The Gas Station as Cultural Icon

Long gone are the days when you could drive into a "service station" and have the attendant wash your windshield and check your oil while refueling your car. In many states, there aren't even attendants any more; New Mexico and other states require you to pump your own gas. I grew up in New Jersey, and when your car entered the gas pump area, the tires would roll over a rubber-coated wire, which would ring a bell inside the gas station, and the attendant (usually a high school boy) would come out to pump your gas. Heck, in NM, the gas stations don't even include garages any more, so you have to go someplace else to get your car serviced.

Nowadays, nearly all gas stations have convenience stores attached. (I wonder if stand-alone convenience stores still exist.) Yesterday, I went to one and saw two women (customers, not staff) standing outside the store, smoking cigarettes and drinking Red Bull energy drinks. Is the gas station now a good place to hang out? I know it's certainly not a good place to smoke.

The kicker is that I had gone to one of the Pic Quik chain of gas stations to pick up a couple of breakfast burritos. They are very tasty and a good value for their price. When's the last time you heard anyone say that gas station food is good?