24 hour Service Stations.

[Excalibur]

I'm curious to know what others think about these. I hate with a vengeance the Night Pay window. :mad::mad::mad:
I want to walk in, get a coffee from the machine, and peruse the aisles at my own pace, selecting something which suits my needs best, at an acceptable price. I don't want to be sending an assistant off like a recalcitrant Golden Retriever, to bring back something exorbitantly expensive, when there's the 50p value offering sat next to it.

If I've got enough diesel in the tank, I won't stop at these places, hence my regular appearance at Ronald's food emporiums.

Over to you folks, what do you reckon?

[CRAZY K]

I'm curious to know what others think about these. I hate with a vengeance the Night Pay window. :mad::mad::mad:
I want to walk in, get a coffee from the machine, and peruse the aisles at my own pace, selecting something which suits my needs best, at an acceptable price. I don't want to be sending an assistant off like a recalcitrant Golden Retriever, to bring back something exorbitantly expensive, when there's the 50p value offering sat next to it.

If I've got enough diesel in the tank, I won't stop at these places, hence my regular appearance at Ronald's food emporiums.

Over to you folks, what do you reckon?

if possible always fill up at reasonably priced filling stations in daytime and avoid the Motorway Rip off 24 hour stations late at night, the cost of diesel makes my eyes water:daft:

I stop a lot at unearthly hours at the 24 hour at Stanstead M11 (watching the cops drinking Coffee) for a toilet break and a swig of my OWN COFFEE and stretch the legs, also the ones on the M1 North at Toddington and Newport Pagnell, same thing.

I avoid buying ANYTHING and keep moving whilst keeping an eye over the shoulder, a scary bunch of people often frequent these places at the witching hour, particularly on the M! there are some really dodgy people in the early hours trying to interest you in buying GOLD.

OBVIOUSLY KOSHER.:rolleyes:

They look like foreigners to me :eek::eek::eek:

I generally avoid Ronalds Food as I wish to live a bit longer but only this very week was forced to go to one at 1am on the A14 Cambridge as my son wanted to eat having had nought all night at the Channel 4 filming gig with sons Rodeo Reindeer for Come Dine with me.

Soo as I was hungry I thought lets go for it--well the food was ok ish but the MORONS who were at the Ronald outlet were too much.

Screaming drunks--thats putting it nicely-- Monday night dont these people have a job to go to in the morning ? Probably not.

An unpleasant experience and whilst we could have eaten in the Sprinter I preferred a bit of comfort (of sorts)

Avoid if possible!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Excalibur]

So you didn't have a Happy Meal then, Alan? :coat:

It's a rare day if I haven't already fuelled the van on advance, or planned on visiting one of my regular ones on the way home.
There are only two motorway ones I use, and that's hardly ever.

No, I'm more referring to the ones with a Spar/Londis/whatever attached. My nearest one locks the doors at 10.30pm!!! Thus, I now use one five miles further on, their loss.

[rth_discos]

No, I'm more referring to the ones with a Spar/Londis/whatever attached. My nearest one locks the doors at 10.30pm!!! Thus, I now use one five miles further on, their loss.

The ones with an M&S Simply Food attached that are open 24 hours tend to keep their doors open, and also serve a good range of tea/coffee and toasted sandwiches/baguettes - great for this weather and saves needing to go to the golden arches for anything hot!

[deltic]

Used to drop off at the one just south of scotch corner,till they went to night serve and the guy wouldn't serve coffee through the window,miserable git.....so just drive past now would have to be a major emergency for me to stop there ever again.

[Excalibur]

The ones with an M&S Simply Food attached that are open 24 hours tend to keep their doors open, and also serve a good range of tea/coffee and toasted sandwiches/baguettes - great for this weather and saves needing to go to the golden arches for anything hot!

Three points:
1) M&S aren't plentiful on my regular routes.
2) Ronald's is cheaper, and more widespread, and although I can't get a bottle of beer for when I get home, I like their coffee.
3) Every seventh coffee is free. :)

[CRAZY K]

So you didn't have a Happy Meal then, Alan? :coat:

It's a rare day if I haven't already fuelled the van on advance, or planned on visiting one of my regular ones on the way home.
There are only two motorway ones I use, and that's hardly ever.

No, I'm more referring to the ones with a Spar/Londis/whatever attached. My nearest one locks the doors at 10.30pm!!! Thus, I now use one five miles further on, their loss.

Peter, point taken.

Most of my journeys involve Motorways or the A14 these days as I would rather spend another 10 or 15 minutes "Straight line driving " than on main roads designated by the Nat Sav as being the quickest route.😄

My theory is the extra fuel is more than offset by less wear on the vehicle.

Back on topic --possibly you pass more M AND S type establishments --I agree--generally avoid on cost, although we do have one up the road here that's open ALL HOURS and seems pretty friendly, mind you the Ronald establishment behind it attracts all the local riffraff, bad incident there not so long ago.:)

ALAN

[rth_discos]

Three points:
1) M&S aren't plentiful on my regular routes.
2) Ronald's is cheaper, and more widespread, and although I can't get a bottle of beer for when I get home, I like their coffee.
3) Every seventh coffee is free. :)

I don't drink coffee, and for some reason the tea at McDs is terrible. It's one thing I wish they would fix.

