Are all Motorcyclists Thieves????

Duzzie · 03-04-2008 1:11am #1

Of course not, so why are we treated like thieves????

I commute between Arklow and Dublin 5 days a week on my bike. The Shell petrol station at Kilmac on the N11 S/B is a handy stopoff point to fill up. I've been stopping there for months with no problems. Tonight I stop there, pick the pump up, nothing happens. Put the pump back and try again, still nothing. The stooges at the tills stand looking at me. (I had my lid off all this time). One of the stooges then calls me over and says all motorcycles have to pre-pay for fuel. I resent being treated like a criminal because of the mode of transport I choose to use. I asked why as I have never had to pre-pay before. She just shrugged her shoulders. After telling them what fukcing digrace it was I went across the road and filled up as normal. How can they be allowed to treat bikers like second class citizens. If I was going to steal anything, It certainly would be for something more valuable than €15 worth of petrol. I was livid.

KTRIC · 03-04-2008 8:12am

Had this before myself and I wouldn't stand for it. Vote with your wheels are buy somewhere else.

FiSe · 03-04-2008 8:34am

Yep, feck that. You are the customer, you have the right to choose. You did the right thing going somewhere else.

seamus · 03-04-2008 9:15am

The garage at the end of Ranelagh (beside Milltown) used to do this too. Tried to fill up, had helmet and gloves off. The manager came out to me and told me he wouldn't switch the pump on till I got off the bike. :rolleyes:

Needless to say I've never filled up there (car or bike) since.

Kazujo · 03-04-2008 2:53pm

It happened me at the big Esso on the Nass Rd a few months back. The only reason they could give me was "loads of bikers have driven off without paying lately"

Oryx · 03-04-2008 2:58pm

My sis in law manages a petrol station, and she can only recall one bike driveaway (not paying for petrol

) in her time there and that was when about 100 bikers pulled up during a run, and was probably just caused by confusion with so many guys using the pumps.

Bloody awful to be treated that way. Yup, give them no business, no more.

CrazyRabbit · 03-04-2008 3:34pm

I wonder if there are any EU/Irish discrimination laws against this? By treating us as criminals just because we are bikers is not only insulting and unfair, but causes embarrassment. Perhaps they could be taken to court for causing emotional distress?

I've never had to prepay, but there are several petrol stations that refuse to serve me whilst I'm wearing my lid. So, I stick to the stations that actually treat me like a customer, even though they are slightly more expensive.

The Petrol Station beside the Blanch Garda Station has excellent service and don't discriminate against bikers. I don't think they've had any problems.

colm_c · 03-04-2008 5:00pm

The garage in ringsend has a sign up saying that all motorcycles have to prepay, but I've never actually prepaid there while on the bike, once I was asked to turn the bike around so the camera could see the reg though.

lord lucan · 03-04-2008 6:26pm

i've been using the texaco beside the the foxhunter on the N4 for the last few years and never had any issues,always leave my lid on and no pre-paying,though given the number of cops there at any given time you'd be mad to try and do a runner.:eek:

murphaph · 03-04-2008 6:31pm

Kazujo wrote: »

It happened me at the big Esso on the Nass Rd a few months back. The only reason they could give me was "loads of bikers have driven off without paying lately"

If you had a witness you could have taken them for a defamation suit. If anyone else heard that they'd perceive you in a negative light. That's enough for a 10k defamation claim.

I've never had this experience I have to say and I always sit on bike and leave lid and gloves on while filling tank. Guess I've just been lucky.

RosieJoe · 04-04-2008 10:27am

Duzzie, why not use Gregory's in Newtownmountkennedy? Easy to get to from the N11, is about 5c cheaper per litre than Shell and you will get no hassle from them!

PM me if you want the exact location

Wossack · 04-04-2008 3:51pm

10 pick up pump
20 stooge tells you to prepay over the speakers
30 put pump on the ground - drive to next pump
40 goto 10

KTRIC · 04-04-2008 4:31pm

Wossack wrote: »

10 pick up pump
20 stooge tells you to prepay over the speakers
30 put pump on the ground - drive to next pump
40 goto 10

Your ideas intrigue me and I would like to subscribe to your magazine

Green_Martian · 04-04-2008 7:35pm

Wossack wrote: »

10 pick up pump
20 stooge tells you to prepay over the speakers
30 put pump on the ground - drive to next pump
40 goto 10

That could casue some fun..........:D

Duzzie · 04-04-2008 8:46pm

RosieJoe wrote: »

Duzzie, why not use Gregory's in Newtownmountkennedy? Easy to get to from the N11, is about 5c cheaper per litre than Shell and you will get no hassle from them!

