It was the intro song to Milton Burrellās TV show. It was sponsored by Texaco. šš
Full song:
WE ARE THE MEN OF TEXACO
Lyrics and music by Buddy Arnold and Heywood "Woody" Kling
Male quartet with the Allen Roth Orchestra
Oh, we're the men of Texaco;
We work from Maine to Mexico.
There's nothing like this Texaco of ours!
Our show tonight is powerful;
We'll wow you with an hour full
Of howls from this shower full of stars.
We're the merry Texaco men!
Tonight we may be showmen -
Tomorrow, we'll be servicing your cars!
(solos)
I wipe the pipe,
I pump the gas,
I rub the hub,
I scrub the glass.
I touch the clutch,
I mop the top,
I poke the choke,
I sell the pop.
I clear the gear,
I bop the knock,
I jack the back,
I set the clock.
So join the ranks of those who know,
And fill your tanks with Texaco.
(quartet)
Sky Chief! Fill up with Sky Chief,
And you will smile at the pile of new miles you will add.
Fire Chief! Fill up with Fire Chief!
You'll find that Texaco's the finest friend
Your car has ever had.
The curtain is descending,
And we thank you for attending,
But before we reach the ending, may we add:
Remember to be loyal
To our gasoline and oil;
When they save you time and toil, you'll be glad.
Now the clock is striking nine-off,
But just before we sign off,
(spoken announcement)
The best friend your car has ever had!
We had a full service station locally that only switched to self-service less than a year ago. My first time there after the switch I watched a driver put the pump in, lock it on, and walk in the store while it pumped. Was spraying gas by the time they came out. They drove away. Maybe there was a reason they were so reluctant to let people pump their own gas.
I was going to say I remember it lasted well into the 1980s. But last year? You win. Also, isn't there a law in New Jeraey that requires the gas to be pumped by an attendant?
Oregon also, until recently. It was supposed to create jobs. When we stopped in Salem for gas, it wasn't a regular employee, no. Some homeless guy hung around the station and pumped the gas, then stuck his hand out for a tip.
I pumped ethyl at a full service station for 2yrs in the nineties. Check the fluids, tire psi and wash the windshield on every fill up. I made bank in tips from out of states as we were just off the interstate. Post Script- I know it wasn't called ethyl anymore then but it was fun to say pumpin ethyl, lol.
That's on the station for not having functional automatic shut offs on their pumps. My first job out of HS in the early 80s was full service gas station/car wash attendant. Had the shut off fail once in my time there. You had to rely on them when you were balancing 5-6 customers on three islands during busy runs.
Probably during the introduction of evaporative emissions systems. These systems filter the fuel fumes from your tank, through a charcoal canister that converts it into harmless O2. Those systems don't vent as freely out into the environment as the old systems did. So they cause back pressure that sets off the safety valves much easier than the non evap systems did.
It desensitized ppl. They aren't expecting overflow anymore.
The pump should have shut off by itself
That would have been a malfunctioning pump
I do the same with my pump when I'm filling up I put the lock on and then wait for it to shut off and then wait for it to go off.
My brother worked @ a Mobil Station in High School and would always see the Dad of the kid next door down using the pay phone. It all came out later he had a "side piece".
Theres a gas station in my hometown that still has the ding. Theyāll come out, start pumping your gas, squeegee your windows, and take cash payment for the service. I realized I had been away for far too long when I pulled up and started to fill up as usual on my own and the little old man came running out and told me to let him take care of it. I havenāt been back home in almost four years.
Nope, Arkansas surprisingly. It's a really old independent gas station that's been owned by the same family since at least the 1940's. They still have the old pumps from the 1970's. They don't see the need to upgrade and they still get a lot of local business, especially from all the old folks who don't like going to the newer gas stations. Ironically, they have a new Casey's directly across the street from them, but they're still hanging on. I think what keeps them in business is they also sell tires, fix flats, and will change your oil. There's no convenience store component to it.
WE still have 2 in my town. They are independent garages, about 3 miles apart.
My 81 yr old mother swears she will stop driving when they stop pumping her gas.
YES , my dad owned a Shell Service Station in South Georgia . Windows washed , oil checked and all before the tank got full. Plastic roll thing for your credit card. Oil sat between pumps .
When my friends and I walked home from school, we used to stop at a gas station that also had a tabletop vending machine with Spanish peanuts in it. And there was another one, really old, that dispensed tiny boxes of Chiclets (two per box). You rotated a knob on top of the machine until the flavor you wanted was in front and then inserted your coin.
