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John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints |
It is also very common to refer to a particular petrol station by the brand of petrol it sells, for example a typical driving direction might be "you need to make a right by the Conoco station", meaning that you should turn right at the Conoco petrol station.
All normal rental cars in the USA and Canada take unleaded petrol, which is universally available in all parts of the USA and Canada.
Petrol stations often have several entrances and exits. Make sure you take the correct exit when you leave. Be especially careful when exiting not to turn onto a one-way road in the wrong direction.
Check which side of the car the petrol filler cap is located, so that you can draw up to the pumps on the correct side.
On a few cars the petrol filler cap may be hidden behind the rear number plate, which in that case will fold down.
On some cars you may need to press a button hidden in the glove box in order to open the petrol filler cap flap.
Many petrol stations have separate rows of pumps for self serve and full serve. Full serve is more expensive but the attendant will usually clean the windscreen and offer to check the radiator water and engine oil levels.
The least expensive grade of unleaded petrol, "Regular" (87 octane), is perfectly ok for use with all normal rental cars. In the USA and Canada "Premium" petrol is the more expensive option.
In and near large cities you usually have to pay for petrol before being allowed to pump, which means that you will have to estimate how much you need (in Dollars). In small towns and rural areas you usually pump first, then pay. At some petrol stations you can pump first during the day but must pay first at night.
As far as I know no car on sale in the USA or Canada yet includes a display of how many Dollars-worth of petrol you can pump, given a price per gallon. Such a device would be incredibly useful and an obvious innovation.
When paying for petrol in advance you say "ten Dollars on pump number five please", or in an abbreviated form "ten on five" (for example). When a petrol pump is shared between two sides of an island there can sometimes be some confusion over who paid what and who should fill up first.
Petrol pumps in the USA and Canada differ from those in the UK:
On old petrol pumps with the nozzle holder on the side, the pump is switched on by turning a long lever located near the nozzle holder. The lever can only be turned once the nozzle has been removed from its holder, since the lever turns into the space occupied by part of the nozzle when it is in the holder.
On more modern pumps with nozzle holders on the front, the pump is switched on by pulling up a lever or a sliding device in or near the nozzle holder.
On the latest electronic pumps, which have a push button control panel and display at the top and nozzle holders on the front, you switch the pump on by pressing one of the fairly large rectangular buttons labelled "Start", located on the pump above each nozzle holder.
In almost all cases operating the relevant lever or button to switch on the pump also selects the grade of petrol.
"Hold-on" levers are provided as a convenience to save the user having to hold the flow control lever throughout the filling operation. They are mainly intended for use when filling large fuel tanks or for use by petrol station attendants filling several vehicles at once. However, everyone is quite free to use them, or not, as they wish. I often use them, after checking that the mechanism on a particular pump appears to be in good condition. However, so far I've never been brave enough to go very far from the car, just in case the pump doesn't shut off and an expensive, messy flood of petrol results. If this whole idea frightens you then you can simply ignore these "hold-on" devices completely and hold the flow control lever yourself during the pumping operation as you would on a British petrol pump. If you're driving an RV, be prepared for a long wait and an aching hand.
Almost all petrol stations in the USA and Canada will accept credit cards. There may be some exceptions in the most remote of rural areas.
As in shops throughout the USA and Canada, provided the amount of change is reasonable then travellers cheques in the national currency, US Dollars or Canadian Dollars as appropriate, can be used as cash at petrol stations, with no commission charges made. An ID may be required.
If you plan to pay by credit card or travellers cheque then check with the attendant before pumping if you have insufficient cash to cover the amount.
Petrol is sold by the US Gallon in America and by the litre in Canada.
Whereas petrol stations in most US states and Canadian provinces offer full-serve or self-serve, in Oregon they offer full-serve and mini-serve. Mini-serve means that the attendant operates the pump but will not clean the windscreen or offer to check the oil. Self-service is illegal in Oregon. I don't know the reason why this is but would be very interested to learn. I'm reliably informed that self-serve is also illegal in New Jersey but I cannot actually verify this from personal experience.
Nearly all petrol stations have a machine which provides compressed air for refilling car tyres, with a built-in pressure gauge. Sometimes the use of such machines is free, sometimes you need to insert a quarter. Correct tyre pressures will be listed in the car's instruction book if it is available. Otherwise, look for a sticker inside the driver's door opening or in the glove box. If all else fails, the attendant may know the correct pressures for the most common makes of car. Alternatively, visit a tyre replacement centre, a garage or a car salesroom for the appropriate make, or try the mechanics handbooks sold in shops.
Most petrol stations have free toilets for use by customers. Their cleanliness varies considerably and in many cases a fast food restaurant's restrooms will be a better choice.
Many petrol stations have associated shops or convenience stores. Some of these shops sell a very wide variety of products but in most cases their prices tend to be much higher than in supermarkets and discount department stores, especially for grocery items. Drinks and snacks are often available and can sometimes be good value, especially special offers which are combined with large petrol purchases. However, in most cases fast food restaurants offer higher and more consistent quality and better value for money for hot food items than petrol stations.
Some petrol stations have integrated fast food restaurants, although in many cases these offer an "express" service, with a reduced range of menu items, perhaps little or no seating, and generally slower service due to a very low number of staff (despite the "express" name). If a normal fast food restaurant is nearby then this will usually be a far better option, in my experience.
In any particular area you often find that the local petrol station companies offer considerably lower prices than the national chains and it is well worth checking prices before choosing a place to fill up.
Petrol sold at convenience stores is usually less expensive than at petrol stations, although the grocery and snack items sold inside convenience shops are generally much more expensive than at supermarkets or discount shops such as K-Mart or Wal-Mart.
In previous years the national Citgo chain (associated with the 7-Eleven convenience store chain) was a generally less expensive source of petrol. However, we didn't see a single Citgo station in the summer of 1998, even in areas where they used to be common. However, I received this comment from William Starks of Belton, Texas:
Citgo is still in business! In fact, Citgo is one of the largest distributors of gasoline (petrol) in the USA! Their stations are scattered from very numerous in some areas (Texas, Florida, and North Carolina) to scattered in others (Arkansas, Missouri.) Their credit card is accepted at the 7-Eleven convenience chain (I believe they have an agreement of sorts) and by other "convenience" stores throughout the country. In Canada, their credit card is even accepted at Petro-Canada stores! I am a current card holder, and their accounts are serviced in San Antonio. If you are ever in Boston, you can't miss the huge Citgo sign at Fenway Park (the baseball stadium) - it has been a landmark for many years.Update: In the summer of 1999 we did spot a very small number of Citgo stations.
The Arco chain, which operates in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington State and Vancouver BC area seems to be a consistently less expensive source of petrol. External link verified Aug-02.
The Maverik chain operates in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming and usually offers the lowest priced petrol in town. The spelling of the name does not include a "c". External link verified Aug-02.
The Trailside chain (Idaho, Utah and possibly some other states) is also recommended as a potential source of low price petrol. (If anyone knows of a web site URL for Trailside, I would be very grateful if they would email me using the link at the bottom of this page.)
Trivia: According to one source, in June 1998 there were 187,097 petrol stations in the USA, selling a total of 344,766 gallons of petrol and 85,082 gallons of diesel per day. I have no way of knowing how accurate these figures are but an average sale of 1.8 gallons per day for each petrol station seems extremely low.
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