Gas in Oregon :(

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:26 am

Long story short... On the way home last night from Bend Oregon to Seattle and we stopped for gas.

The gas attendant pumping the gas flips the switch and pull the handle down with the spout out of the car an ends up turning around and sprays gas across the entire side of the car! She must have pumped out 3 gallons onto the ground, across the entire side and rear hatch of the car and all over the roof. To make things worse my buddy was getting out of the car and she absolutely drenched him from the shoulders down in gasoline and gets gas all over the seat, the side of the seat, the seat belt and the upholstry under the seat and in the door jamp area. He was the only reason the car literally didn't get filled with gas.

She ended up just saying "Oops, I don't know how I did that" and walks off after putting the spout in the car to start filling!!! My wife was driving and I turn around to see this and see gas on my seats and all over in the car. My buddy was already finding clothes to change into as I walk around the car and the attendant has now come back and is going to spread sand on the standing puddle of gas at the base of the car! I told her to get the hell out of the way and that I needed to clean off the inside of my freaking car first and then the outside. I had to pull the gas nozzle and take that out too so I wouldn't get water in the tank!

I'm still in awe how any of this happened. Unfortunately the car smells horrible still like gasoline today. I got the name and number of the manager/owner from the lady at the register and I'm thinking now about what to do. I think I might have to get the car detailed and cleaned inside and out. Luckily my friend was ok, but if he wasn't so tall he'd have had to have gas all over his face!!! We were so floored that this even happened, its absolutely ridiculous.

Now I know I hate getting gas in Oregon. I knew they hired idiots at the pump from past experiences but this one takes the cake.

DjEep · Post by **DjEep** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:33 am

I had a friend put an entire tank of REGULAR into Geri last week, I was gonna kill 'im, but then I found some oct booster on a shelf in the foodmart. Geri Lou don't like regular...[/u]

RussellK · Post by **RussellK** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:23 am

absolutely drenched him from the shoulders down in gasoline

Thats horrible. I don't know how you will get rid of the smell but that station has to be responsible for the cost. The risk of fire from all those fumes is pretty scary too. All it would have taken was an errant cigarette butt or a spark from static electricity. Scary.

The first thing I thought of was Zoolander.

DjEep · Post by **DjEep** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:29 am

Recently, my girlfriend saw a cop pull up at the gas station, start the pump, then fire up a Marlboro, right under the

She walked over and kindly said "Please put that out, I don't want to blow up today." He shrugged and said "Oh! I never thought of that!" and put it out on his shoe.
Good thing we have intelligent law enforcement here. (sarcasm meter pegs)

DjEep · Post by **DjEep** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 10:31 am

And the problem in OR is why I don't like pumps without the springloaded safety on the vapor sleeve. Even if it makes fueling the bus a bit more of an effort, since you have to hold it.

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:15 pm

We thought of Zoolander as well

The manager is willing to get my car detailed to remove the gas on the inside and out. She said she'd pay for the cost whatever it is.

I'm going to get it detailed tomorrow at a place down the road which will cost me 240 for the full deal, inside and out.

The odd part though is that she said my friend could just wash his clothing and the clothing will be fine. I told her I disagreed and would expect nothing less than her to replace the articles of clothing he was wearing but she disagreed. She said she'd then pay for dry cleaning. I figured it would be in her best interest to just make it go away. He was wearing nice poly pro and synthetics from climbing and while not more than probably 100 or so bucks you'd think for the trouble alone of getting coated in gas she'd do it.

I'll see how it goes. I'm hoping that the station will do right, but I'm too jaded to really think it will go well.

Westy78 · Post by **Westy78** » Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:09 pm

That's unbelievable! The nonchalant attitude of the attendant would have sent me over the edge. I would have had the owner there in person before I left the lot. I'm afraid that even the best detail may not get all of the fuel odor out of the upholstery. The shampoo can only get so far into the foam. You may be looking at much more money than you or the owner of the station thinks to remedy this. With her not even wanting to pay for your friends clothing you might be in for a battle too.

