Helmets on forecourts. Update: they are allowed at BP

[daemonoid]

<edit> jump here to see the acceptance of helmets on forecourts at BP.

Yes, this crap again.

So, I was asked to remove my helmet for the first time at a BP station. It was spectacularly inconvenient - the weather was terrible so I was soaked, I had a passenger and luggage, the forecourt was covered in diesel/petrol so unusually slippery and my monster has a stupid suicide stand (pops back up immediately so trying a one legged fumble on a slippery surface to persuade it to stay down is an absolute PITA).

Anyway, instead of complaining to bcf I complained to BP. My first rambling discussion type mail elicited their stock response - "it's the law". So then I boiled it down to some simple, straight questions which was escalated, finally getting somewhere I thought; but no, just received the stock response again after 9 days.

So, here's my latest mail to them - I think I know the answer to a number of the questions and I expect to get a stock response in a week or so's time but hey ho...

[Kris]

I'd wager it's the staff at that particular BP being heavy-handed either due to misunderstanding their policy or a manager being heavy handed with bikers and setting 'da roolz'.

BP are playing the 'corporate act', nothing more.

I would have confronted the staff about it. If we all did this then perhaps they would learn that pissing off bikers = confrontation.
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[Andrew122]

You were asked to remove your helmet before they would switch the pump on? Or before you went inside to pay?

Maybe this puts me into the minority, but I struggle to see the problem with this. If they don't want to serve you with your lid on, then why should they? Similarly, why should you take your helmet off if you don't want to? You're free to go somewhere else.

Whether their policy is sound and reasonable is irrelevant. It's nevertheless their policy. Maybe they'll have a rethink if they get enough complaints though.

Either way, +1 for the comment about not having anywhere to put helmets. That's always shitty.
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Restricted licence: 11th May 2012
Daelim Roadwin 125 (Sold) --> Bikeless!

[supZ]

unfortunately you're whining to the wrong person. its the local garage that decide whether to enforce 'taking helmets off' or not. not BP themselves. garage will say 'store policy' but its meaningless, they'll just bounce off eachother to try to deflect any questioning.

BP couldnt give a toss if you or your mrs dont use their stations any more, they're making a mint.. the only people you could hurt (although i doubt it) are the poor saps working there as it could effect their already tiny margin of the fuel cost.


an example is in my local area 2 garages of the same type (texaco) are virtually opposite eachother. the one on the right 8/10 times will ask me to take my helmet off whereas the left one never does so yeh, of course i always go to the left one. then one day im asked to take my helmet off, i take it off and gesture 'its me' as im in there quite often, the guy smiled and unlocked the pumps.. when i go in i ask him about it and he says they recently had a few bikes come in, fuel up and leave without paying. the police said they cant do anything as they all had helmets on and cant be identified so they're asking everyone to take their helmets off before fueling.

fair enough i thought, a bit annoying, but they've gotta protect themselves..

2 weeks later they stopped asking, that was over a year ago...

its silly i agree but its not something i ever get wound up about if asked.
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CBR954RR - Daily toy
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[daemonoid]

[st3v3]

[bikertomm]

You can be on a large motorcycle at 17.

But other than that, I agree, I've only been asked to take it off a couple of times and there is nowhere to put the fucker, pissed me off too.


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[daemonoid]

[blurredman]

I admit, 20 miles is a long way.. I didn't know cashiers were that far away from forecourts..
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[J.M.]

I've had to remove mine twice now living here. Once at ASDA, once at Shell.

At Shell I didn't have a choice. I was out of fuel and running on the 800ml of petrol I keep in a canister in my bag. Going somewhere else wasn't an option so I had to comply.

The ASDA one annoyed me though.

It was one of the ones where you fill up and then drive to the kiosk to pay. The cashier made me remove my helmet to fill up... but then of course I had to put it on again in order to ride to the paying station. That seemed very pointless to me.

Whilst I hate it, I can understand having to remove the helmet to go in to a shop. I don't agree with it, but I can understand it. But having to put your helmet back on to pay anyway, so it's only actually removed whilst putting petrol in to the tank... seems utterly pointless.

I'll be filling up there again on Saturday so I'll see how it goes.

@Demonoid, where did you find the email address to send an email to? I took a quick look on the ASDA website and found nothing which I thought to be correct.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[kawakid]

You must look dodgy or young or have a young person's build. Or perhaps you ride an old bike or it's dirty and gives off the wrong impression.

I'm coming up to 8 years riding now, pretty much 365. I have never once been asked to remove my helmet.

If I was I would ride off, when I am filling up I tend to look down to see how much petrol is in the tank. I don't want a drop accidentally splashing in to my eye.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Vracktal]

I get asked to take my helmet off all the time, usually over the tannoy and sometimes before i've even unlocked the filler cap...
I reckon it's mainly because my bike is a tatty DS with jerrycans permenantly strapped to it, and the rear plate is held on with duct tape, so I must fit the profile for the sort of person who nicks fuel from petrol stations.

In the end I just suck it up and accept that i'm going to have to spend an hour readjusting my glasses to find the comfy spot in the helmet again after every fillup.

[Alpha-9]

[daemonoid]

[Rogerborg]

[daemonoid]

[daemonoid]

[Benno]

You could mention that the only reliable way to "ascertain age" is to see a person's ID. Seeing their face is not sufficient therefore their demand that you remove your helmet for the purposes of age ascertaining is pointless and irrelevant.
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I'm autistic. That means I'm smarter than you.

[Speed]

As much of a ball ache it is having to take my helmet off everytime i fill up, i can understand it from their point of view as a security measure. Plus i think it's good manners

[map]

As I seem to say regularly with these type of threads the taking your helmet off for security reasons is a little pointless if you're wearing a balaclava. Not that unusual on a motorbike and it's that time of year too.

https://store.planet-knox.com/uploads/20090520102947618191_normal.jpg

As said above if I've taken the time to tuck everything in correctly with different layers and get the glasses so they don't dig in then I'm a bit miffed to have to do it all over again.
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[Joncrete Cungle]

I don't take my lid off at filling stations, going in shops or my bank. I am not aware of any law compelling me to do so. Sounds like a 'tard manager has passed his 'tard rules on to a 'tard till monkey. However at petrol stations I get off the bike and root my wallet out of my jacket inner pocket, make a glance in it to feign checking I have money then put it down on the clocks

This usually calms all but the most chimp like staff. Yesterday it let me down when a gentleman who spoke what appeared to be Liberian Interior Pidgin English was waffling on about something or other and waving his hands. I couldn't hear him through my plugs, balaclava and lid so I placed fifteen pounds sterling under his nose and bade him farewell.

[Benno]

[pits]

I have two responses to this.
Pre pump turning on, I just leave the pump on the floor making sure I have emptied what was left in the nozzle into my tank Leave it on the floor and ride off, especially good at night when it is cold and they have to leave the shop to put it back on.

Post pump in shop, just ignore them, holding card, telling them I can see their mouths moving, but I have ear plugs in and can't hear them, then ask if they are refusing to take payment, if you refuse to take payment I will walk out of here. Also works with cash, I have done it where miserable bint wouldn't take payment, so I walked out took £10 cash out, walk to my bike took £2 out of, and the last 15p I used their have a penny dish and left with £12.15 on the desk, umad?

She was so mad, even better as I made a point of asking others to back me up to show she was refusing payment
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[Joncrete Cungle]

[Rogerborg]