Not Car Specific, But: Anyone Remember . . ..

[msmitka]

The hoses surrounding gas station pumps that would "ding" as you drove up for gas?

Or, getting a free tiger tail at the Esso station (now Exxon)?

Getting S&H Green Stamps with a fill-up?

[craigq]

Originally Posted by msmitka

The hoses surrounding gas station pumps that would "ding" as you drove up for gas?

Or, getting a free tiger tail at the Esso station (now Exxon)?

Getting S&H Green Stamps with a fill-up?

Some of the smaller independent gas stations around here still have the hose that "dings" as one drives over it; I don't recall any of the "majors" having them though...

[SailDesign]

Definitely remember those. Especially that my mother always gave my BROTHER the tiger tails.......

[msmitka]

Originally Posted by craigq

Some of the smaller independent gas stations around here still have the hose that "dings" as one drives over it; I don't recall any of the "majors" having them though...

Wow, I can't remember seeing those things for a whole lot of years.That's pretty cool!

[gonzo452001]

I remember the dingers went away with self service.I remember when I was a kid going to the gulf station and getting those orange foam attenna toppers

[msmitka]

Originally Posted by SailDesign

Definitely remember those. Especially that my mother always gave my BROTHER the tiger tails.......

Haha, that's just not right! I also recall Arco stations (I think) giving out the red antenna balls. The crazy thing was that *every* car had one, so it wasn't much help finding your car in a parking lot. :)

[BLH]

I live in a rural town with no self service gas stations. The Local ones both have the hoses that ding a bell inside.

[BailOut]

I remember getting the 2-inch long Tootsie Rolls for a penny at the gas station where my Mother usually filled up.

[Shroomster]

pic of tigtertails or explaination?

[Phaeton]

Oregon probably still has them, since you can't pump your own gas in that state.

[Altitude]

Tiger tails were stuffed animal tails that you would hang out of your gas filler door. Went along with the Exxon "tiger in your tank" promo.

Gas stations used to run all sorts of promos. Toy trucks, cars, dinosaurs. I remember them all very well.

Haven't heard the gas station 'ding' in eons!!

[msmitka]

Originally Posted by Altitude

Tiger tails were stuffed animal tails that you would hang out of your gas filler door. Went along with the Exxon "tiger in your tank" promo.

Gas stations used to run all sorts of promos. Toy trucks, cars, dinosaurs. I remember them all very well.

Haven't heard the gas station 'ding' in eons!!

You might also remember the classic Candid Camera episode in which the attendant, while checking the driver's oil, pulled out a seemingly endless dipstick. :)

[andaconda]

the old jungle:
"ENCO sign means happy motoring."
And the gold plated silverware - one place setting per fill up. Still have them today and use them on special occasions.

[kustom play]

i remember not to long ago in Rochester NY, the small villages would have small gas stations with the small service stations. they would have the little ding and somebody would come out to say hi

im not old enough to remember the days where they would come out and check your oil and air but i could picture it being a cool thing to do

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by msmitka

The hoses surrounding gas station pumps that would "ding" as you drove up for gas?

Or, getting a free tiger tail at the Esso station (now Exxon)?

Getting S&H Green Stamps with a fill-up?

Yes, I am quite old enought to remember that and more.

Sadly, gas stations are no longer auto repair shops and do not need the signal hose for self service.

[msmitka]

Originally Posted by RedRide

Yes, I am quite old enought to remember that and more.

Sadly, gas stations are no longer auto repair shops and do not need the signal hose for self service.

It is sad. Even stations that weren't repair shops, were still full service gas stations. They'd wash your windshield, check the oil, pump your gas, and they usually knew something about cars. Self serve, the generally low maintenance cars, and the faster pace of life in general, have made such places (and those jobs) obsolete. Thinking back to some of the older cars, often it was a challenge just finding where the gas cap was located. Behind the license plate? A hinged tail-fin? :)

[TLyttle]

I am convinced that self-serve did a lot of damage to society. A kid who was interested in cars not only learned about cars, but also met his neighbours. Checking oil, tires, doing windshields, all the things needed to educate them. Wrong move, getting rid of full service!

I do remember an episode of Candid Camera where they put a 50 gallon tank into a Renault or some other small vehicle, and recorded the expressions of the gas jockeys; hilarious...

[Bob Dog]

There was 39 cent a gallon Exxon gas (Esso at the time), and a stuffed tiger tail hanging out from under the gas cap of our 65' Mustang. Ypu would get one with a fill up of premium gas. I built an AMT (my favorite brand of model cars) model that exactly matched the one my folks had. My grandfather had owned a service station and complained every time that the service wasn't to his exact liking. They also gave away glasses with a portrait of the tiger on them. He was a close, though slightly more natural looking cousin to Tony the tiger.