Gas Receipts

[Stephen!]

That is awesome! But I can't download the data for verification.

You could if I set that option. Meanwhile you can click on any point and see the relevant data (date/time/LAT/LON/speed/etc)

It took me about five minutes to set that up on my tablet. I walked away and came back several hours later to a Moscow SS1k. For all intents and purposes, my tablet really "thought" it was there the entire time. Had I spent a few minutes more I could have programmed in fuel stops as well. Anyone doing a "Find my device" on my tablet at the time would have had the same results.

 

[PilotJO]

$500 fine if there is no paper in the pumps in Arizona. I report every one of them to Arizona Weights and Measures. I don't patiently wait in line either. I interrupt and ask for the receipt. When somebody complains wait your turn it is pointed out I have already paid with a credit card nobody else has and I want my receipt. More often than not there are others just like me that also ask for receipts at the same time. What is really annoying is multiple employees standing around doing nothing, there is no excuse for the pumps to be out of paper. It is a ploy to get people inside the building to buy something.

I was not aware of this 'requirement' in Arizona! Thanks for pointing it out!!!!!

 

[Scott7d]

I did the BunBurner Gold back in October. I think maybe two gas stations along the way actually printed at the pump, pretty annoying. I did a SaddleSore a few weeks ago. if I recall, all of the pump printers were fine. Seems to be hit and miss. It is definitely frustrating getting behind people wanting to play the lottery, haha!

 

[ibafran]

$500 fine if there is no paper in the pumps in Arizona. I report every one of them to Arizona Weights and Measures. I don't patiently wait in line either. I interrupt and ask for the receipt. When somebody complains wait your turn it is pointed out I have already paid with a credit card nobody else has and I want my receipt. More often than not there are others just like me that also ask for receipts at the same time. What is really annoying is multiple employees standing around doing nothing, there is no excuse for the pumps to be out of paper. It is a ploy to get people inside the building to buy something.

Damn. I hope to work up the chutzpah to do this. One station in particular. Ever notice exactly who (kind of person) owns/runs these stations? I keep track right on the receipts. I always get a receipt just to make sure my tally habits are tuned up. Every one has mileage and any unusual wind conditions/POV and subsequently entered in a mpg log. Gonna will'em to my grandkids with a note explaining how invaluable they with be in 200yrs. In some religions they will be second class relics when I achieve sainthood.

Hope there is a similar fine in ILL-annoy,
fran

 

[Stephen!]

Damn. I hope to work up the chutzpah to do this. One station in particular. Ever notice exactly who (kind of person) owns/runs these stations?

Nope, have not noticed. Do tell...

 

[CB650F]

Ever notice exactly who (kind of person) owns/runs these stations?

fran

You're talking about Indians aren't you? That's the racist stereotype right? Or maybe you're talking about those overworked and underpaid teenagers and 20somethings just trying to get a start in life. Maybe you should take a walk in their shoes sometime. Those are the people making your life possible. Without them, you would be housebound because you couldn't get any fuel. You try to do 3 people's job while being berated by the very customers you are trying to help and who seem to hate you for existing.

It looks like you've already got more chutzpah than you need. How about a dose of humility and compassion instead?

 

[EricV]

Gonna will'em to my grandkids with a note explaining how invaluable they with be in 200yrs. In some religions they will be second class relics when I achieve sainthood.
fran

You better scan them now if you want to read them down the road. Otherwise your grandkids will be looking at a bunch of blank thermal paper and wondering when you went senile and what the mystery notes all mean.

 

[JAVGuzzi]

Uncle Zoom ( Sorry about the late response ) : Are you using a credit or debit card ? I have less of a problem with the " See clerk " message if I'm using a debit card that I'm required to enter my PIN number.

 

[Uncle Zoom]

Really? I use a credit card. I guess I will need to try my debit card and see if it makes a difference. Just for the record, out the last 17 times I have filled the car in and around Indianapolis, I was able to get one receipt at the pump. And that was at a newly opened station.

 

[WY88]

When I use a card, I want a receipt, non-negotiable. I absolutely HATE having to go into a station for it, and when I do, I also cut to the front and ask for it. I typically travel the same few roads/interstates, if a station fails to provide a pump receipt on 2 separate occasions, I almost never use that station again. I always have 2 different cards in my pocket, sometimes 1 won't work for whatever reason but the other will.... go figure.

 

[Georgemowry]

The rules say we need a receipt every 350 miles. I have thought skipping the receipt on every other stop if I am ‘catching up,’ like a splash of gas and go, no receipt at the end of the ride. I am a person of habit and I dutifully photo every gas receipt with the ODO, but it is a waste of precious time, (especially on BBG.). G.

 

[EricV]

The rules say we need a receipt every 350 miles. I have thought skipping the receipt on every other stop if I am ‘catching up,’ like a splash of gas and go, no receipt at the end of the ride. I am a person of habit and I dutifully photo every gas receipt with the ODO, but it is a waste of precious time, (especially on BBG.). G.

This is not a good idea. The concept here is to make it as easy as possible for the verification teams to document your ride. It will be obvious that the amount of gas you show purchased with receipts is not enough to have done the ride you are claiming, and you would need to submit an explanation for every missed receipt. "Because I was trying to make up time" would not be viewed very well, imho.

