Dying petrol stations
04/21/2017
The automotive industry and its environment have changed constantly over the last 130 years. New brands have been created, many of which have disappeared again. Today, however, we turn our attention to another topic, the death of petrol stations.
When I was driving along Zweierstrasse in Zurich recently, after decades, I saw the dilapidated remains of a petrol station where I used to fill up my car every now and then. I seem to remember that friendly people used to help me. There were probably two fuel pumps available, and no more than one or two cars could stop there. Was it a BP or Esso filling station? I'm no longer sure.
Apparently it didn't survive. You can still see the remains of the roofing and the anchoring of the petrol pumps, and the small office for the petrol station attendant is still there. However, the rooms are now used by a hairdresser, it seems.
Petrol stations used to have a very different atmosphere to today, they were characterized by the people who offered their services there. Some of my schoolmates worked as petrol station attendants in their free time to earn some extra money.
Today, filling up is a self-service business, instead of two pumps, the modern facility has at least six or twelve. And the interiors are more reminiscent of shopping centers than mechanics' stalls. Yes, a lot has changed, and many small petrol stations have had to give up their existence as a result of this transformation process.
