Nostalgic Stations Still in Use - Sun Jan 18 2004 03:22 AM
Hi. I'm a young man who has always had a dream to work at a nostalgic full-service station (complete with old-fashioned pumps, attendants in uniforms with hats, coin-changers clipped to belts, etc.). The closest I've ever come is when I worked at both a local Texaco and a Clark Oil a few years ago when I was a teenager (believe it or not, the Clark station still used pump-top lighted globes--and this was in the late 1980s/early 1990s!). When I began working at these stations, they were no-service ("self-service"). I convinced the owners to let me run them as full-service stations, and business exceeded everyone's dreams! Unfortunately, they were both torn down to make way for huge mega-pumps convenience no-service stations that sell everything from gas to videos to golf clubs. 
Currently I'm a teacher but am in the process of changing careers. Anyone know of old, nostalgic stations that still pump gas to the public (using old-fashioned pumps)? I would love to be an assitant, help out, pump gas, whatever...as long as I could make a living of it. At a functioning station however, not a museum. I'm a hard worker with a strong sense of ethics, am people-oriented and customer-friendly. I have a proven track record of sales, marketing, advertising, and success.
I've always had a passion for this, although my friends aboslutely don't understand why! My father and I restored a Martin & Schwartz pump when I was a kid, and I still have it today.
If anyone can help, or can steer me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. I live in Minnesota but would relocate for the right business and the right people. I'm guessing that there aren't many options for Minnesota, anyway, because since Minnesota legalized no-service several years ago, very few stations pump your gas anymore (however, nearly all of the Sinclair, Phillips 66, and Standard Oil stations in Minn. are still full-service).
Thanks!
Currently I'm a teacher but am in the process of changing careers. Anyone know of old, nostalgic stations that still pump gas to the public (using old-fashioned pumps)? I would love to be an assitant, help out, pump gas, whatever...as long as I could make a living of it. At a functioning station however, not a museum. I'm a hard worker with a strong sense of ethics, am people-oriented and customer-friendly. I have a proven track record of sales, marketing, advertising, and success.
I've always had a passion for this, although my friends aboslutely don't understand why! My father and I restored a Martin & Schwartz pump when I was a kid, and I still have it today.
If anyone can help, or can steer me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. I live in Minnesota but would relocate for the right business and the right people. I'm guessing that there aren't many options for Minnesota, anyway, because since Minnesota legalized no-service several years ago, very few stations pump your gas anymore (however, nearly all of the Sinclair, Phillips 66, and Standard Oil stations in Minn. are still full-service).
Thanks!