PM me if you want the exact location

I tried Gregorys tonight. Thanks for the tip, never knew it was there. Not quite as handy as being on the N11, but not too much of a detour.

Duzzie · 04-04-2008 8:47pm

Wossack wrote: »

10 pick up pump
20 stooge tells you to prepay over the speakers
30 put pump on the ground - drive to next pump
40 goto 10

Thats Evil, I like your thinking.:D:D

rameire · 04-04-2008 9:30pm

i use the two esso's on the naas road heading south and the esso beside joels, i also use king oil in athy, and the only thing i take off are my gloves, sometines only one glove. even when paying inside the store,
but the guys would recognise me probably due to the amount of fill ups i have during a week.
i have only had to take off my helmet once in the last year and that was at the esso on the long mile naas road junction, i got 2 euro inot the bike and the idiots stopped it and i looked up and the were freaking out inside the stating, it looked like they were preparing for a nuclear attack.

Green_Martian · 06-04-2008 12:23am

Well i used the statoil on the howth road today, and didn't have to remove my helmet while at the pump, i did remove going into pay but thats all.

I agree with some of you guys by leaving the garage if they wont let you fill up without removing your helmet as it does make you feel like a criminal

dewsbury · 07-04-2008 9:15pm

murphaph wrote: »

If you had a witness you could have taken them for a defamation suit. If anyone else heard that they'd perceive you in a negative light. That's enough for a 10k defamation claim.

It would not (remotely) qualify as defamation.

Georgey Burgess · 07-04-2008 10:35pm

lord lucan wrote: »

i've been using the texaco beside the the foxhunter on the N4 for the last few years and never had any issues,always leave my lid on and no pre-paying,though given the number of cops there at any given time you'd be mad to try and do a runner.:eek:

thats the very petrol station i was asked to remove my lid in. I live in lucan and had used it for the car and bike for years. Anyway one day I was about €1.50 into filling the bike and the pump stopped. I was messing at it for a while when I realised the bloke at the window and over the speaker telling me to remove my lid.

There was no way I was doing this as in my opinion he had more or less called me a criminal over the tannoy for everyone to hear. So I decided to pay what I owed and leave. I took €2 out of my pocket and was about to leave it on the pump and head off. Anyway the bloke walked out to me and so I flicked the €2 at him instead and told him to keep the change and stick his business. Not the most mature response I know, but I was fuming.

Haven't gone back there since. But I doubt they miss me as its the busiest petrol station I've ever seen.

lord lucan · 07-04-2008 11:43pm

Georgey Burgess wrote: »

thats the very petrol station i was asked to remove my lid in. I live in lucan and had used it for the car and bike for years. Anyway one day I was about €1.50 into filling the bike and the pump stopped. I was messing at it for a while when I realised the bloke at the window and over the speaker telling me to remove my lid.

There was no way I was doing this as in my opinion he had more or less called me a criminal over the tannoy for everyone to hear. So I decided to pay what I owed and leave. I took €2 out of my pocket and was about to leave it on the pump and head off. Anyway the bloke walked out to me and so I flicked the €2 at him instead and told him to keep the change and stick his business. Not the most mature response I know, but I was fuming.

Haven't gone back there since. But I doubt they miss me as its the busiest petrol station I've ever seen.

wow,i always leave my lid on even when i go to pay,never had an issue with them,maybe they just remember me(i've a lid with roadrunner/wile e coyote all over it,hard to forget:D). never been given the tannoy announcement either. i'd do the same as you if it did happen to me though.:cool:

sutty · 10-04-2008 12:41pm

Cant say I have ever had a problem with it before. I have however been asked to remove my helmet while in side a shop that was not attached to a petrol station. I could see the security gards point and promptly done so... although I was still a bit annoyed I was asked as I was standing in line with the money in my hand.

paddy316i · 11-04-2008 11:15am

First of all thats not defamation, its slander and even then its not. I worked in a petrol station and I fully understand why they want you to remove a helmet. You have to take it off coming iinto the shop anyway

murphaph wrote: »

If you had a witness you could have taken them for a defamation suit. If anyone else heard that they'd perceive you in a negative light. That's enough for a 10k defamation claim.

