Petrol pump & full grocery shop

So get your petrol first, then move to the bays…

Again, that depends on the layout. That couldn’t work in my local petrol station. The parking bays are all beyond the petrol pumps and to get back round to the pumps from the spaces you would have to go out of the petrol station, turn right onto a very busy main road, which would involve queuing for ages, and then waiting for ages again to turn right back into the garage.

It depends on the layout of the forecourt.

At our closest petrol station with a convenience store attached, it’s only possible to get to a parking space (that’s not for blue badge holders) from 2 out of the 8 pumps. If everyone who was picking up a meal deal, grabbing a coffee etc waited for those 2 pumps it would cause a queue out onto the road.

Park in one of the spaces and do your shopping first, then move to pump to refuel. Why are people acting like it’s mental gymnastics to work out how to use a simple facility? Shop first, fuel after if that is the configuration of the garage.

Getting sick of saying this on this thread. But for the THIRD time. You absolutely can move your car after refuelling without having paid - you absolutely cannot leave the forecourt/garage without paying. Two very different things.

There's a big M&S one near me, it's always busy, but it's very rare people dump their car to go shopping. They pay, park and shop. They don't spend 15mn in the shop blocking the pump.

It’s not impossible to do a proper shop, just pricey. It’s inconsiderate to leave your car at the pump though, fill up and pull over to the side.

You pay triple to do a food shop in those places- it’s out of necessity really.

Are you supposed to, or should you, pull the car forward into a space even when that's all you want to go in and pay for? I've never seen anyone do this, but arguably, it would speed up the pumps.

I do this as pay at them pump

Its anoying but the petrol station is at fault here by making it an option. Dont have a shop attached , limit the time or make it pay at pump for shopping with a car park.

I think this may be the crux of the issue. If you fill up, , then move away, , even if you remain on the forecourt with every intention of paying, then I would fear being labelled as a “drive-off”? And can a pump be re-set for the next customer if the earlier customer hasn’t paid yet?

You might not be able to do "a full shop" but some are big enough that people can easily spend 20 mn in there. If your car is not parked, but blocking a pump, you are a twat.

Grab a drink and a bar of chocolate on the way fine, doing a food shop is just no.

I agree that this very much depends on the layout. At the petrol station. I usually use, the parking spaces are beyond the pumps and still in sight of the cashiers, so they wouldn’t assume that you weren’t paying until you got to the exit.

I've seen a couple of people be told off over the years for moving their car before paying and one shouted at over the tannoy so I don't think I'd do that. The pump didn't let you fill up next car till paid either.... Or maybe on thin night out through it was the staff manually not letting it restart. Generally I wouldn't do a massive shop at petrol station but I kind of think it's mildly annoying but a layout problem. Save as having to wait to use the air machine as the cars at pump/queuing for pump are blocking way even though none if then want air so it's free.

I rarely buy petrol so have a question about how the payment works. Assuming I don't pay at pump, do all pumps now store multiple transactions? So can I fill my car, move it to a space and faff about shopping while the person behind me fills up their car? Can they even pay before me if they aren't shopping? And then I just go to the till, say 'Pump 7' and the cashier pulls up my transaction?

I think it depends on the layout of your petrol station doesn't it?

Our local has an M&S attached and whilst you probably couldn't do a "Full" shop you could definitely come out with a few bags. I'm another who didn't think you could leave the pump without paying and at our local I don't see how you could.

You drive in, parking spaces are immediately on the left then the pumps and store are on the right. It's a little one way loop so once you're done at the pump you can't get to the parking spaces without driving out and driving round by which point they've marked you as a "none payer" no?

Of course you can I do this every time I fill up and have never had any issue

Move to a parking bay after pumping fuel

But in that scenario, you’d just park in one of the spaces first to do your shopping - so you’re not blocking the pump - and then fill up on car after wouldn’t you? That way it keeps the way clear for people who do just want to refuel, pay and get on their way. I appreciate you have additional challenges, but if you do things in a different order then you can still accomplish both of your chores. Plus you totally can pull away from a pump without paying, you just can’t leave the garage itself. I regularly move my car to a space away from the pump if I think I am going to need longer in the shop, it’s never been an issue - on the contrary, people are grateful for the consideration.

Only if you completely left the forecourt would you be considered as trying to evade payment, not for just moving your car to a different place within the same garage estate.

It’s the faffing around I cannot stand It’s as though they don’t realise what they are doing?

I see no problem with it. You can't pull away from a pump until it's paid for. You can't expect someone to go inside pay, (unless it's pay at pump) move their car to the back of the queue and then into another car space to then pick up some bits. At least in my local one you'd have to pull back out onto the main road and join the queue to get into a normal spot, and most petrol stations I've seen are like this.
There may not have been a queue behind when they went in.
The shops are set up for people to buy more than the usual things, so this is the shops fault not the consumer for using it as intended.
If there is a queue of 15, just go somewhere else?
I'm disabled and takes a lot of energy to fill up my car and do shopping, so I will do both at the same time if I can otherwise one often needs to give.

I may have to quote this thread next time there is a "What are the advantages of EVs" thread ( We've not had one for a few weeks so anytime now I expect).

I am in Ireland and recently one of our petrol stations have started selling M&S food and the queues the other day were very annoying with people getting fuel then spending an eternity perusing the foods and coming out with bag loads. Another my own local stations has a subway inside and there are genuinely assholes that fill up with fuel and go in and sit down eating a sub inside. Should not be allowed but it is.

Seriously?