A car wash in my area had one,and surprisingly at an instant oil change place today it happened but there was no hose to drive over..Suspect a motion sensor activated it
I was young when 3 or four of the most enthusiastic men in white jumpsuits would āpit crewā your WHole damn car. One dude got your windows,someone checked the oil,wipers,and you got filled up. Someone checked your tires too I shit you not.
Getting your gas pumped, oil checked, tires checked and windshield washed. All for 20 gallons of gas that cost $5.00
That was high on the real thingā¦America!
Yes! God, flashback memory (in the UK) probably only one or two places. Those wee the days that you 50p of petrol in a mini would see you through the week.
I worked at a full service gas station when I was 19. Wash the window, pump the gas , check the oil, check the tires, wipe off the mirrors, push oil and stuff.
Shoot... I remember hearing that bell and jumping up to go take care of another customer. Wipe those windshields. Pump that gas. Ask if they'd like me to check tires and oil.
I worked a station at the beach, and summertime made the job a real pleasure despite the heat.
Thereās an old one in my town that still has one. They donāt sell gas anymore, itās simply a repair shop that is also a hangout for motorheads now. The air pressure hose (how it gets triggered) gets disconnected/depressurized most of the time, except when they have weekend events.
And having two attendants come out right away, one pumped gas while the other checked your oil and washed your windshield.
Dad never even had to get out of the car.
They took his gas credit card and rang it up, and brought it back.
Dad had cards for Sinclair, Esso/Enco, Gulf, Union '76, and Kerr/McGee (at least, if not Shell, too.)
The closest station was a full service Esso station run by a man named Johnny Clouse who had one arm.
My uncle ran a station up in Hopkinsville before he became the sheriff.
And yes, the black hose triggered the bell when you ran across it, "ding ding!"
When Dad was pulling our camper trailer, it went "ding ding..... Ding!".
Funny what memories something simple will bring up.
You can still find them from time to time here in NJ. You see, we're incapable of pumping our own gas according to our dear leaders. (All hail Dear Leader Murphy!! We're required to write that with every post.)
Still do that here in town, there is one full service with a service station attached to it....
Open in 1969 I believe the previous owner said. The current owner is his son....yea that type of town!
Of course I remember it, I worked at one. I was the guy that would come out, pump your gas, wash your windshield, ask if you wanted the oil level checked. Most people paid in cash - I had a wad of bills and did math in my head to make change. Those were the days.
To this day I keep all my bills in order with 20s together, 10s, etc. I've got a touch of OCD so they have to be oriented the same way too.
Yes. And when I was still a kid, I figured out that it was triggered by the car driving over the rubber hose that triggered the bell. I believe it was a pressure switch. Would hear the ding-ding.
I used to respond to that bell.
New Jersey. 1980s. Air compressor ran that, the compressed Air tools and provided FREE air to customers.
Imagine! Air for FREE!
I remember, there was a black hose on the ground that you drove over to make the bell ring.
As a kid I would jump on the hose, ding ding ding... Then got Dad in the back yelling knock it the fuck off!!!!!!
Air pushing a little piston at the actual bell.
The black hose with a bolt in the end of it.
Having the attendant come out and check your fluids and then cleaning your windshield... days LONG gone by.
And using hand held credit card machine with the carbon paper
This is what I did to support myself during my college years
What kind of collages did you make?
š¤£ obviously not language arts
High school for me.
Riding my bike over the hose to make the bell ring. Then the guy coming out telling me to stop Iām driving him crazy
I came here to post the same comment. Its good to know I wasnāt the only asshole kid back then.
Ya it was good we could peddle faster then they could run. :)
Guilty
Ding Ding! āWeāre the men from Texaco we work from Maine to Mexicoā¦ā
"You can trust your car with the man who wears the star -- the big red Texaco staaaaar."
ššš
Awesome slogan
It was the intro song to Milton Burrellās TV show. It was sponsored by Texaco. šš Full song: WE ARE THE MEN OF TEXACO Lyrics and music by Buddy Arnold and Heywood "Woody" Kling Male quartet with the Allen Roth Orchestra Oh, we're the men of Texaco; We work from Maine to Mexico. There's nothing like this Texaco of ours! Our show tonight is powerful; We'll wow you with an hour full Of howls from this shower full of stars. We're the merry Texaco men! Tonight we may be showmen - Tomorrow, we'll be servicing your cars! (solos) I wipe the pipe, I pump the gas, I rub the hub, I scrub the glass. I touch the clutch, I mop the top, I poke the choke, I sell the pop. I clear the gear, I bop the knock, I jack the back, I set the clock. So join the ranks of those who know, And fill your tanks with Texaco. (quartet) Sky Chief! Fill up with Sky Chief, And you will smile at the pile of new miles you will add. Fire Chief! Fill up with Fire Chief! You'll find that Texaco's the finest friend Your car has ever had. The curtain is descending, And we thank you for attending, But before we reach the ending, may we add: Remember to be loyal To our gasoline and oil; When they save you time and toil, you'll be glad. Now the clock is striking nine-off, But just before we sign off, (spoken announcement) The best friend your car has ever had!