If this is a serious issue for your BBG rides, consider adding an aux tank so you have more range. I believe what you were saying was to skip every other receipt while still having one every 350 miles. Many riders with aux tanks can ride 350 miles or more between stops, in terms of how much gas they carry and their fuel range.

Completing a BBG is more about managing your stopped time and having a consistent routine than about speed. It's much harder to make up time on the fly than it is to not lose time at stops.

With my digital dash, I won't do another digital submission for a cert ride. It's far too much of a PITA to get a good photo, depending on the lighting conditions. It was faster to go in for a paper receipt, if needed, then some of the multiple photo attempts, moving the bike to a different light angle, etc.

While every ride is different, and times change, paper DBRs aren't really that hard and are very quick a majority of the time.

 

[Stephen!]

The rules say we need a receipt every 350 miles. I have thought skipping the receipt on every other stop if I am ‘catching up,’ like a splash of gas and go, no receipt at the end of the ride. I am a person of habit and I dutifully photo every gas receipt with the ODO, but it is a waste of precious time, (especially on BBG.). G.

You are making, but not documenting, fuel stops on certifiicate rides?

Pretty sure that is contrary to the documentation rules.

 

[Ira]

The rules say we need a receipt every 350 miles. I have thought skipping the receipt on every other stop if I am ‘catching up,’ like a splash of gas and go, no receipt at the end of the ride. I am a person of habit and I dutifully photo every gas receipt with the ODO, but it is a waste of precious time, (especially on BBG.). G.

The rules also say "And finally, don't forget, we need ALL your FUEL receipts!"

Not only do we use your receipts to document time and location, we also use them to calculate fuel usage. So we would prefer that you fill your tank(s) when you gas up - it makes the verification procedure easier. That's a good thing for you and us.

Ira Agins
Iron Butt Association

 

[kerrizor]

QUESTION: Isn't it time for the IBA (and rally masters) to forgo receipts altogether?
Especially with the pandemic, which makes it risky to enter the store, but also in general, leaving your bike and gear unattended while you go inside, creating needless hardships for riders. Also, paper receipts are gradually disappearing, as more and more people move to paperless payment methods. The alternative is simple and, arguably, more reliable: Require riders to take two quick photos: One of the pump after filling and another of the odometer. Any smartphone or recent digital camera will have the location and time imbedded digitally in the photos, which will provide evidence to support the log entry. Thus, no need for paper receipt.

I've actually been noodling on making a website for submitting SS rides that will format everything into an easily digestible format for the reviewers, including attempting OCR on receipts.. pulling EXIF data off uploaded photos is something I'll add to the list.

(This is a personal project, and isn't an attempt to shortcut any requirements for DBRs, but to streamline the paperwork process a bit. and make sure the address *I* think I was add agrees with receipts and GPS tracking etc)

 

[Shawn K]

Interesting idea. I'm curious to see a finished product. The OCR captures my interest the most.

 

[ibafran]

Checking my old paperwork (nowadays, all paperwork is old, sigh), I find that all the thermo ink is still readable. The one thing that did surprise me was that all my receipts had the MPG figured on them. I don't remember doing that. IIRC, the instructions said to turn in GPS mileage readings at every stop longer than 20min. too. Same for any other mileage data if one happened to be using a bicycle computer or other device. I was using both. So my receipts are chock full of data. Some of which is on the back and carried to the front. BITD, when copies were the rule, both sides of the receipts were copied where it pertained. While I was in that file/folio, I re-read my ride reviews which provided a few silly bits that I had forgotten and a lot more bits of fun than I remember writing.

In preparation way back then, I timed my fuel stops to include all the documentation. Lots of riders can fuel in less than 5 min. if that is all that is needed. Documentation might add 2min to the ET? I always felt good when my fuel stops were near 6min from key-off to key-on. If I am on a trip (not cert ride), I budget 12min for fuel stops which includes notes in the trip log to help with the post-ride or day's distance 'ride review' composition.

I don't take a lot of pix and have never developed a procedure for notating pix. What is the hot-set-up for doing that these days?
fran

Edit: IIRC, we were encouraged to keep our originals in case a problem cropped up. The IBA checks rides and when done, dumps the paperwork as there is no economical way to store it. I have no idea what the IBA does with digital stuff? Why anyone would rely on a digital copy over a hard copy escapes me? Maybe the Cloud will be there and still usable when one needs it many years from now?

 

[Georgemowry]

I need clarification.
Here is my routine:
I organize and number and write the mileage, photograph all gas receipts. At each gas stop I photograph each gas receipt in front of the motorcycle odometer for confirmation. Those photos are sent in addition to the gas receipt photos. All rides are documented by find me spot to sw connect to spotwalla. This drains the cell phone battery. Recently I carry 2 phones and use them sequentially because I have lost tracking at ride’s end due to battery issues.
I keep originals of the rides.
Spotwalla no longer allows me to print out the ride but it is availabile on the website.
I write a ride report, a ride log and sometimes make a map of the rot

Do you have any suggestions to simplify my routine?
G.

 

[Georgemowry]

Route not rot. Spellchecker.

 

[CB650F]

You should consider adding a USB power port to your bike. That way, you won't need worry about power draining apps on your phone. I love having the ability to keep my phone charged while listening to music with GPS and SWConnect running in the background.
Oh, You should update your app for the new Spotwalla. There's a thread somewhere around here detailing what you need to do to move over to the new system.