Flip helmets and servos

Tadge

Premier Member
#1
G’day All,

Quick one regarding helmets and service stations.

I recently purchased a Schuberth flip helmet to save time at refuels.

Last weekend I did 2 Back to back SS1600s and the first service station refused service until I removed the helmet. So I removed at the pump for the rest of the weekend from then on.

I’m not going to argue the point if it a 100% no helmet rule i’ll follow, just after a general consensus for those that use flip ups. What are your experiences?

Regards,
Tadge
 

saphena

IBAUK Webmaster
Staff member
Premier Member
IBA Member
#3
However, I have a flip-front helmet and remove it as and when I feel like it in petrol stations. I don't think I've ever been required to remove it but then I tend not to use stations if I think they have a problem with me wearing a helmet.
 

OX-34

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#4
I take mine off, flip face or not.

Once I didn't. Pouring rain. Under gloves and over gloves glasses, the lot. I just wanted to get home. I walked in holding the correct $20 out and was about to apologise when the attendant yelled at me to take off my full face helmet. If they were frightened then, ok, I'd remove it. But unfortunately they instead said "its illegal". Now why did they have to say that? (Its not illegal).
I just put the cash down and walked back out.

Once in the US and once in Oz (Oz had asked me to take it off over the PA just as I entered) I took my helmet off, grabbed a drink, said g'day, paid my bill, wandered back out and only then realised I was still wearing my eye-holes-only balaclava. Oops!!
Nobody said a word.
 

Brookester

Premier Member
#5
And once again without anything other than helmets in mind I say this....3 attendants attacked last week in Sydney alone by persons wearing helmets to hide identity...so now picture its your 17-21yr old son as the attendant...on the clock or not...are human enough to forgo the 30secs of taking off and putting back on your helmet versus some "kid" not knowing if you're genuine or about to attack??? I know I will never and have never done it...pull up, ignition off, gloves off, helmet and head liner off, ear plugs out, al on the seat, refuel go in and pay with a smile and leave all of 30secs later...should'nt even be a topic to be raised...like a life long friend always says...You all be kind to each other and have a great day, time to go ride
 

Gatey

Premier Member
IBA Member
#6
It is maybe a location problem Ive found.
As a rule I just get the stuff off. Honestly its 24 hours or longer as a window to play in.
Ive a whit lid and e black and hi vis lid too. One occasion as Ive had a positive read of the landscape, Ive just fuelled and walked in and payed by card.
Perhaps Its body language on my part and maybe Im picking up theirs too.
Many servos I use now recognise me anyway.

But 99% of the time I just roll in strip the stuff and do the deal then go. Its not a big deal.
 

Daisy

Premier Member
#7
And once again without anything other than helmets in mind I say this....3 attendants attacked last week in Sydney alone by persons wearing helmets to hide identity
Which never happened BEFORE they started carrying on about us wearing helmets inside.
...so now picture its your 17-21yr old son as the attendant...on the clock or not...are human enough to forgo the 30secs of taking off and putting back on your helmet versus some "kid" not knowing if you're genuine or about to attack???
My son is 31 and not Indian so I'm having trouble picturing that. ;)
 

gus

Well-Known Member
#8
Once in the US and once in Oz (Oz had asked me to take it off over the PA just as I entered) I took my helmet off, grabbed a drink, said g'day, paid my bill, wandered back out and only then realised I was still wearing my eye-holes-only balaclava. Oops!!
Nobody said a word.
Haha, I did the same at the Caltex in Jindabyne. It was winter so maybe they were used to people wearing balaclavas
 