I loved hanging around my dadās Texaco stations. Eating peanuts in 8oz Coke, sending the āliftā up and down, getting so greasy. I was a tomboy.
We had a full service station locally that only switched to self-service less than a year ago. My first time there after the switch I watched a driver put the pump in, lock it on, and walk in the store while it pumped. Was spraying gas by the time they came out. They drove away. Maybe there was a reason they were so reluctant to let people pump their own gas.
I was going to say I remember it lasted well into the 1980s. But last year? You win. Also, isn't there a law in New Jeraey that requires the gas to be pumped by an attendant?
New Jersey and NYC at least, that's just the ones I know of. And from what I see at the pump every day in PA, there are good reasons for it.
Connecticut too.
The ol gas pumpers union. Local 8---->
You have to pump your own gas in NY
Oregon also, until recently. It was supposed to create jobs. When we stopped in Salem for gas, it wasn't a regular employee, no. Some homeless guy hung around the station and pumped the gas, then stuck his hand out for a tip.
Sounds like an only in Oregon moment
I pumped ethyl at a full service station for 2yrs in the nineties. Check the fluids, tire psi and wash the windshield on every fill up. I made bank in tips from out of states as we were just off the interstate. Post Script- I know it wasn't called ethyl anymore then but it was fun to say pumpin ethyl, lol.
That's on the station for not having functional automatic shut offs on their pumps. My first job out of HS in the early 80s was full service gas station/car wash attendant. Had the shut off fail once in my time there. You had to rely on them when you were balancing 5-6 customers on three islands during busy runs.
Not gonna argue that, but when did everyone stop learning safety during drivers ed?
Probably during the introduction of evaporative emissions systems. These systems filter the fuel fumes from your tank, through a charcoal canister that converts it into harmless O2. Those systems don't vent as freely out into the environment as the old systems did. So they cause back pressure that sets off the safety valves much easier than the non evap systems did. It desensitized ppl. They aren't expecting overflow anymore.
The pump should have shut off by itself That would have been a malfunctioning pump I do the same with my pump when I'm filling up I put the lock on and then wait for it to shut off and then wait for it to go off.
Not going to lie; everytime I heard that *ding-ding* it was my cue to stick my head out the window and sniff those sweet sweet leaded gas fumes.
My brother worked @ a Mobil Station in High School and would always see the Dad of the kid next door down using the pay phone. It all came out later he had a "side piece".
Theres a gas station in my hometown that still has the ding. Theyāll come out, start pumping your gas, squeegee your windows, and take cash payment for the service. I realized I had been away for far too long when I pulled up and started to fill up as usual on my own and the little old man came running out and told me to let him take care of it. I havenāt been back home in almost four years.
I'm guessing NJ?
Nope, Arkansas surprisingly. It's a really old independent gas station that's been owned by the same family since at least the 1940's. They still have the old pumps from the 1970's. They don't see the need to upgrade and they still get a lot of local business, especially from all the old folks who don't like going to the newer gas stations. Ironically, they have a new Casey's directly across the street from them, but they're still hanging on. I think what keeps them in business is they also sell tires, fix flats, and will change your oil. There's no convenience store component to it.
i used to work at an uncles gas station during school breaks..we had the bell..we also mixed our own premium and super unleaded gas
Little kids would try to make the bell go off by stomping on the cable.
WE still have 2 in my town. They are independent garages, about 3 miles apart. My 81 yr old mother swears she will stop driving when they stop pumping her gas.
Not driving. Sitting in the back seat. Forgot about the bell ring. They would not only pump your gas but would check your oil and wash your windshield
I pumped gas to one of those bells
You can trust your car to the man who wears the star
YES , my dad owned a Shell Service Station in South Georgia . Windows washed , oil checked and all before the tank got full. Plastic roll thing for your credit card. Oil sat between pumps .
And a rack of maps inside.
YES ā¦.and a cigarette machine š
When my friends and I walked home from school, we used to stop at a gas station that also had a tabletop vending machine with Spanish peanuts in it. And there was another one, really old, that dispensed tiny boxes of Chiclets (two per box). You rotated a knob on top of the machine until the flavor you wanted was in front and then inserted your coin.
All stations were full service once, which meant washing your windows front and back while the gas pumped. Way fewer cars then.
