And you didn't have to pay for air, because there was an air hose on the corner of the building you could just go use.
this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2026
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Back when breathing was free.
Wait really? I thought I knew a lot of details about America, but not that. In the EU I’ve never seen a for pay air hose.
Shit, if I go to a tire shop they’ll probably do it for free.
It's true with a few qualifications. If you go to a mechanic, usually the top the air off in your tires for free. If you go to a gas/fuel station there's usually a air pump and hose that's about $1.50 USD for about 5-10 minutes of air. Alternately, you could just buy a plug in air pump for around $25-$50 and keep it in the car and you'll always be able to get air into your tires.
In California the paid air went to charity which was nice...
The problem wad the air at gas stations, they were always broken or you had to hold it just right or whatever else issues they have...
I finally got a plug in one for the car (car lighter socket) and those small things work wonders and I don't have to worry about it anymore...
Yeah it's like US$1.50 for the air pump to run long enough for you to fill maybe three tires.
Except at Sheetz. Most Sheetz stations have a free air pump, so everybody uses it and it's broken a lot.
IDK about the rest of the country, but California made it so they have to provide air and water for free if you purchase gas, but the only way you're ever gonna get it free is by going inside and demanding it. And that's if the fucking machine even works. Gas stations never seem to actually maintain a god damn thing.
The reason for that was the Paris accord on emissions could be achieved if people just kept their tires properly inflated.
There's plenty in the Netherlands, but we're practically Ferengi
Small towns often have a place with free air. My local fleet supply store has one.
The station near us has an air hose that just has a button to start it up unlike all the other places nearby with paid ones. I wonder how long before it gets monetized too. Or if I'm just not realizing I was supposed to be paying inside for it or something this whole time
There's still one of those near me but it's the only one I know of now. Irks me so much the switch to paid air. Those machines must cost a fortune.
Belle Tire has free air, that's the only place I know of anymore.
Air and water are both free in Australian petrol stations.
The first car my dad had when I was born said “Unleaded fuel only” on the gauge.
Both my parent’s cars had cigarette lighters. I burned myself once and never made that mistake again.
The earliest I can remember seeing a gas station price board, it said Regular was 0.75.
I remember Gulf stations.
I remember when coffee in most businesses was free.
There's still a Gulf station one town over from me. I don't know if it's independently owned and they just kept the signage, or if Gulf as a chain still exists and is just much diminished, or what.
Also, all modern cars still say "unleaded only" on them somewhere, just in a less conspicuous spot since you functionally can't buy leaded gasoline outside of an airfield anymore. Mine says it on the yellow sticker on the back of the fuel flap.
I was miffed my new (12 years old at this point) car didn't come with the glow-plug lighter, but I grabbed a random one from a beater at the junkyard and stuck it in the socket and was delighted to discover that it still worked. My first car had one, but the little catch on it was broken so when it was done heating up and popped out, it would shoot out of the socket and wind up under your seats. Fun times.
You'd be surprised at how recently the glow plug lighters were removed. I know at least a few mid 2000s VWs that came with it standard and not as part of any smoker's package option.
The first car my dad had when I was born said “Unleaded fuel only” on the gauge.
To be fair, that isn't exactly ancient. Leaded fuel was phased out across the U.S. in 1996, and the "Unleaded Fuel Only" tags were more common from the mid-80s onward up to 95 model years, so you could be talking about events in 1998 or 2002 when gas prices dipped for a bit. Though, diesel vs. unleaded still has to be differentiated.
my car still has a cigarette lighter actually
Lowest I ever saw was .68 cents a litre in Alberta. And people were pissed it was that high.
60-90 cents a liter was such a short time frame that I imagine I could guess your age with pretty reasonable accuracy
Haha probably
I'm old enough to remember my parents commenting about how much cheaper self-service was over full service gas stations and how you were seeing less and less full service gas stations.
Forced full service states like NJ suck. I want to pump my own gas now a days.. people don’t care about your car and scratch the paint when putting in the gas nozzle
I've heard it claimed that it's a safety thing, but come on, you're driving a car. Filling up the gas tank is probably when you're safest around that thing, let's be real.
Did Elmer park and then swim across the icy river to fish from the other side?
Any small town still has this.
Various kinds of places used these. There is a drive thru liquor store near me that still has one. Surely cheaper to keep that than installing anything new when ringing a bell works just as well.
Actually, my local Value Village stores have those. At two of them, you’ll hear it going off quite frequently in the store. I wonder if it’s a just a thing they do.
I've been to a mechanic shop that had one for the oil change door.
I also recall these at fast food restaurants in the Drive-Thru line.
"Just 1890s kid things. You wouldn't get it."
Don't these still exist in New Jersey?
I haven't seen any bell you ring but we still have attendants because it's still illegal to pump our own gas.
What's up with that, anyway? Like, is it meant to just keep the job of attendant around or what? I'm so used to pumping my own gas I don't know why NJ deemed that to be unlawful.
It's meant to keep control of an extremely volatile liquid out of the hands of folks who were incredibly stupid before social media existed.
The Exxon on 22 in Union definitely still has the bell you drive over
!boomermemes@sopuli.xyz is that way mate.
Why don't you skibidi toilet your ass back to Ohio. No rizz yeye haircut bruh. No cap. 676767.
Did I get em all?
Having a stroke there mate?
Nah just replying in kind.
A stroke isn't a choice.
Your attitude is.
As is the meme