Remember When They Used To Call Gas Stations ‘Service Stations?’

When I took my whirlwind trip to Los Angeles this weekend to see the Seahawks take on the Rams in the first NFL game there in 22 years, I flew out of Portland. After I returned I noticed my tires were a bit low on air so I stopped at a gas station near the airport. Sadly I've gotten used to have to pay 50 cents for air. You know that stuff that's in the... well, air! There is an abundant supply that, until the sun blows up or we pollute the hell out of it, we'll never run out of. It's quite irritating.

Back in the day air an water were free and the "service station" attendant would check your water AND air AND wiper fluid AND oil... for FREE. But they are no longer "service stations" because they don't offer anything of 'service' unless you count crappy burritos under a heat lamp 'service'.

To add insult to injury the gas station I stopped at didn't just charge for air, they charged more for air than anywhere I've ever stopped. A dollar and 50 cents. Yes, $1.50 to run their air compressor for about 2 minutes to put air in my tires. What a joke! It reminds me of the time I had to pay $10 for a beer at a Mariners game.

Everyone is starting up specialty stores now so I have an idea for a spinoff of a gas station... an "Air Station". Just a bunch of stalls where people can pull up and pay me a dollar for air. Imagine there was one of these every 10 blocks with a half dozen to a dozen stalls and all with access to air... air only. Wouldn't you avoid all the cars getting gas, crappy burritos, cigarettes and light beer if all you needed was air? And for 50 cents less than these moneygrubbers. I'll never go back here just out of principal. Just think, in about 20 years you'll probably have to put a five dollar bill in a slot for the right not to ruin your rims.