Dean and I don't have a car and can easily utilize the public transportation for most of our needs, so our only experience with the gas station has been a walk to retrieve more kerosene for the winter heater.
I had the pleasure of stopping by a gas station in the car of one of my students, and we pulled up to the full service pump. "Is this normal?" I asked. "It's very unusual in America." Of course, we used to have full service stations, and if you look hard enough in big cities, you can find one or two, but generally, the drivers of the U.S. rush through self-serve stations and automatic car washes for their immediate vehicular needs.
The gentleman at the pump (who didn't have a spot of grease on him that I could tell) quickly set off to fill the tank. He came back with a clean, wet rag for us to use on the dash and our side of the windows while he washed the outside facing panes with soap and water. The experience was over in about two minutes, and the car seemed fresher without our having to get out.
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