Where I live, it may depend on whether or not you buy gas at the station. If you buy gas, you just go inside and let them know you need air, and they'll turn it on. Otherwise it's coin opperated. I think technically, where I live, they're supposed to turn it on for anyone who asks, as it is a safety issue to have under inflated tires on the road, but most people don't want to look cheap, so they they use the coin opperated function.
