BP Petrol Anti Biker Discrimination

I visited a BP petrol station at Colchester Rd, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 5PY.

This station has recently undergone some improvements and now contains a limited stock of Marks and Spencer products. The refurbishment has increased queues for the pumps and quite frequently results in lengthy waiting times to pay.

On Wednesday 29th August I pulled into the station on my motorcycle to fill up before heading home. I waited close to 5 minutes just to get onto a pump as the queue to pay was right back to the door of the shop.

Having got to the pump, I placed the nozzle in the tank but nothing happened. When I looked over at the station to see what the hold up was, I could see an attendant speaking into the forecourt PA system.

As I wear earplugs under my crash helmet I couldn’t hear what was being said but assumed there was an issue clearing the last payment. I replaced the nozzle and started again only to find that nothing happened and your employee was still speaking into the microphone.

At this point I took off my helmet and removed the ear plugs only to be told “you must come in and leave a card or cash as prepayment”. I looked around the forecourt and no other motorists were being asked to do this.

Just then a young man appeared from your shop and came over to a his scooter which had been parked against a neighboring pump. I question the man and found that he had queued for a pump, then been forced to queue in the shop to leave cash with your employees prior to being allowed to fill up.

Having then taken 2 mins max to put £5 of petrol in his scooter, he had to queue again to receive his change. I went into the shop and left £20 with one of the employees who couldn’t provide me with a receipt for my cash that I had just handed over. I had to go back out to my bike and fill up (£14 something) then queue for a third time to collect my change.

The whole process took nearly 20 minutes! For a majority of that time, my bike was against a pump thereby rendering it unusable by any other customers. Staff informed me that there had been a recent spate of petrol thefts by motorcycle riders and the manager had therefore taken the decission to enforce this draconian and blatantly discriminatory measure in order to reduce the number of thefts.

I asked to speak to the manager who then informed me that “not all motorcycles have a number plate on the front”!! Front number plates have not been used on motorbikes for several decades!

I questioned the manager as to how many petrol thefts had been perpetrated by car drivers in the same period but he was unable to answer me. He then proceeded to tear off a scrap of paper from the till receipt and suggested I call your customer services to complain!

I have to say that the manager seemed blissfully unaware of several facts: 1. Most motorcyclists also own cars and after the treatment they receive at BP stations on two wheels I doubt they will feel inclined to give BP their custom when they are using 4 wheels. 2. Having to queue in your shop twice doubles the amount of time the pump is NOT being used. 3. Motorcyclists are a “community”, that is why we acknowledge each other on the road. As a community we converse with each other.

To this end, you will loose custom hand over fist. Already the members of the 2 global biking forums that I am a member of will not use BP stations whilst you are discriminating against motorcyclists.

A compromise could be to have BIKE ONLY pumps at your stations. Bikes are a far greener form of transport, we rarely have tanks that can cope with more than £15-£20 of fuel so filling up times are quicker, we also have the ability to roll forward slightly and allow other bikes to fill whilst we queue to pay.

Perhaps when you consider that the recent World Superbike Racing held at Brands Hatch was the largest spectator attended sporting event in the UK for the 4th year running, it goes to prove that Motorcyclists are no longer the minority that we once were.

The above text has been sent to BP in the form of an email and I have been asked to appear on BBC Essex Radio tomorrow morning to discuss the issue.

BP reply:

‘We are currently reviewing our policy in regard to this matter.

‘At some of our sites we have been forced to initiate a pre pay policy due to the number of drive offs that have been occurring and the subsequent losses that have resulted.  However, we do fully appreciate that this policy is not consistent across the network, and so, is under review.

‘There is a requirement on store staff being able to see the rider, as a matter of security, and to ensure they are above the legal age limit to be able to buy fuel for their vehicle.’