At least once a day, you’ll enter a gas station to refuel your vehicle, grab a quick snack, or purchase a drink. That gas station may as well be your local neighborhood shop since it will be the first place you encounter when returning from work or school.
You’ll be tempted by plenty of credit cards offers at the pump, but which one is right for you? Know what credit cards does your neighborhood gas station accept?
What Credit Cards Does Speedway Accept?
The key thing to keep in mind is that many gas stations will only accept certain credit cards, so you need to check with the station owner before you pull out your credit card.
The most popular credit cards at gas stations are the following:
- Delta
- Amex
- Visa
- MasterCard
- JCB
- Discover
- Cirrus
So, if you want to get your car fueled at your local gas station, you’ll need to have one of these cards in your wallet. Don’t worry, plenty of credit card issuers offer cards specifically for gas stations, so you’re not completely cut off from the world of credit cards.
Why Did They Legally Canvass The Area?
Another important thing to consider is that the area around your local gas station has recently been canvassed for ordinance violations. It’s important to review the legal details of what happened in your particular area before you decide to visit or work there again.
Some of the things officers have reportedly found include:
- Prohibited substances: Marijuana, hashish, psychedelic mushrooms, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, etc.
- Public Urination: There are people who feel comfortable standing in front of a gas station and relieving themselves. This is totally against the law, and you will be cited if you are found doing it. This is also a safety issue because of the frequent 911 calls that are triggered by people feeling threatened while relieving themselves in public.
- Loitering: Many gas stations are located in areas where there is still some question about whether or not residents should be allowed to loiter. Some police departments still ask people to avoid the area because there’s often criminal activity there (think: prostitution, drug dealing, etc.). So, you’ll want to be sure that you’re not breaking any laws by being in the area, and that you’re not accidentally breaking any laws by simply being there.
- Graffiti: Graffiti is another big no-no at gas stations. It’s easy enough for an artist to slip into a rest stop and leave a nasty comment about your mother, so we know that problems can arise simply from being in the area. We wouldn’t want to ruin your trip to the gas station by having the word “bitch” scrawled on the wall next to the bathroom.
- Litter: Gas stations are dirty, and it’s hard to keep track of what is and isn’t garbage when you’re constantly stopping by to get your fuel.
- Foster Care: It’s not uncommon for children to be living in the vicinity of a gas station. While you’re there to get fuel, they’ll be there to get some food, and they might not have enough adults in their lives to make responsible decisions about their health and safety (think: getting them cigarettes or alcohol). Gas stations are, in other words, a recipe for disaster.
- Illegal Dumping: Illegal dumping of household and industrial wastes (think: garbage, furniture, building materials, etc.) is another problem that can arise in the area. Fuel stations are often the first place that these materials are dumped, so it’s important to keep an eye out for illegal trash during your visits.
Now, we don’t want to scare you off from going to your local gas station. It’s great when a business owner will specifically tell you that they only accept certain credit cards. It means that you can still use your other cards for everything else. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to try a new credit card and see how it works at the gas station. But, before you pull into the station, it’s important to realize that you’re entering an area that isn’t desirable for visitors.
If you want to reduce the risk of being victim to any of these crimes, it might be best to avoid the area altogether. But, if you genuinely need to get gas and don’t want to risk being victim of a crime, then it’s probably best to avoid the area until the cops clear it up. It doesn’t sound like fun to live in fear, especially since we all have to go there eventually.
Now, if we’ve scared you away from going to your local gas station, then what’s your alternative? You can always call a 24-hour gas station and get a taxi to the station of your choice. You can also look for a gas station that’s on the outskirts of town, which might mean less of a chance of running into someone you know.
Now, we’re not saying that all gas stations are bad, it’s just that many of them are problematic. And, if you’re a regular visitor to a gas station, then it might be smart to ask about the problems that have arisen in the area. This way, you’ll know what to expect and won’t have your guard down when you stop by. If you live in a city where prostitution is a problem, then it might be a good idea to look for a rural gas station that doesn’t draw in a lot of clientele. You’ll have a better chance of staying crime-free if you find a gas station that’s isolated and hidden away from the general public. Alternatively, you could travel a bit farther and get your fuel at a superstore. These places are usually located in retail centers and draw in customers from all over the place, which means there’ll be a lot of strangers around. So, you might feel safer getting gas at a smaller station in a more isolated area. But, you might also run into more problems if you do that as well.
What About Those Who Need To Cover Expenses?
If you can’t keep your car fueled on a regular basis, then you need to consider what you’re going to do about it. One solution is to get a motorcycle. You can easily keep your distance from the law while being able to travel when you need to go places. You’ll also be able to get your fuel more cheaply at the local gas station, especially if you’re already paying for parking.
If money is no object to you and you want to keep your car (or, in some cases, simply replace it with an electric car), then you can look into leasing a car for the period that you’ll need it. Just make sure that you’re not committing to anything you can’t afford. It would be best to try and negotiate an affordable deal with the company that you’re leasing the car from. They might not have enough cars available that are affordable for people like you. In these situations, it would be best to look for a solution that doesn’t require you to drive since they’ll always want your car back after you’ve driven it. Some companies will allow you to rent a different car for the same period that you’ve leased the first one. It’s worth looking into whether or not this is something that can be worked out. In some cases, the company could give you additional perks like free maintenance or even give you a gas card.
If you need a place to stay when you’re between jobs or have exhausted your contract at your current place of employment, then you could always look into staying at a Holiday Inn Express. You’ll get a decent night’s sleep in a well-furnished room with a bed and a TV. Plus, they’ll be able to give you the address of local eateries that you can get cheap food from. It would be best to call the hotel’s restaurant and see what special menus they have available. You can also ask them about getting a late-night snack before you head to bed. This is the kind of place that could help you save money so that you can keep your car fueled on a regular basis. Plus, you’ll have a safe place to stay when you’re traveling to and from work. You don’t want to be driving all over town looking for a place to stay whenever your tank gets low.