Tyre Pressure- Charge at Garages and service stations

Nodding_Donkey

I think 'Free Air' is from the times when garages were proper garages, with a workshop attached that had a compressor and all they had to do was run a pipe outside. Nowadays they are more like a mini-supermarket !!! coffee shop that sells things for cars as an afterthought.

wildincrawley

BrianWilliams wrote: »

It was nice to when I filled up with petrol at a service station in Sainsburys that the tyre pressure machine was free. Shell used to offer this facility but now charge for this function as do many other garages and service stations which seems very unfair. You do not get much time for your money and it cost me nearly a £1 last time Do any other chain/ supermarkets offer this service free.

Yup, I'm lucky, Sainsburys is my nearest with 2 free air machines, so usually at least 1 working!

Even if the gauge on the machine is not exact, if the pressure is the same each week I know I do not have a slow puncture, at least.

[Deleted User]

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

I think 'Free Air' is from the times when garages were proper garages, with a workshop attached that had a compressor and all they had to do was run a pipe outside. Nowadays they are more like a mini-supermarket !!! coffee shop that sells things for cars as an afterthought.

That is because the newer the car the less the DIYer can do on it. It's becoming the only way to do anything is to take to a main dealer and have it hooked up to the computer.

prowla

I tend to fill up at garages which offer free air, or rather not fill up at the ones which charge for it.

Of course, if all the local garages decide to charge then I won't have the option...

Avoriaz

agrinnall wrote: »

Ah, spare tyre, I remember the days when there used to be one of those in the car rather than round my middle :beer:.

You and me both.

Iceweasel

The UK is the only country I know that charges for air or water at filling stations.

facade

Iceweasel wrote: »

The UK is the only country I know that charges for air or water at filling stations.

As we pay tax on every penny we earn, every penny we spend, every penny we save, the ground we walk on, the water we drink and the air that we breathe -

Why not?
(and we have the least public holidays of any country that I know too :mad:)

Norman_Castle

ohreally wrote: »

Why do you find this unfair?

There are costs involved in compressing and storing then delivering air, the on-going maintenance to comply with health and safety legislation, not to mention insurance requirements soon build up.

Air may be free, its storage and delivery aren't.


http://www.bcas.org.uk/compressed-air-legislation.php

Storing and delivering air?. Don't they either have compressors inside or are connected to nearby compressors?

Nodding_Donkey

I don't think he meant having it delivered by truck and stored in the shed