What else you can find at petrol stations
03/05/2025
I can still remember when you could buy oil filters, fan belts or spark plugs at the petrol station. Around 15 years ago, a petrol station attendant in Emmenbrücke LU was still selling me tools, oil filters and even driver's gloves. I could also have bought a FIAMM fanfare there, which was illegal to install in a car in Switzerland, but somehow it didn't matter. "Dixie" was the tune, there was also "La Cuccaracha" - all at the petrol station.
Today there are gluten-free sandwiches and lots of body care products. If my car were a person, it would be perfectly catered for at today's petrol station. As a car, on the other hand, it fails with just a 10-watt bulb for the rear light. How many sets of lights are lying around in my car because I had a faulty light on the road and the best they could do was sell me the whole collection, nicely packaged in a plastic box? Oh yes, there was never an H7 light in there. I now always buy three of them - online. Because even the bulbs today leave a lot to be desired. The headlight bulbs usually fail in quick succession. But back to the filling station.
Sometimes I dream about how deep the gold mine would be if someone opened an old, proper, old-school petrol station store. One with all kinds of wear parts such as filters, brake pads or V-belts, electrical stuff including cables and connectors, some tools - including perhaps a ball pin puller for the track rod or a Raccord wrench for the brake or hydraulic clutch line. Ideally, this store would be open when the regular car accessories and parts shops are closed. After all, the need for all kinds of service parts usually only arises after work - namely when working people finally find time to work in their own workshop.
It would even be great if the good soul of Tankwart was open on Sundays. I suspect - but maybe I'm just dreaming it - that he would have a good crowd on that day. Little things after the weekend ride could be taken care of before the Sunday evening sports show, or his gas station would be the destination of the Sunday ride right from the start.
Who knows, if I ever run out of things to say here, Sigrist might be sitting in front of his petrol station waiting for all those who have to - or want to - work on Sundays or after work.
Image © ETH e-pics, Baugeschichtliches Archiv der Stadt Zürich (photo of a petrol station on Binzmühlestrasse Zurich, 1984)