I HATE not being able to pump my own gas here. It drives me nuts when I hear people complain that they don't want to do such a simple task themselves and want to keep the current Oregon law. I've had enough troubles with my bus and the gas jockeys that I now often take the nozzle from them and do it myself anyway. I had about a gallon come shooting out of the fill just a month ago because the attendant hadn't put the nozzle in far enough for the vapor recovery sensor to sense the fuel coming up the filler neck. If I wouldn't have been standing there to shut it off it would have just kept going. That and the other idiot that was rocking my bus back and forth BY THE FILLER NECK because the nozzle was stuck. I had to use all of my controll not to go off on the guy as I took the handle and simply lifted gently and removed the thing. The lack of awarness of some people these days astounds me.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:49 am

I have never had any trouble getting gas here.
I like someone pumping the gas, it seems "vintage".

Adventurewagen · Post by **Adventurewagen** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:58 am

hambone wrote:I have never had any trouble getting gas here.
I like someone pumping the gas, it seems "vintage".

I've had trouble now 3 times. This whole incident and two other times when they overfilled my car.

The one time I had the notch down there I did it myself and literally had to leave one station and go to another because they didn't want me to get out of my car. Problem was they didn't even know where to fill it up. I pulled up and stopped early like I do because the filler cap is in the hood and the guy kept telling me to pull forward. I kept trying to say I'm lined up. Then when I stopped anyway and got out to pop the hood he started telling me how it was against the law to be outside of my vehicle at the pump. So I left. Next station I pulled up, got out and popped the trunk, pulled my own cap and then told the guy I'd show him how to fill the car which he didn't care and let me.

One of my buddies said I should call the manager today when I take the car in and have her pay the detail place directly? Seem like a good idea? I know if I just get it done I run the risk of not having her pay but then I also run the risk of her complaining about the amount and me wasting even more time to find another place. I think if she just gets the bill she will want it to go away and pay.

PDX_Hops · Post by **PDX_Hops** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 8:15 am

I haven't had any problems so far (knocking on wood), but it sure makes me nervous every time I go for a fill-up. I always keep a close eye on the pump jockeys under the pretense of getting out to stretch my legs.

hambone · Post by **hambone** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:29 am

You should try filling up at Apeland SafariTM! My God, banannas and poo flying, high pitched shrieking, apes mating all over the place (including the hood of our '62 Galaxie, Ma did NOT enjoy that lemme tellya we shore wore out the smelling salts that trip) Why, we even found Ape scat behind the battery, 10 years later.
Do NOT get gas at Apeland SafariTM.

spiffy · Post by **spiffy** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:48 am

LOL
(fell off chair)
LOL

Thanks!
LOL

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 6:23 pm

It's not that bad. Just be sure to tell them "no top off". I've never had any trouble. Might be the out of states plates... Seriously, though, I would think the station should be fully liable for any costs you incur. It'll probably end up being a major PITA but keep hounding them till they cough it up
-John

skin daddio · Post by **skin daddio** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 9:36 pm

wow, wow, what a scene..

i've had some trouble in eugene with my early bays. the filler neck is wierd and the pumps shut off early; that's when i take up the slack and get it going again. once in a while, maybe with every twenty fill ups there's gas on the cement. last time the station manager kicked down two or three bucks because it was on the card. a few other times the cap doesn't get put on right and with the first few left turns i'm leaking on the roadways. my fault for not double checking.. especially after a full on compund and wax job. my feeling is that i hope the state encourages stations to be more flexible and give options for full serve and self serve at the stations with multiple islands. i wonder what the chance are of that.

Birdibus · Post by **Birdibus** » Sat Oct 14, 2006 11:55 pm

That is a truly scary story, Adventurewagon. I missed this tale until tonight, but getting drenched in gasoline is a fearful thing. How is the situation now? The smell? Rotten luck.

Some buses are tricky to fill. My 74 is especially squirrly. The first generation of vapor return nozzles would often lock in and be difficult to remove. I once got stuck at a gas station in Palm Springs for a half hour while me and the station attendant took turns pulling and twisting and inserting popsicle sticks to break the suction. Somehow I loosened it. The other problems I have is with gas dribbling down the outside if I pump too quickly, and frequent automatic shut off. I also have to lift the nozzle as far as possible to point straight down into the tank. I could never trust anyone else to do it just right.

My 71 bus fills much more easily, but I do stand and hold it in place. I never trust the nozzle, I won't take a chance on having it pop out.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Gas in Oregon :(

Gas in Oregon :(