Running on Empty

In 1962, when television was black-and-white, and gasoline was $0.31 a gallon, Texaco launched an effective ad campaign telling American drivers, “You can trust your car to the man who wears the star.” Gas stations, or "filling stations" as they were also called, were a place where you could fill up your gas tank, but you got a lot more for your money. Just pull up to the pump and a friendly guy in a uniform would run out to your car, fill the tank, wash the windows, check the oil and tire pressure, and then ask if there was anything else you needed--all with a smile. 

Today’s gas station experience is a lot different. Pull up to the pump, get out of your car, slip a credit card into a slot and then type in a variety of personal information so the card is accepted. Follow the prompts, pump your gas, take your receipt, get back in our car and drive away. This transaction can be done without as much as a “howdy-do” from any human being running the gas station, often from behind a glass enclosure with security bars and a slot to slide your money or credit card across. 

Customer service at the pumps has declined since the cheerful Texaco guys handled the chores at the pump.  As if that wasn’t bad enough, now the gas stations themselves are disappearing. An article in The Daily Beast, “Farewell to the Gas Station: The Demise of a Car-Culture Icon,” tells the sad story about a piece of Americana that is slowly becoming extinct. 

As the article tells it, gas stations in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., are being sold to land developers who are replacing them with office and apartment buildings. High land values aren’t the only cause for their demise. As a result of years of technology and fuel efficiency initiatives, cars are getting better gas mileage than the 10-mile-to-the-gallon guzzlers of the past. Better mileage, fewer fill-ups. Hybrids cut gas consumption even further, tethered to an electric hookup instead of a gas nozzle. 

Americans are driving less as well. There are more people biking to work. Pedi cabs, powered by muscle power, are popping up in cities alongside taxicabs. Health enthusiasts, physicians and just about every celebrity diet book urge Americans to get out and walk as a way to lose weight, reduce blood pressure and cure just about every other ailment known to man.

Another factor is the competition from major retailers like Costco, Walmart and Kroger, who are building gas stations at their superstores. Membership in these large chains will get discounts in the form of cents off at their on-site gas stations. You can save money through the large chain’s volume discount buying power for food and other necessities, and then drive around to the pumps and save money on a fill-up. It’s all about the economy…personal economy, that is. You can have the convenience of one-stop shopping and discount prices.

The job market and under-employment has something to do with it as well. Younger Americans without the high-paying, entry-level jobs aren’t buying cars like they used to. With less money to spend, people plan their trips and drive less. Highly populated urban areas that cater to young professionals are finding that putting a coffee shop or restaurant on the corner is a better investment than a smelly, unsightly gas station. Urban dwellers are more likely to leave their cars in the parking garage on the weekends and jog, walk or pedal to a local coffee bar to relax with a latte and biscotti. 

Lifestyles and needs are changing. Like any love affair, the one with the automobile may be waxing a little cold. One American icon is being replaced by another, as Texaco signs on the corner are replaced by Starbucks and Caribou Coffee.  

Photo courtesy of Wylio.com