I've never had this experience I have to say and I always sit on bike and leave lid and gloves on while filling tank. Guess I've just been lucky.

Zico · 16-04-2008 8:56pm

Sounds like more than their jobs worth for someone working in a filling station to give a toss whether someone pre-pays. It pisses me more than it should when it happens, but I normally end up having to fill up anyway cos I'm on vapour!:D

murphaph · 16-04-2008 10:39pm

paddy316i wrote: »

First of all thats not defamation, its slander and even then its not. I worked in a petrol station and I fully understand why they want you to remove a helmet. You have to take it off coming iinto the shop anyway

Slander is just a form of defamation paddy. People have walked away from us with 10k+ for far less than what was said to the OP. What constitutes demafation is up to a judge to decide which is why retailers will almost never take it to court as the costs will skyrocket to 20 or 30k.

In law, defamation (also called vilification, slander, and libel) is the communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressively stated or implied to be factual, that may harm the reputation of an individual

The key words are in bold. The OP was singled out and effectively told that he was from a group of people who were likely to steal petrol. A bystander would likely form a negative impression of the OP if they heard that comment.

paddy316i · 19-04-2008 7:09pm

murphaph wrote: »

Slander is just a form of defamation paddy. People have walked away from us with 10k+ for far less than what was said to the OP. What constitutes demafation is up to a judge to decide which is why retailers will almost never take it to court as the costs will skyrocket to 20 or 30k.

The key words are in bold. The OP was singled out and effectively told that he was from a group of people who were likely to steal petrol. A bystander would likely form a negative impression of the OP if they heard that comment.

I wouldn't go quoting wikipedia as the ultimate source of knowledge.

murphaph · 19-04-2008 8:31pm

paddy316i wrote: »

I wouldn't go quoting wikipedia as the ultimate source of knowledge.

Well, you're more than welcome to find an alternate source that says that slander is not a form of defamation but I'm telling you in my experience in retail risk management that what was said to the OP would result in a (not insignificant) payout and it wouldn't need to go to court.....if the OP had a witness and went to a solicitor with it.

If you don't believe Wiki, believe a dictionary:

Defamation
Def`a*ma"tion\, n. [OE. diffamacioun, F. diffamation. See Defame.] Act of injuring another's reputation by any slanderous communication, written or oral; the wrong of maliciously injuring the good name of another; slander; detraction; calumny; aspersion.

Note: In modern usage, written defamation bears the title of libel, and oral defamation that of slander. --Burrill.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 20-04-2008 10:55am

I havent driven bikes for about 2 years now, but was on them for 5 years before that and i never got any hassle if i didnt take off my helmet in petrol stations!!

arybvtcw0eolkf · 20-04-2008 11:59am

Wossack wrote: »

10 pick up pump
20 stooge tells you to prepay over the speakers
30 put pump on the ground - drive to next pump
40 goto 10

Fantastic..

I wish I was still biking to do this!.

This thread reminds me of two funny incidents year's ago.

First was a Shell station at Ballybough, I was driving a Yamaha DT175 at the time. I was on the way home one night when it started to snow, so I pulled into the four court - off with the lid and put a Balaclava on :eek: The assistant hit the panic button, which resulted in me getting pulled on the Gracepark road.

Another I had a slow puncture (RD350LC this time) and had a foot pump inside my jacket.

Someone reported seeing a biker with a ''pump action'' (thats how the cop described the report). I was surrounded by armed detectives on Dominic St. and told to "drop the gun", lol.. The cops thought it was hilarious when I dropped the pump action foot pump

Steffano2002 · 21-04-2008 12:11pm

These are classic stories!!! LOL

murphaph · 21-04-2008 12:27pm

lol, you're a marked man mairt!:pac:

Are all Motorcyclists Thieves????

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