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Hats Off?
We don't think so, says the bear
All right, it’s time to say, “I’ve had enough, and I’m not going to take it any more.” The creeping tide of anti-motorcycling prejudice has gathered itself into another wave, and this time we — all of us — are going to flatten it before it does serious damage.
For quite a while now I have been getting complaints about riders being forced to remove their helmets when they fill up their bikes or when they go to pay. This has mostly happened at Shell service stations.
Recently, I was informed that it is now official policy at Mobil stations. The boy behind the counter apparently claimed that it was “a law”, but his manager was more sensible and simply said that it was company policy.
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I can understand this to some extent when the rider is wearing a full-face helmet, although I would like to see some evidence of the number of motorcyclists who have ridden off without paying for fuel before I accept that it is actually a problem. Likewise, anyone entering a service station holding out a credit card or cash is not likely to be a robber no matter what he’s wearing on his head.
But, as I say, I can understand the concern even if I don’t agree with the prescription.
What I cannot understand is why this rule — and that’s all it is; it’s definitely not a law — is being applied to wearers of open-face helmets or open flip-fronts. Their faces are in full view of both the security cameras and the attendant and yet we constantly hear that they are being told to remove their helmets.
This is not common sense.
Of course there are many things around us all the time that are not common sense. If that was all of the problem I would not waste valuable space on it here. Unfortunately, it goes further than that.
If the petrol companies are allowed to single out motorcyclists with an unreasonable demand, this is yet another unsubtle anti-bike and rider signal to the rest of society. There are more than enough of these signals out there already and, quite apart from the social disadvantages, there are clearly times when these attitudes affect our safety on the road.
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| | The thought by another road user that “It’s only a bike” can lead to very serious trouble for the rider.
It is also, frankly, annoying to be told (not asked) to do something nonsensical — or anything, really — by some snot-nosed kid behind a petrol station counter and then be lectured about some specious non-existent “law”. But that’s probably just me being a cranky old man.
The actual role of the law in this case is interesting. It seems that sales come in two parts: the supply of the goods and the payment. A service station operator is certainly entitled to refuse you fuel, so the demand that you remove your helmet before the pump is turned on for the first part of the sale is within their rights. Senseless, if your face is showing, but legal.
It’s a little different if they let you fill up and then demand that you remove your helmet when you go to pay, to complete the second part of the sale. It seems — and please don’t take this as legally binding advice because I can’t offer that — that you are entitled to demand that your payment be accepted, helmet or no helmet. If this is refused you should be able to leave your contact details and tell them to come and collect their money.
Obviously, it’s tough if they’ve already got hold of your credit card and refuse to give that back, but you are probably entitled in that case to call the police. How do you do that? Well, I have a Bluetooth unit in my helmet that lets me use my mobile while wearing same ...
Yes, this is getting silly. But remember that we didn’t start it. Overleaf there’s a letter to the Chairman of Mobil. Please cut it out or photostat it, sign it and send it. Remember: “I’ve had enough, and I’m not going to take it any more!”
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