[CRAZY K]

I don't drink coffee, and for some reason the tea at McDs is terrible. It's one thing I wish they would fix.

Probably cheap rubbish tea bags to make more profit----in fact maybe using rubbish bags for tea:rolleyes:

i love tea, you can get good Tea bag results from Twinings and Yorkshire.

However we only drink REAL YORKSHIRE tea from the pot here every morning, its the only way--if you are ever passing welcome to drop in for one---

Peter can explain what YORKSHIRE tea is, I believe he grows it in his back garden?

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

CRAZY K

[rth_discos]

Probably cheap rubbish tea bags to make more profit----in fact maybe using rubbish bags for tea:rolleyes:

i love tea, you can get good Tea bag results from Twinings and Yorkshire.

However we only drink REAL YORKSHIRE tea from the pot here every morning, its the only way--if you are ever passing welcome to drop in for one---

Peter can explain what YORKSHIRE tea is, I believe he grows it in his back garden?

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

CRAZY K

Ah but you also have soft water up north. We have to deal with terrible hard water and limescale down here. And yes, Twinnings is my favourite tea - but a bag of Tetley does me just fine.

[CRAZY K]

Ah but you also have soft water up north. We have to deal with terrible hard water and limescale down here. And yes, Twinnings is my favourite tea - but a bag of Tetley does me just fine.

Why not ask for a cup of hot water at Mc D and take your own tea bag.:o

Peters oooop NORTH--im in the Midlands NEARLY just for the record.;)

CRAZY K

[rth_discos]

Peters oooop NORTH--im in the Midlands NEARLY just for the record.;)


If you're north of Watford Gap then you're "ooop north" in my book!

[mattydj50]

The Shell garage on my way home is very civilised. Door is open 24 hours a day. Stuff they sell is expensive though and its only a 5 mile drive home from the venue. I usually get a food parcel of left over buffet from the venue staff though so don't need to partake

However, I have to stay clear of this thread now as I am allergic to tea.

[Imagine]

Out here in the sticks, everything closes waaaay before I'm on the way home :(

The exception being, either Ronald's (but a Quarter pounder with cheese at silly 'o' clock isn't good), or KFC (how much grease can you shove into a chicken???)

So, I've actually trained my body to eat at silly times of the day. Most of my work now is local (i.e. I rarely take on jobs over about 50 miles away). Because of this, I've been known to eat dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon (sensible things like pasta) and just take a couple of snacks with me to munch on the way home...things like Snickers bars which just hit the spot with a sugar rush until I get home (plus a flask of coffee...I'm getting old).

That said, I've got a choice of Burger King (real cow in those apparently), KFC, Mickey D's, Pizza Express or Frankie and Benny's on the way to next weekend's 80's Christmas party.....and at a more normal sort of time too.....decisions decisions...... :)

[funkymook]

If Brian Rix had been a DJ....

I was coming home after a gig a while back and stopped to get a drink at a small 24 hour service station in the middle of nowhere which was inhabited by the local boy racers....got out, forgot I had loosened my trousers for comfort, they promptly fell down..pulled them up, quickly pretended I was checking one of my tires, then drove off looking in my rearview mirror in case the lads decided to chase the flasher!

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I hate most of these with a passion but having worked on the other side of things I fully understand why they have and use a night pay window. The biggest gripe I have is that quite often if you ask for three or four items then you can bet they come back with at least one wrong item.

[CRAZY K]

If you're north of Watford Gap then you're "ooop north" in my book!

Well we are just about level across Country with Watford Gap Services so technically I think we are errr SOUTH MIDLANDS and definitely not oooop North
:beer1::beer1::beer1::beer1:

Im Watford born and bred --that's as per Watford in the Premier League:rolleyes: nothing to do with Watford Northamptonshire.:muppet:

[CRAZY K]

Out here in the sticks, everything closes waaaay before I'm on the way home :(

The exception being, either Ronald's (but a Quarter pounder with cheese at silly 'o' clock isn't good), or KFC (how much grease can you shove into a chicken???)

So, I've actually trained my body to eat at silly times of the day. Most of my work now is local (i.e. I rarely take on jobs over about 50 miles away). Because of this, I've been known to eat dinner at 3:30 in the afternoon (sensible things like pasta) and just take a couple of snacks with me to munch on the way home...things like Snickers bars which just hit the spot with a sugar rush until I get home (plus a flask of coffee...I'm getting old).

That said, I've got a choice of Burger King (real cow in those apparently), KFC, Mickey D's, Pizza Express or Frankie and Benny's on the way to next weekend's 80's Christmas party.....and at a more normal sort of time too.....decisions decisions...... :)

Wise ideas, I ALWAYS have a big HEALTHY MEAL before leaving home, although these days the gigs are NEVER LESS than 50 miles.

Flask of Coffee on the way home at the Motorway Service station, comfort break and avoId people selling GENUINE Gold Watches and job done :D

[CRAZY K]

The Shell garage on my way home is very civilised. Door is open 24 hours a day. Stuff they sell is expensive though and its only a 5 mile drive home from the venue. I usually get a food parcel of left over buffet from the venue staff though so don't need to partake

However, I have to stay clear of this thread now as I am allergic to tea.

Don't FORGET Shell fuel is less likely to damage your vehicle and takes you further--allegedly --ooops- cross threading :D