• darkevilmac
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    3211 months ago

    Not sure why people would hate gas stations, I hate the gas companies setting the insane prices, but the stations themselves are often just local businesses.

    ISPs on the other hand are like abusive partners, they do an awful job until you say you’re going to leave. Then they start begging you to stay and promising to get better. Then they’re good for about a week before starting to completely screw you again.

  • @codyphi
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    3211 months ago

    Gas stations have also gotten unbearable. I loathe the screen that forces advertising content in front of me while I’m already paying for gas.

    • @Zoness
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      911 months ago

      Oh yeah this has started happening here in central Illinois and I fucking hate it.

      • @setsneedtofeed
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        1611 months ago

        Yes, I’m surprised out haven’t seen it. The screen that takes card information will start playing some insufferable advertisement while the gas pumps.

        For those who don’t know: one of the physical unlabeled buttons on the side of the screen always mutes it, so just push all of them if some kind stranger hasn’t marked it for you.

        • @stranger
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          10 months ago

          deleted by creator

        • @Maggoty
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          211 months ago

          The best is when there’s a mute button.

          And it doesn’t work.

      • @[email protected]
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        311 months ago

        I’ve seen one in the US, but it was in a small town with only one has station. No need to treat your customers nice if there is no competition, haha

      • @solstice
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        111 months ago

        I’ve been seeing it for decades, I first remember bitching about it in like 2004 I think…

  • @malloc
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    2911 months ago

    National ISPs like Spectrum/Time Warner Cable, AT&T, and Comcast/Xfinity have an oligopoly. They have divided up America into their own markets and purposely avoid entering each other’s markets to avoid competing with each other. With no competition, they are free to charge as much as possible, avoid providing good support, and can provide suboptimal service (ie, low and asymmetric download/upload speeds, terrible latency). [1] The problem worsens if you live in suburban or rural areas. Of course there are exceptions where coverage overlaps due to sharing infra, but that is rare and possibly priced in.

    [1] https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/18/21126347/antitrust-monopolies-internet-telecommunications-cheerleading

    • @1D10
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      511 months ago

      Those same ISPs compleatly ignored rural areas. 10 years ago I could only get internet through Dish network ( the worst ISP) today thanks to the government helping small ISPs I can choose from 2 companies offering high speed fiber.

      Right now I’m on 200 up/down for $70.

      • @RaoulDook
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        411 months ago

        I have the small town ISP also, it’s great. I get 100Mb symmetrical fiber for $50/mo with no contract and no data caps. Very reliable, almost never goes down.

    • @[email protected]
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      -111 months ago

      It’s worse than collusion. The break up of AT&T resulted in a legal construction of Franchise Agreements that legally granted regional monopolies in all major population centers in the country in a deliberate bid to avoid Sherman antitrust rules. It’s not merely collusion, you literally cannot compete by law.

  • @shmp
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    2911 months ago

    Gas stations:

    • tell me the actual price up front
    • can provide enough product for local traffic
    • have a real person available to help, standing right there
    • give me the opportunity to shop around on price, brand preference, favorite color plug things.

    My ISP:

    • 10ish mbps when we feel like it
    • itll probablly be less than $100, probably
    • take it or leave it bub, or gtfo
    • @solstice
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      211 months ago

      Don’t forget the random charges for a few bucks that they stick on all the time banking on people not bothering to call and bitch about it because an hour on the phone isn’t worth it for ~$5.

  • razorwiregoatlick
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    2511 months ago

    I hate ISP way more than any gas station. In fact I don’t hate gas stations at all. Weird.

  • @ilickfrogs
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    2411 months ago

    People hate gas stations? Wtf

    • @ddkman
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      311 months ago

      Like the US ones where you have to pay in advance, I can see…

      • @setsneedtofeed
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        311 months ago

        Paying in advance is pretty outdated. Cards are much more common.

  • @BrianTheeBiscuiteer
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    2311 months ago

    Above gas stations? About the only thing that annoys me about them is half the stuff not having a price listed. I guess I’d hate them more if they kept jacking up prices the longer I was a customer. 🤨

  • @Account
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    2211 months ago

    Nah, I just absolutely hate my ISP. But also loath gas stations whose pumps do advertising you can’t turn off.

