Americans, men and the ‘pumping of gas’

[RubyFakeLips]

Despite being over 40, I’ve become more and more into TikTok of late (I have a tween). The algorithm has obviously gone all fucked up for me and my feed has lots of country Americans, a plethora of ride on mowers, big trucks and actual cowboy hats. Not really my cup of tea but I’m obviously gripped.

Weirdly, lots of them seem to demonstrate being a gentleman (their phrasing) by “pumping their woman’s gas”, which it turns out is not a euphemism. Also lots of criticising men they’ve seen not pumping the gas and allowing a woman to fill up her own petrol.

Is this a thing?! Is it really seen as chivalrous to do your wife’s petrol? This is not a thing in the UK as far as I know, or is it?

The only thing I can really add to this is that I read it's illegal to pump your own gas in some states.....the gas station worker has to do it. There was uproar in one state when they said people could pump their own. Maybe they're not used to it.

Really?! Maybe to protect the existing gas station worker rights?

Who knew getting petrol could be so loaded.

I’ve just watch a TikTok where a woman is showing how great her dad is because he takes his wife, daughters and mother to a gas station, does all the filling up and then pays. The payment part I get but my dad would laugh in my face if I suggested this.

It seems to be a thing in America, I'm not sure why they think its so difficult that customers and women in particular can't do it themselves. Is it a different system? I mean its literally just putting it in the hole pulling a lever isnt it?

My mum hasn't pumped gas in over 30 years. My dad fills it up.

This all sounds very rude. 🤭

No OP. It’s not a thing. I always pumped my own gas. So did my mum, who’s 84 and came to America when she was 26. It used to be that a gas station attendant would pump your gas back in the day. I don’t live there now of course, so I don’t know if this is still an option.
I think TikTok is the antithesis of reality.

www.caranddriver.com/news/a36875715/oregonians-allowed-pump-gas/

TooBig, are you in the US? It does sound very rude, it took me several vids to understand it want all one big euphemism

I love this quote from a crazy Oregon person.

I've lived in this state all my life and I REFUSE to pump my own gas. I had to do it once in California while visiting my brother and almost died doing it. This a service only qualified people should perform. I will literally park at the pump and wait until someone pumps my gas. I can't even”

No, I'm in the UK.

I can’t even 😂

I’ve watched too many. Now I’m only seeing vids of men pumping gas...

I only came onto this thread to see if it was about farting.

Clearly I'm not a lady so I get to pump my own gas.

I’ve just watch a TikTok where a woman is showing how great her dad is because he takes his wife, daughters and mother to a gas station, does all the filling up and then pays. The payment part I get but my dad would laugh in my face if I suggested this

Does he take them one at a time or do they all go in convoy?

The only time I e seen a civilian with an open hold gun was at a gas station as he was ‘pumping his woman’s gas’ there was his pistol in a holster.
I am aware this all sounds like the most ludicrous double entendre but it’s not.
I was waiting to use the pump when I saw it.

Frightening.
Kind of felt the gun and his actions were all connected.

I'm American, and my DH pumps my gas for me. I can do it, and do when I'm alone but in general he pumps it for me. Men here also will "start the car" for their DW or Partner in the cold weather. I remember a thread here a while back where people were shocked that men in America did that. So yes it is a thing here, but also women CAN pump our own gas. As for states where you cant I believe there are only 1 or 2 where it is not allowed.

I believe you that all these cowboys pumping gas for their women in a manly fashion, just randomly turned up in your feed OP.

I have a friend who's adult dd has never pumped her own petrol.... UK. She takes her younger brother to the petrol station and gets him to do it when she needs some. 8 assume she doesn't do long journeys.

My mum has never filled a car up and she drove for 40 years!

Must say I like going to one very remote station (one pump) where you still aren’t permitted to do it yourself. Usually staffed by a woman.

This thread is absolutely hilarious 🤣

I remember a really bad song in the mid 90s when I bought a tape of love songs (forgive me it was in the Middle East and there wasn't a lot of choice of music) and 13yr old me sang along to a song called Hey Ronnie which involved pumping gas.

notmycat is it one of those things she’d secretly like to do for a big birthday - at v quiet time obvs and with someone on hand?? Have a feeling it will be a NO.

I can’t read or write anything without stupid double entendres grins going on. The more innocuous the post the dirtier it seems.

@HeronLanyon

notmycat is it one of those things she’d secretly like to do for a big birthday - at v quiet time obvs and with someone on hand?? Have a feeling it will be a NO.

God no. She won't even make her own food or pour a glass of water for herself

I’m in the UK. I was out with a friend for lunch once and she said “oh shit, My red light is on.” So I said just go fill up. She told me she’d never done it before, her husband always did it. They’d been married about 7 years and we were only in our 20’s! She didn’t even know how to open the petrol cap or which side it was on. Im still shocked years later tbh!

So no photo in local rag ‘local woman pumps gas for the first time on her 80th birthday’ with some silly quote and brief history of the gas pump, then. Ok.
She is depriving local journos !

My stepdad does this for my mum - they're from the Midlands.

I've always found it rather odd as it definitely comes across as my mum infantilising herself for no reason (would be more explicable if there was actually some kind of double entendre behind it!)