What do you do while filling up your gas tank at the gas station? Ever have to fill your tank AND fill your wallet on the same day or same outing?
I'd venture to say that a combination of gas pump machines with automatic teller machines would help our busy society be just a wee bit more efficient. Think about how often you need to fill up on both gas and money, on average. Although there are variations, the instances may likely coincide. (Going out on the town on a Friday night, for instance.)
Perhaps some gas stations already have an ATM on the premises. Well, I'd never know, because I just use my credit card at the pump, fill my tank, and leave, usually. This idea would give each gas pump its very own personal ATM machine, for use by the gas customer, who has most likely already opened his/her wallet to pay for the gas. You usually have just enough time, while filling the gas tank, to make a quick cash withdrawal, if you time it.
Advantages: • It's one stop instead of two • co-branding for bank and gas companies, • a wee bit less traffic, • a wee bit less pollution, • a wee bit less wasted gas • a wee bit less wasted time • always have access to your cash when filling up, so you'll never even consider freeloading at the gas station. • Hello, swarms of happily returning customers? Cha-ching!-- XSarenkaX, Nov 19 2002 Can I buy a pickled egg from it, too? http://www.halfbake...dea/Egg_20dispenser [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004] True petrodollars.-- krelnik, Nov 19 2002 //help our busy society be just a wee bit more efficient//
I think it would just give us more time to busy. I think we should all just slow down a bit, walk and enjoy the scenery.-- tyskland, Nov 19 2002 Silly, if you're not driving to the bank, you'll have more time to do just that. We're on your side!-- XSarenkaX, Nov 19 2002 Nah, Murphy's law.-- tyskland, Nov 19 2002 And if someone could cut my hair while I'm pumping gas or getting cash, it would solve all my time managment problems at once-- barbarosa, Nov 19 2002 A lot of the garages here in UK have a cash machine near the kiosk to pay.-- yamahito, Nov 19 2002 So [tyskland], it would seem you're against any sort of timesaving whatsoever. If so, this idea is definitely not for you.
[blissmiss], fresh hot Krispy Kreme donuts....mmmmmm....<drools> I bought a box at our newest KK shop near my house last weekend. Needless to say, they are all gone, but boy were they delicious!-- XSarenkaX, Nov 19 2002 Life is too convenient as it is. People get so little excercise in general. walking from the pump to the ATM that is inside damn near every gas station would do people good.-- notme, Nov 19 2002 All the money you would not have to withdraw to pay for gas you save not having to drive to the gas station... the banks will never go for it. +-- FarmerJohn, Nov 20 2002 XSarenkaX: It would *seem* that way, yes, however this is not the case. Time saving just makes more time to be filled with other things, and thus you remain busy at all times. If you do everything at a more leisurely pace, then you can relax and enjoy the world more, and thus be less busy, but without the hastle of having more time to fill with being busy.-- tyskland, Nov 20 2002 I query the mathematical groundings of your equation.-- tyskland, Nov 20 2002 Goodness, bliss! I read that last annotation of yours a wee bit too quickly and thought you had stuck my name in there at the end. Whew! (of course, it's all true, but still...)-- absterge, Nov 20 2002 Many stations in the UK have pumps which allow you to pay with a credit/debit card, so the technology is halfway there. This already saves much time queueing to pay in the shop afterwards.
Phew, it's hard work leaving the gags out. Can't we have a little bit of fun? Please?-- egbert, Nov 20 2002 Who's stopping you? Gag all you want.-- XSarenkaX, Nov 22 2002 Thieves would certainly think twice about the hit-and-run ATM attacks I've heard about.-- rapid transit, May 20 2003 Does any one know if there is a present technology that allows you to pay cash at your pump. I know that groceries are using this type of technology in self check-out lines.
If you had a 5 dollar bill and wanted 5 dollars in gas wouldn't it be efficient if the pump let you put in cash right there so you could avoid waiting in line inside. Let me know what you think.-- OSO, Mar 25 2004 OSO- yes their are companys that do that. One that comes to mind are Petrol-Express. You can pay with credit card, or put in cash and get that much gas for your money. The one station around here is in a convience store parking lot.-- dickity, Mar 25 2004 random, halfbakery