig-dogs!!! On the flip side, I stopped at a Mobil station in Winnetka, went inside and told them flat-out I hadn’t bought gas but my front left tire was at 19 psi, and could I please use the compressor. I held out a dollar bill and the guy looked at me like I had three heads, refused the money, flipped a switch on his desk, and told me to come tell him when I was done. The compressor said $1 on it but there didn’t actually appear to be a functioning way to insert money. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/54 "2013-08-08T18:48:35Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > > [@PSXer](#): > > > > people before pennies, i always say > > You have literally never said this in your entire life. :D:D ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/55 "2013-08-08T19:04:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, that is the law, but I see lots of stations that charge in the Bar Area, too. > > Fucking Capitalist pig-dogs!!! They can charge if you don’t buy gas. A lot of people are confused about that aspect of the law. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/56 "2013-08-08T19:30:13Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > They can charge if you don’t buy gas. A lot of people are confused about that aspect of the law. And they’ll catch you if you speed away without paying, because you’ll run out of gas. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/57 "2013-08-08T23:34:44Z")
It costs a dollar most places I buy gas, but a sign on the machine says the money goes to charity. If that’s really so then I don’t mind so much. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/58 "2013-08-09T01:58:40Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Meh. Get a compressor. Yeah. I found myself doing the despairing scramble, trying to get to all four tires before the bloody thing ran out… and then I bought one of [these](http://www.walmart.com/ip/Black-Decker-12-Volt-Cordless-Air-Station-Inflator/24491110?adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem). It is one of my all time favorite hardware purchases. Bikes, cars, kiddie pools, balls… it does it all and I don’t have to use the manual pump like a 99-percenter from the 20th century. Totally paid for itself within a few months! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/59 "2013-08-09T23:06:33Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Nonsense! Who in their right mind would pay for bottled water? That water is free, it’s just the bottle you’re paying for! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651/60 "2013-08-10T03:20:32Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > …But, you do realize that machine isn’t free right? Maybe it broke and they just spend $250 getting it repaired and decided that it’s just not worth it for it to be free considering how many people just get free air and drive off. True, and the gas station I worked at in college there was no way for us to “just turn the machine on” (short of just taking money out of the register & giving it away\*) no matter how much people whined, complained, or threatened. Nor could anyone actually working there (including the SM) really do anything about the myriad of petty policies anyone complained about. My canned response was just to offer the corporate customer service line; which I had memorized. \*Which of course would’ve gotten anybody who did it fired. Hell we couldn’t even open the register to give out change unless a cash purchase was being made. I hated that job, and to this day I won’t even shop at that chain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gas-station-by-my-house-stopped-having-free-air/665651.md?page=4)