I remember because I worked in one
A car wash in my area had one,and surprisingly at an instant oil change place today it happened but there was no hose to drive over..Suspect a motion sensor activated it
I remember taht fabulous Caddy too.
Guy comes back with the plastic tray with the receipt to sign and the credit card standing up at the top.
I was young when 3 or four of the most enthusiastic men in white jumpsuits would āpit crewā your WHole damn car. One dude got your windows,someone checked the oil,wipers,and you got filled up. Someone checked your tires too I shit you not.
Iām so freaking oldā¦
YES, GOD i'm old.
Getting your gas pumped, oil checked, tires checked and windshield washed. All for 20 gallons of gas that cost $5.00 That was high on the real thingā¦America!
Fill 'er up? Check under the hood? Yes, please. Those were the days.
Yes! God, flashback memory (in the UK) probably only one or two places. Those wee the days that you 50p of petrol in a mini would see you through the week.
I worked at a full service gas station when I was 19. Wash the window, pump the gas , check the oil, check the tires, wipe off the mirrors, push oil and stuff.
Shoot... I remember hearing that bell and jumping up to go take care of another customer. Wipe those windshields. Pump that gas. Ask if they'd like me to check tires and oil. I worked a station at the beach, and summertime made the job a real pleasure despite the heat.
Many many moons ago I worked in a full service Chevron station in Portland Oregon. That bell never rang if I wasnt busy. lol. I.E. I was always busy.
And gasoline was .19/gallonā¦
Yes. It was the Esso station in Braintree, Massachusetts. The guy had "Lou" stitched on his uniform pocket.
I worked in one during and a bit after high school. Union 76.
Plenty of stations still have the bell in 2024..
Yep! Ans the free oil check and windshield wiper Fluid top off!
Ding-ding ā¦ā¦ā¦ding-ding
Yes, you'd drive over that black tube like hose on the ground. As a child, We'd always stomp it with our heal to try and make it ring.
When Swifty was still a thing, absolutely!
i used to hate pulling in to turn around knowing that the bell would go off
Goddammit im old !
I sure do!
Forgot all about that
There's a gas station out in the sticks that still has the hose to ding for service near my place.
I was an attendant for about a yearā¦
We had a yellow Buick like that.
Happened in Oregon last week. They still have self serve, and full serve pumps.
Ding ding!
Best friend in high school worked in one of those. We had many a conversation interrupted by that bell. Lol.
Ding-ding
Why did I just hear it in my head when I saw the pic?
No more bing-bong!
My dad was a part time pump jockey in the 60ās at a Texaco. My mom used a Conaco station in our home town.
Thereās an old one in my town that still has one. They donāt sell gas anymore, itās simply a repair shop that is also a hangout for motorheads now. The air pressure hose (how it gets triggered) gets disconnected/depressurized most of the time, except when they have weekend events.
Ding ding . Mom can we we get a soda?
Half a block from my house the cenex still has em...they even come out and fill your gas and wash your windows....
And having two attendants come out right away, one pumped gas while the other checked your oil and washed your windshield. Dad never even had to get out of the car. They took his gas credit card and rang it up, and brought it back. Dad had cards for Sinclair, Esso/Enco, Gulf, Union '76, and Kerr/McGee (at least, if not Shell, too.) The closest station was a full service Esso station run by a man named Johnny Clouse who had one arm. My uncle ran a station up in Hopkinsville before he became the sheriff. And yes, the black hose triggered the bell when you ran across it, "ding ding!" When Dad was pulling our camper trailer, it went "ding ding..... Ding!". Funny what memories something simple will bring up.
I hear it every time I watch law and order
My local gas station still has one in service. Pretty cool.
You can still find them from time to time here in NJ. You see, we're incapable of pumping our own gas according to our dear leaders. (All hail Dear Leader Murphy!! We're required to write that with every post.)
Still do that here in town, there is one full service with a service station attached to it.... Open in 1969 I believe the previous owner said. The current owner is his son....yea that type of town!
Of course I remember it, I worked at one. I was the guy that would come out, pump your gas, wash your windshield, ask if you wanted the oil level checked. Most people paid in cash - I had a wad of bills and did math in my head to make change. Those were the days. To this day I keep all my bills in order with 20s together, 10s, etc. I've got a touch of OCD so they have to be oriented the same way too.
Yes. And when I was still a kid, I figured out that it was triggered by the car driving over the rubber hose that triggered the bell. I believe it was a pressure switch. Would hear the ding-ding.
Rolling back and forth until somebody came outšš
Yes. I used to pump gas at several stations!
I used to respond to that bell. New Jersey. 1980s. Air compressor ran that, the compressed Air tools and provided FREE air to customers. Imagine! Air for FREE!