Over the past few days, I’ve done a lot of driving. With a lot of driving comes two things, of course: lots of urinating and lots of stopping to get fuel. Fortunately, you can often do both at the same place, though most gas stations prefer you go inside to pee instead of just letting loose at the pumps, which I attribute to lingering Puritanical influences in our culture.
As a result, I ended up spending a good amount of time staring at gas pump display screens, and found that some old issues I’ve had with them are still extremely present. Specifically, the UX used on these pumps is piping-hot garbage.
I’ve actually talked about this before at The Old Site. Even this very same gas pump UX before, which hasn’t changed one bit since I bitched about it in 2019. Only this time, I’m a little less sure of myself, a little less willing to be as dismissive as I was before, because I’ve found that this whole thing actually brings up many more complex issues than I initially realized, and I think those issues are worth discussing.
The interface I’m talking about is one that I’m pretty sure you’ve seen before – if you remember any of its screen displays, I bet it’s that one above– and it’s used on an extremely popular gas pump, the Gilbarco Encore 700 S series. It’s a fine machine, generally. It pumps gas into the car, I’ve never seen one explode, it takes my money, all that. It does its job.
But why are all the user interface graphics and the overall so… amateurish? I mean, look at that image up there, with what appears to be a hand-drawn ’73 Camaro Z28. It’s not a bad rendering, as such, but it’s not exactly professional-grade. It feels like the work of a talented, young artist still finding their style. And the way it’s integrated into the screen display is, to be charitable, crap:
I mean, look: the edges have obvious aliasing from where it was once over a white background, that fuel pump graphic is just slapped on, in the wrong place for the car, in a different style – it all just looks like it was knocked out in six minutes by whoever coded this system while they were eating a sandwich.
Gilbarco is a big company! Why is this so bad? These machines are not cheap! I was a designer for years before I saw the light of motorjournalism, and I would never have let work this half-assed go out to a client. Never.
Then there’s the question of why some of the simple text information screens seem to run at a resolution that’s about 1/3 of the other screens? Why does the text get all pixelated for some screens and not others? It just feels like nobody was able to give one single solitary shit about how these interfaces actually looked.
And why, exactly, are there two display types here, again? Why are we still using those old seven-segment LCD numerical displays when that high-resolution full-color display inches below it could easily display the price and fuel amount displays? Why keep the old-school numeric displays? I don’t get it.
Years ago, I actually contacted Gilbarco about this for a follow-up, and was told by an employee that there were at least some people in the organization railing against the “Commodore 64-level” (their words) displays. But despite any internal pressures, it does not seem that Gilbarco has decided that this is something worth pursuing.
I was complaining about this to a friend, who told me, “And? Not everything has to be professional level. I think it’s great.”
And you know what? I think she’s right.
Or, at least partially right, right enough that I’ve been thinking about this ever since. You know what I would have done if these interface displays were polished and professional? Ignored them. I wouldn’t have given them a second thought. They would have blended into the competent background of the world, inoffensive and deeply uninteresting.
Would that have made me happier? Honestly? No. The mild incompetence I see in these gas pumps gives me some perverse delight. Life is actually more fun when things are a little slipshod or misguided or sloppy. The pumps (generally) work fine, or at least good enough. Sure there’s some annoying stuff – why is there a physical keypad for some number entries, and sometimes it’s on screen? Pick a lane, Gilbarco.
But the charmingly hand-drawn Camaro? If I’m honest, I love it. I would take that over some AI horseshit car any day of the week, and with a nice stiff drink on Shabbos. In fact, I’d love to see more amateur automotive art on gas pump screens – gas station chains should let people load pictures of cars (photos or artwork, whatever) to gas station websites and (well, after making sure they weren’t full of slurs or genitals) then those pictures get sent to gas pumps all over the country! Why not?
Life is just more interesting when it’s imperfect. For example, at this moment I’m writing this during a layover at the Denver airport. This airport is famous for a terrifying piece of public art that’s nicknamed Blucifer, a demonic colossal blue mustang with eyes that glow like crimson hellfire.
The artwork has a tragic backstory, as the artist behind it, Luis Jiménez, was killed in the process of building it. The resulting artwork is striking and, let’s be honest, a deeply strange choice for an airport sculpture.
Nothing about Blue Mustang (the actual name of the work) suggests travel or any of Denver’s rational sources of pride. It’s an unhinged monument to untamed, wild rage – not the thing a committee would pick for an airport. As far as rational decisions go for airport art, it’s a disaster.
It’s also spectacular.
Blucifer is why people are excited to land at this airport. A carefully considered, reasonable monument would be as compelling as a frisbee full of tepid chowder. The misguided decision is the best decision here because it makes life more interesting.
