Back in the day the price difference between self-serve and full-serve wasn’t what it is today and people liked to “Trust Their Car To The Man With The Star” we liked having someone check our oil, water and air levels and not having spilled gasoline on our hands because we like to be waited on. Over time when the disparity between full and self serve became a real financial consideration we’ve become comfortable with doing most of that ourselves. Checking our own fluid levels and adding a bit of air or water was no big deal… until the stations started looking at it as a revenue stream. Ugh.

At first it was a quarter, then 50 cents, then (see the pic below) $1.50… in coins, because we carry those around. Sooo if you happen to have two ones or 5 bucks on you, you can fill up your radiator or low tire. By the way, air and water are sold SEPARATELY in most places.

So this morning I was getting gas in Atwater and I see the air/water machine in the photo above. Realizing people rarely carry coins on them or want to be bothered asking for change, they’ve installed a machine through which you swipe your credit card. Gee, thanks.

I’m not terribly nostalgic and don’t need someone to pump my gas and check my fluids but is it so much to ask for free air? The gas stations get it for free.