HACKLE

Well-Known Member
#9
I was refused entry to the Woolworths/Caltex servo in Bairnsdale [when I lived there]. I tried to point out that leaving the helmet on wasn't breaking the law, attendant didn't care. I said "call the police", he did. On arrival the good officer explained it was at the servo/store managers ruling that if he had a remove helmet sticker at the entry, then that's what I had to do. He went on to add that if it was a condition of entry to said establishment that everyone had to be naked, then so be it. I got around the problem by simply paying at the night window. No helmet removing, no store entry, no problem and the biggest NO, no more going to that servo that I had previously only used since living in the Bairnsdale area. I might add that meant no Toyota diesel [265 litre tanks] filling, no wife's Hyundai diesel [65 litre] filling and of course no more filling my two motorcycle [33 and 16 litre] tanks. Their loss and another servos gain. I might add I wear a Shoei Neo Tech helmet. Since moving to Trafalgar my local Caltex servo run by a wonderful Indian/Australian family have never, not once, asked me to remove my helmet, I simply flip open the front for them to see my ugly dial. All they ever ask me when I'm paying is, where I've been and was it another one of my long distance rides I'm completing. My preferred servo in Bairnsdale now is the APCO servo on the western side of town. Fuel, food, toilets [clean] all at the one stop, simple.
 

Daisy

Premier Member
#10
Your local servo is usually a different thing. Like ours, they know who we are and are unlikely to start screaming if we don't remove helmets.
Reg and I usually fill two bikes and he goes inside to pay. You'd think that means I don't need to remove my helmet, but we've had more than one instance where some paranoid console monkey won't turn on a pump because one of us is wearing a helmet. Like the Shell in Alice Springs. Reg went in to find out what his problem was and even after explaining that I don't need to remove mine because I'm not entering the building ...

There are several servos across this country that I have blacklisted for stupidity. I even sent Reg back into one to tell the manager how many vehicles we owned and how much fuel he wasn't going to sell because his staff are stupid. I only need enough in the tank to get to the next servo/town and refill there on my way home.
 

Vlad

Premier Member
#11
I wear a half face and have rarely been asked to remove it. Ironically it’s my local 4 am servo that insists, I guess they just don’t like me and I’m a nice guy.Really.
I have to agree that it takes very little time to do even if inconvenient and I too have left my balaclava on ,on a number of occasions by omission and no one has said anything. Have to admit that sometimes I want to take it off if it’s been on for 600 k.
I would just flip it up and leave it on till asked to remove it.
 

Coldcomfort

Well-Known Member
#12
The only time it happened to me was when I went in to pay. The bogan tough girlie said she would not take payment until I take off my helmet. “It’s the law” she told told me with great authority. Luckily I had the exact cash in my hands. I dumped it on the counter and left the servo. I also left her a little information about her personal appearance. Never to use that serve again.
 

Daisy

Premier Member
#14
I take mine off if I'm buying my own fuel, but most of the time I'm just standing around like an extra bride at a wedding ... and that being the case there isn't much point getting my gear off. :p

What irks me most is that I bought a very expensive flip up just as they decided I would have to remove it anyway. And to add insult to injury it turned out to be a horrible helmet.
 

Skidoo

Premier Member
#15
I always take mine off. In the rain it's an absolute pain but on multi day rides I find its a good opportunity to give the old head a good scratch and I find after a weeks riding it has never affected my OA. Mind you I look a bit rough around the edges and the attendant probably wished I left it on :eek:
 
#16
Riding on the clock internationally i never take anything off. Just flip up the front.
Here at home i flip the front, take off right glove and wander in to pay saying hi. Never had a problem but if asked wouldn't have a problem doing so.
 
#17
After having visited OZ this past summer I was completely unaware of this 'requirement' (damn annoying tourists that we are) and as a result I strolled into countless servos with the balaclava & helmet on & flipped up, usually giving the attendant at the counter a quick nod hello out of habit. Often this happened well past sunset.

Only one instance in Goondiwindi did the attendant tell me (to my surprise) in a quiet voice that helmets weren't allowed inside. I offered to remove it on the spot, and he said it's fine and not to bother. After that I tried to be conscious and respectful of this new requirement I'd learned, prepared to remove it if asked, but often just left it on doing my usual routine and never had anyone else say a word.
 
Last edited:

jeffrey gebler

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#19
I leave my helmet on with it flipped up75% of the time when on the clock. If there happens to be a long queue or an extended break I will take it off.
I have never been asked to remove it but would have no issue with it if I was asked to do it.
 

Grey Gentry

Premier Member
#20
I take mine off every time. But if they want us to take them off, then they need to supply a place to put them. Sometimes, they go on the bowser, but most times there is an advertising plate there.