My friend is right. Why the hell do we need everything to be so professional all the time? Not everything needs to be polished to a mirror finish. Let’s see the fingerprints and smudges, let’s delight in some kid’s excellent drawing of a Camaro that somehow ended up on thousands and thousands of gas pumps all over the country.
Let the Swiss or whoever have their precise, controlled, rational lives. A little bit of chaos and imperfection sprinkled on life adds some much-needed spice, and I think I’m happy to see some when pumping gas.
That said, it can’t hurt to get the stupid typography problems sorted out, Gilbarco. And let’s get some new hand-drawn cars in there!
Top graphic image: Jason Torchinsky
I read your description to my wife, a Colorado native (and current resident) who calls her dog “Blucifer”, and her response was “that doesn’t make it [Blucifer] bad”.
My favorite gas pump UX was at the only station around that sells E0. It’s a separate pump out back, and seems to be a Gilbarco like the one referenced in the article, but older with the smaller screen. Somehow, on one side of the pump, the display was completely mirrored, which made it quite fun, reading backwards, and guessing which side buttons to press (can’t remember if those were reversed or not?). I’m confused as how this mirrored display glitch even happens, but maybe someone can explain.
Unfortunately, last time I went, the screen was just completely blank on that side of the pump.
I always thought someone high up in the company had that Camaro and wanted the whole world to know. Kind of like how Papa John used to put his Camaro in every commercial.
Fun fact: The father of my college roommate went to highschool with ‘Papa’ John. He remembered very well that John had that Camaro in high school, but had sold it to start his first restaurant. Neat that he sought out his first car an bought it back.
The racism is not so cool though.
Blucifer is an homage to the emotional support horse who was denied entry on the plane. He was cut up and boxed and then put in the baggage compartment (extra charges applied).
Every Halloween, you can see his ghost wandering around the airport or the tarmac.
Do your own research!! Then keep doing it! You’ll find it! Promise!!
You always give thanks to Blucifer when you drive to the airport, it’s just common sense.
Also while not directly related to planes per se, part of its symbolism is horses being one of the earliest forms of long distance travel.
I expect the 7 segment display is actually part of the metering mechanism which is something that’s strictly regulated by state commerce departments to ensure accuracy. It probably also means the pump can function if all the garbage electronics below break.
If? Pretty sure I can count with one thumb the number fully functional displays I’ve seen in the last week. And I use Chevron, not those cut-rate “cashier has the bathroom key” joints.
was going to post the same. The machines have those inspection stickers on the panel so they can’t be messed with once the calibration is confirmed accurate.
Yeah it makes sense to me that the digital terminal would be serviceable without requiring a whole new inspection/calibration.
I’m pretty sure that super low res bit only started happening around the time they started taking chip cards at these pumps. I’ve always wondered why the newer mechanism had worse graphics. I guess that was an early example of enshittification.
There’s some brand or another of pump out there that has a pretty cool bitmap rendering of an air-cooled 911 turbo on it. I always like seeing that one.
That’d be a weird place to put fuel in your second-gen Camaro when the filler is in the middle of the rear end of the car…
Everybody hates gas station tv but what about gas station candy crush. Gilbarco I’ve got a great idea for you. Gamify getting gas. Let’s use that mediocre touch screen to play Brickles or Pac-Man or some other game. If you lose no gas discount, you pay full price you chump. But, if you hit a certain level, you get a discount on your gas or maybe a free gas station hotdog or super gulp. I’ve got a 20 gallon tank and for a few months out of the year I’d rather fixate on a silly game than stand there awkwardly at the pump trying to look like I’m not judging the fellow motorists around me for a chance to win a discount or random crap.
I dont care whats displayed on a pump as long as it doesnt make any goddamn noise. If it does, i’m going elsewhere to fuel up.
I stopped at a place last week that started the audio after I pulled the trigger to start fueling. They’re on my super shit list now.
One of my local gas stations switched from the trusty Gilbarco style to the new giant touchscreen that plays ads with sound. It’s not only very annoying, but the interface sucks to use and is glitchy as well. Enshitification of gas pumps makes the old ones seem charming. Jason you made a good case for a little bit of chaos and imperfections in life, but in some areas like medical care, government functionality and news, I could use more professionalism and less enshitification.
I want gas station screens display Torch’s Apple II random car generator when you fill up. A new car every time!
There’s a sculpture outside of Athens, GA that was so hated it was removed from campus and stuck in a cornfield. It’s a glorious, demented steed much like the Blue Mustang.