  • Zorro
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    1911 months ago

    I wish non-evil convenience stores existed because nothing’s better than the gas station when you’re stoned to the bone

    • @RightHandOfIkaros
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      1011 months ago

      I wish non-evil anything existed. Unfortunately, the world is set up so that only the evil truly succeed.

    • 2d
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      411 months ago

      Food Co-ops are the closest thing I think, or farmer’s markets but those aren’t particularly convenient

      • pilot
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        411 months ago

        Also, the trees that freely offer blackberries in a public park near me.

    • @Fosheze
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      111 months ago

      I know it’s not everywhere but kwik trip is fucking great. Whenever I travel I am always severly disapointed by having to go to other inferior gas stations.

  • @TONKAHANAH
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    1611 months ago

    who… what?

    I’ve never heard any one really complain about gas stations. is the questioned and response worded poorly? I think people hate paying high prices for gas but I’ve never heard any one say they hate gas stations before.

    ISP’s tho, every one can agree that they can go gargle an entire warehouses of unwashed dicks

    • @RaoulDook
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      011 months ago

      I don’t hate either of them. I have 2 good ISPs in my small town, and they offer good + reliable service for a reasonable price, without data caps. I’m very lucky to have these choices, I know from past experiences.

      I do hate bullshit ISPs like AT&T though. I formerly lived in a house where they were the only ISP option and the service was terrible, slow, and vastly overpriced. Also unreliable.

      These local ISPs are great though. I hope more small towns get their own small ISPs like we have.

      • @TONKAHANAH
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        111 months ago

        Most people don’t have the luxury of local isp options unfortunately

  • @heili
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    1311 months ago

    I don’t hate gas stations, but I do hate people who don’t know how to pull up to a fucking gas pump without completely cocking it up for everyone else!

    • @DannyDeck
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      211 months ago

      I switched to Sam’s from Costco. The biggest issue is after the very orderly gas line at Costco, Sam’s is the wild West.

      • @heili
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        411 months ago

        Watching some woman lose her mind at Costco because the attendant refused to let her drive the wrong way through the pumps and made her go get in line properly while I was pumping my gas was so wonderful.

    • @Maggoty
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      111 months ago

      Hey now, how else am I supposed to let everyone know I hate them? Legally?

  • XillyA
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    1211 months ago

    I’m pretty indifferent when it comes to gas stations other than when they price gouge. On the other hand, most ISPs can fuck off. Currently we have Google Fiber which I actually like. I know exactly how much our monthly bill will be and their customer service is pretty spot on compared to others such Cox, Spectrum, and AT&T.

  • @[email protected]
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    1211 months ago

    Having moved to Oregon from a state where I could pump my own gas, nothing could annoy me more than the gas station.

    • themadcodger
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      1411 months ago

      Well, good news on that front, the house and senate passed a bill to let us pump our own. As long as Kotek signs it, it would go into effect immediately.

    • @neomachino
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      1011 months ago

      Having moved to jersey from a state where I could pump my own gas, the worst part about it is when it’s 2am, there’s an emergency and you’re rushing to the hospital, only to notice you need gas, only to realize that the only station within 20 miles doesn’t have anyone working that late, and while the pumps are there and functional, they’re turned off so you’re stuck there.

      But above all that, Fuck comcast.

    • FartsWithAnAccent
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      911 months ago

      Not pumping your own gas sounds weird as hell. I didn’t even know that was still a thing.

  • kaupas24
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    1011 months ago

    Personally I’ve never had any problems with my isp. Here in Norway, I pay about $50 pr month for 10Gbps up and down. Isp doesn’t care if I selfhost websites or other things with my connection. Just hassle free

    • EatALime
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      1011 months ago

      My family pays $160/month for a 4Mbps up/ 1 Mbps down internet and landline phone combo that usually tops out at half that speed in practice. It’s amazing much of anything loads out here.

      • kaupas24
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        211 months ago

        Kinda sad to see how people pay wayyy more for way less. I imagine this issue worsens in countries with more corrupt governments or countries that allow for bigger monopolies of infrastructure people rely on.