Originally Posted by
skookum
Touring with a friend who had the MSR that can burn gasoline, he would go to a gas station and ask if he could buy a few ounces of fuel. They usually just gave him a funny look
and said "No". then he would talk to people filling up their vehicles. Usually it just confused them, they figured it was some kind of scam. Eventually he would have some success and pay a couple of dollars for enough to fill a fuel bottle. But it wasnt easy.
I know folks who say they just used what they could dribble out of the hoses after the station was unattended. Also why go in and ask to buy? I haven't gone inside a gas station to buy gas in years. A credit card at the pump works when filling the car why not when buying a few ounces? likely if they objected you'd be done before they realized you were there. They might if your container wasn't gasoline rated. A red MSR bottle might help there.
Also, when I have opened a conversation with "I am riding my bike coast to coast and" (or some other impressive to non cyclist distance) folks are almost universally helpful and more likely to help refusing to take any payment than to suspect a scam or charge me a few bucks for enough for a bottle. Heck they are likely to want to buy me lunch or something.