The Iron Horse
I clicked the link. “Fugly” is the first word that springs to mind.
Blue Mustang,
The artwork says something about being untamed etcetera.
And then just omits an important part of anatomy because, we shall not dare to be this untamed.
Lame.
The male member on a normal size horse is intimidating enough. The one on a 10m. staggering steed should be more terrifying then red eyes can ever be.
Maybe it’s a female horse.
Every time I see this one, I get mad because the perspective and proportions are off. It’s like the front half of the Camaro has been shortened, and the rear lengthened. It’s so bad. Like, how are you a multi million dollar company, and this is the graphic you choose, AND it makes it past your entire design process and you deem it ok and ship it out with such a shit drawing? Whoever did that, I hope you are embarrassed every time you fill up, because I am embarrassed FOR you.
As for the article questioning why two displays, it’s because originally they had just the LCD one, which is functional, but then they added the secondary color LCD so they can offer to push ads and blare advertising sound at you while you fill up, some even disable the mute button. Spray foam works pretty good in those speakers btw, so I’ve heard.
I’ll raise you a Shell station with the “Shell TV” crap running on the screen, and reporter Maria DeMunoz reporting live from Shell or whatever.
We don’t have that element in Jersey.
It’s actually such a foreign concept to me when I travel out of state.
Maybe that’s why there are two displays? Second one with the C64 graphics is not needed here.
They’ve started introducing it in the UK, but it’s only there to allow you to buy fuel directly from the pump, without having to walk to the cashier.
Actually, now I think about it, they might also show ads while you’re filling, but I usually use that time to check out other cars, and to decide which organ I’m going to sell to pay for the next tank of fuel.
Is that where you fill the tank on a 73 Camaro?
The graphic I always see at gas pumps is a 90’s Corvette with three-spoke wheels.
Came here to say this about the Corvette. The cheapest station near me has that.
As for the two displays, I’m guessing it somehow has to be separate for state weights-and-measures inspection purposes.
This one?
https://old.reddit.com/r/Corvette/comments/sfywhy/gas_station_near_my_house_has_a_c4_corvette_on/
Perspective is slightly off on this one as well, the rear wheel is cocked wrong. How does such a crap artist get this job? What are they paid? I would love Autopian to track down this information because I am just baffled by it.
That’s the first pump-graphic I thought of when I read this as well. My daughter has a C4 Corvette, and a nearby Phillips 66 station that displays that screen is where she tries to gas up just for that reason.
Yup. Maybe it’s a regional thing. I’ve never seen the Camaro, but I see the trusty C4 Vette on tri-spokes all over the place. It’s almost an old friend now, a source of comfort in a constantly changing world.
I know a few local people with red C4’s. I need to encourage them to put on chrome tri-spokes and pay homage to the Gas Pump Vette.
Also:
This is the exact reason I have a fondness for things like Pontiac Azteks and Nissan Jukes. They may not be conventionally attractive but they also don’t commit the ultimate automotive sin, which is to be boring.
I take it even further; even though I think the Cybertruck is ugly, I’d rather see one in traffic than yet another shapeless grey blob of an SUV.
Hmm..that’s a bold step to take. After some thought I have to agree. A vehicle might generate negative emotion, but even negative emotion reminds you you’re alive.
Unless of course you are hit by one and cleanly decapitated by the edge of the hood.
Y’know, for a little bit I was agreeing with you. Then I looked up from The Autopian and looked around at everything else…
And y’know, lets have a nice precise, controlled, and rational life. Just for a little bit.
I thought this would be about having to replace the pumping nozzle every time you fuel up. Sounds like some bad engineering.
I’ve started to see these screens get replaced, and let me warn you all. The replacement is worse.
These sloppy graphics and their 8 white soft keys still have a way to mute the ads. If you just start hitting the unassigned buttons while ads are playing, one of them almost always mutes it.
I haven’t found a way to mute the new ones. It’s hellish.
Also, I love and hate that specific Camaro screen. It’s so hideous and dated but it’s something. It’s clumsy little touch of personality in a world where you can’t even write a personal message to a friend without AI suggesting you strip out your personality and replace with with something generic and pompous and obsequious that suddenly needs to be fact checked.
The gas pumps at South of the Border use a c4 corvette graphic. When I fill up there on an interstate trip, I’m like, huh I have one of those. Weird.
Blucifer is the only reason to be excited about when landing at DEN.
I like skateboarding around the Denver terminals. It makes it a lot easier to get around at high speed. 🙂
Evolution is the survival of “good enough”. Gas pumps have reached the pinnacle of evolution, this is good enough and I’m glad it’s not an AI image. If they did a new one it would absolutely be AI.