So the owner of the business has to provide the compressor, the electricity, the maintenance, insurance, and other necessary items at his own expense?
Pass a law against charging for air, and they will just remove the air station, ensuring that no one will have air available at all.
Oh, and saying “I’m pro-capitalism, but” right before making a statement like this is like saying “I’m a gun owner, but”
13 Comments
Birdog357 · October 1, 2026 at 6:30 am
Several chains near me have free air. They make up for it by the fact people choose to visit there for the free service and end up buying something. That’s capitalism in action.
Divemedic · October 1, 2026 at 7:31 am
But isnt that up to each business?
Birdog357 · October 1, 2026 at 12:09 pm
Absolutely. I was just pointing out why it’s a good idea for them to make that choice.
Don Curton · October 1, 2026 at 7:45 am
Used to have free air and water at each pumping station, as a courtesy. I’m not saying we should go back to that, but if there was a local station that still had that I’d probably go there.
That said, my biggest problem is that easily 90% of those fucking things never work. I’ll put in my quarters, hear the compressor crank on, and still have zero air pressure at the hose. And then what? Go complain to the minimum wage lackey inside the store who has no idea how to fix it? Or cares?
Fido · October 1, 2026 at 1:10 pm
“Used to have free air and water at each pumping station”
Used to have small exensive items on the shelf like everything else, instead of locked up.
Used to be able to just use a store’s toilet.
I think these things are related.
*Used* to be a high trust society. When’s the last time you saw the “honor system” being used? Even very old people now have a hard time even *defining* “honor”. The concept is laughed at.
In many formerly colonized countries, water, power, rail, are all being torn up for scrap value by people who can’t see past tomorrow. We’ve imported them en mass. Plan accordingly.
Elrod · October 1, 2026 at 12:12 pm
Investing Addict is merely confirming his IQ deficit.
Which seems substantial.
The Capitalist who is “providing air” is not “providing air;” the air is, as it always has been, free.
What he is doing is charging for the means of delivering it:
The initial cost of the machine, and its fixtures, which dispenses it under pressure;
The ongoing maintenance cost of maintaining that machine;
The property tax on the space that machine occupies;
The cost of the electricity consumed in pressurizing the air;
The convenience of providing all that 24X7 for anyone who drives up.
Investing Addict can, as has always been the case, have as much air as he wishes to consume, whenever he chooses to consume it.
If, however, he wants that air pressurized, with the hose and fixtures necessary to get it into his tire, and the machinery that tells him just how much pressure is in his tire, all that does come with a cost.
He is entitled to bear all those costs himself, anytime he so wishes; lots of places sell air compressors, hoses, tire valve fittings, and plenty of utilities can provide him with tfhe electricity to operate the compressor.
Landroll · October 1, 2026 at 1:22 pm
To your point, 12V DC compressors for tire inflation etc are available at Wally World and other outlets. Carry your own.
Steady Steve · October 1, 2026 at 5:36 pm
This ^^^^^ I’ve always carried a compressor and plug kit, never know when you’ll need it.
WallPhone · October 2, 2026 at 8:59 am
It’s clear the ‘Addict can’t make the neutral connections necessary to observe that the equipment and property are assets, the maintenance and electricity are expenses, and the quarters are ROI.
Jonesy · October 1, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Yeah this is total choice. Choice of the establishment to charge, and choice of the consumer to participate or find somewhere else
I always assume if they don’t charge for air, it’s amortized in the price of gas. A penny across how many gallons a week more than covers the equipment and operating costs.
I appreciate those that don’t charge. Less hassle. It is disappointing how many gas station air pumps are in disrepair. Seems like more are down than work
TRX · October 2, 2026 at 1:28 pm
“Free” air used to be a common service, like a glass of ice water in restaurants, free checking, etc. When all the old gas stations became chain franchises, a couple of companies moved their coin-operated equipment in. Which was fine, except apparently neither company budgeted anything for maintenance or replacement, and every coin-op air pump I know of in this town is now nonfunctional. (mostly vandalized, too) I now have a small cigarette-lighter-powered pump in each car. Those have all the volume and pressure of a hamster blowing through a straw, but they’ll eventually do the job if you let them run long enough.
Divemedic · October 2, 2026 at 1:33 pm
There are a lot of things gas stations used to do. In the customer’s search for lower and lower prices, it soon came to be that the lowest price possible was more important than good service. That’s why customer service sucks now. I remember gas stations being full service when I was a kid. I remember the dude would come out, fill your tank, check the oil, and clean the windshield.
Now, with the exception of 2 states, that isn’t the case any longer. Even in those states, he fills the tank and that’s it.
https://youtu.be/3zgdZZmX7r8?si=Eofqthd5vfJTo7N8&t=38
Fido · October 2, 2026 at 3:42 pm
“There are a lot of things gas stations used to do.”
They use to be “service stations”, where mechanics repaired and serviced cars. They used air tools, so they had an air compressor. Running an air line out to the islands was a relively cheap, one-time cost. The compressor, and it’s maintenance was already part of the shop’s business model.
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