yes it is a Brit thing, mainly so they've got your face on CCTV if you did rob the place.....and yes I have no problem removing a full face helmet for that reason. However, I still get demands to remove my flip top helmet when it's open with my face showing.....and I really don't see why.
So far, no-one has managed to give me a logical reason why.
The thing that P's me off is the way some of these monkeys working in gas stations go about this. I've even had demands to remove the helmet at the pump, before I've even got any petrol!
I pulled into a BP station just off the A417 in Gloucestershire and went to fill up.....but nothing happened, pump not switched on. I did hear an odd noise coming out of the PA system at the garage but whatever it was was just bips and screeches. After a few minutes of waiting I went into the garage, with the front of the lid flipped up, walked up to the desk and asked what the problem was, only to be told:
"Take your helmet off at the pump."
"Why?"
"It's company policy."
"Why?"
"Cos it is."
...
"You want me to remove a piece of safety equipment while sat on my bike parked on a slippery garage forecourt with spilt diesel and sand everywhere with cars driving past me at close quarters? No, absolutely not."
"Well you can't have any petrol then."
"Fine, where's the next garage?"
"Oh....20 miles up the road!"
"Well now you've lost all credibility cos you're lying to me. There's one 3 miles away and you know it. I think you're lying about the rule as well. I want your name, I want your managers name and I want the area managers name and contact details."
And this fella turned purple.