Reply #22: It's 50 cents around here (Chicago burbs) [View All]

[Norquist Nemesis]

The one station that as of last year still had it free is almost always out of service. And when it is 'working', it barely has enough pressure to fill anything bigger than a bicycle tire.

It seems the people who are plotting them down on station properties must be making a killing on these things, too. Whenever there's a problem, the best the station employees can do is say they'll put in a call for service to the company that owns the pump. They can't/don't/won't give refunds after it swallows up the quarters but won't work.

I get the impression that the station owners get a few dollars for offering customers the privilege of paying for air, and the company shares the profits with them.