Driveway Dingers Dinging And Gold In Our Gas

 March 9, 2022

   When people complain about the high price of gas—like today—it always takes me back to my dad's gas stations on old Route 66. Al Bell ran numerous stations along that famous roadway, including Mobilgas, Whiting Brothers, Flying A, Phillips 66 and Shell to mention just about all of the brands of gas he sold. And, in all those places, almost every customer complained about the price of gas.

Al Bell's Mobilgas station

in Peach Springs, AZ

Classic fifties Texaco service station.

I can almost hear the driveway dingers dinging. You can trust your car to the man who wears the star, indeed.

Classic Fifties Shell service station

   Whiting Brothers in northern Arizona sold regular gas at 19.9 in the fifties and even up into the early sixties. Meanwhile, every car that came into my dad's Flying A in Kingman had the same question.

Al Bell's Flying A, on Hilltop

   Our regular was 35.9. And invariably, every gas buyer who got out of his car said the same line: "You got GOLD in your gas?!" They always thought they were being so clever, and they all said the same line. It was uncanny. If I hadn't lived it I wouldn't believe it, but it's true. Perhaps proof that we're all not that creative.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do have gold in our gas. Good luck making it to California."

—A line I wanted to say, but never did