Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

arstechnica.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 48 posts

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#3

Post by wtk »

pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I don't think it's uncommon in Europe. I've never had to pay upfront here in Poland. CCTV will record your plates if you drive away without paying.

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#4

Post by chimpansteve »

pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I've had a driving licence in the UK for 26 years, and have never once paid for my fuel before filling up. This is normal everywhere in Europe at least, to the point where I suspect the US is the outlier

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#5

Post by throwaway11460 »

pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I drive all around Europe and if they asked me to pay first I'd suspect it's some kind of a scam.

I used an unattended gas station for the first time few weeks ago and it took me 10 minutes to figure out why the diesel isn't flowing... Though I didn't even notice it's unattended at first.

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#6

Post by someotherperson »

chimpansteve wrote: post #4
pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I've had a driving licence in the UK for 26 years, and have never once paid for my fuel before filling up. This is normal everywhere in Europe at least, to the point where I suspect the US is the outlier

It's not uncommon in Latin America, too, at least.

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#8

Post by theultdev »

chimpansteve wrote: post #4
pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I've had a driving licence in the UK for 26 years, and have never once paid for my fuel before filling up. This is normal everywhere in Europe at least, to the point where I suspect the US is the outlier

That used to be normal in the US, nowadays most pumps are automated.

You can fill up 24/7, even if the store is closed.

Re: Self-pay gas station pumps break across NZ as software can't handle Leap Day

#9

Post by vinay427 »

chimpansteve wrote: post #4
pants2 wrote: post #2

Gas stations in New Zealand are interesting because for the majority of them you fill up before paying inside. They trust you not to drive away with their gas. Self-pay gas stations are relatively new.

I've had a driving licence in the UK for 26 years, and have never once paid for my fuel before filling up. This is normal everywhere in Europe at least, to the point where I suspect the US is the outlier

I’ve driven in the US and the UK (among other countries) and haven’t paid before filling up in either. Is this a result of paying with cash or other non-card methods, as pumps in the US seem to require inserting the card first probably as an authorisation?

I also don’t drive that much these days so may be misremembering things. The only issue I had with payments was in a station in a small town in Italy which refused to accept most foreign cards (ant least based on other people around me also struggling) and was the automated no-human type of station so there wasn’t an easy solution.

Post reply on HN