Re: petrol forecourt etiquette

[TickledOnion]

First AIBU and I'm quite willing to admit IABU, but wondered what other people's opinions were.

Pulled up to a busy supermarket petrol station today. There were queues to use the right side pumps even though the front pumps were empty and only one car on the left side pumps, also with empty front pumps.

My petrol thingy is on the right and I struggle to pull the nozzle all the way round the car so I thought I would nip round the cars and use the left side pumps facing the other way. Got round to the front to find the left side pumps were out of order, so quickly reversed into a right side front pump. (Hope that makes sense).

A man came running up from the queued cars and shouted at me for jumping the queue. I didn''t fancy getting into an argument and realised I might have been in the wrong, so I just drove off.

My question is: why do people wait in a queue when the front pump is empty and was I wrong to nip round the front?

I await the MN verdict...

Have to say that for my first AIBU I'm quite impressed with the response. I thought it was a really boring topic.

I don't get this [hconfused]

My filler cap is on the right, but I often use a left hand side pump. I have NEVER experienced the petrol hose not being long enough. They are designed to reach to the other side of cars, unless you are driving a bus I supose!

Cracks me up when people wait for ages to usea pump on the same side as their filler cap. Silly billies [hsmile]

I was in Luxembourg in the summer and stopped at services (petrol very cheap there) Nd everyone was filling their car and then moving before paying so someone see could use the pump. Instantly solving queue issues

You tried to queue jump facing the wrong way and then tried to queue jump facing the right way by reversing.
YABU!
The reason there were free spaces is because cars using the pumps behind were blocking the way for other cars.
The cars queuing were patiently waiting for them to move.

You should be ashamed of yourself!

:o !!

onepiece I've had exactly the same thing (except was a businessman not white van. Goodness he was furious with his gesticulations)

OP you have behaved most unseemlyly by juming the queue when everyone else was politely waiting to pull forward and fill all the gaps. You do realise, don't you, that this is about the worst thing you can do in the UK and you must now be shunned by polite society? Shame on you!

I have always wondered why people queue for some pumps when there are plenty of free spaces, can they not see them or can they simply not drive through a narrow space to get to them??

one of our local places has painted lines so there's a lane down the middle to get to the free pumps while people faff and wander aimlessly round the shop oblivious to the dozens of cars waiting to fill up and get on with their day. it makes me appreciate how badly laid out the other places are.

If you haven't got the guts to stand up to people and defend yourself then maybe the best thing was to drive away, or just wait in the queue with everyone else for a few more minutes. the thought of having an argument is often enough to stop me doing stuff like this, unless i've got a bit of pent up anger that needs an outlet [hwink]

There is a petrol station in Rochdale (Tesco) that will not allow you to fill up with fuel if your tank is not on the same side as the pump. They will also not allow you to fill up if you are not facing in a specific direction. You get shouted at over the tannoy for doing either of these things.

Its the only place I know that take petrol station etiquette so seriously.

Dita

It depends on whether you are English or not. If yes, YABU. If not, YANBU. (I am convinced the English get sexual pleasure from queues)

I always use most available pump, regardless of side (they all reach to other side of car) and will drive to front pump. It's not queue barging if person in front is determined to wait for pump on same side as their filler cap (IYSWIM). I've never gone against the flow and entered from "wrong" end of garage.

i always wonder why all petrol pumps dont have a payment thing on the pump, so that you pay say £20, then the pump fills your tank to that amount and off you go. that way no waiting for someone to go in and pay and browse through the magazines and also, no risk of people stealing petrol or filling up and their card being declined because payment has been taken before any petrol is released.

Thats how it works in the USA, and I think it is a much better idea.

I hate petrol stations and some people are UNBELIEVABLY STUPID when it comes to getting a pump and keeping the flow of traffic going.
Why on earth were they queuing when there were free pumps? I would have stayed where I was and told him it was his fault for not doing it himself and not to take it out on me that he is a stupid person.

But then I am always getting into arguments in petrol stations because people annoy me

Ooh, I'm getting all angry just typing about it!

I need hel

Hel? I mean help, although hell may find me first

i think it makes far more sense than what happens currently in the UK and i doubt it would be that expensive to bring in. not for the big chains anyway. people would just need to make sure beforehand that they had the right money or the right card with them.

I can't envisage the scenario but everyone else seems to be able to and thinks YABU so I'll go with that :o

Petrol stations piss me off too. People are so slow and stupid and then they wander in and do a week's shopping...arrgghh. Pay at pump is the only way to go.

YANBU IMO. If the LHP had been working everyone else would have benefitted by waiting less time

AND they could have gone forwards to the front pumps - I find that's one advantage of having a KA [hgrin]

Petrol stations piss me off but because as said you get people who pull in, go inside and do a weeks shop and/or hold up queues instead of going forwards.

but YES petrol pumps are one-way but you being the wrond way would not have bothered me an iota if it meant I waited less time.

I always drive quite big cars and I still manage to squeeze through to the front. It annoys me when drivers of ford ka's can't seem to do the same! I would like you BOO

Even 6 yo dd is a dab hand at suggesting a person could 'get a jumbo jet through there'

YABU to jump the queue, but also being feeble about hoses. I drive /have driven big cars and the hoses will always reach round as long as you park appropriately. It is people clogging up the forecourt waiting for the "right" pump that wind me up.

MrsRetching You would have PYSL at my DS(7) too then. We had to stop at pharmacy last night and I reversed into the car parking spaces (row of angled spaces you need to reverse back into iyswim?). There was a huge white Jag, with blacked out back windows and a 2011 plate. Parked badly over the white lines at a really dodgy angle.
We get out and DS says loudly 'Mum, you would have thought if you bought a car like that you'd at least learn to park it right'

I would have totally pmsl if I'd overheard him say that! Even if I was the offending bad parker! (not that I would be of course, I'm good at parking my big cars)

Oooh, I don't own 4x4's though! By big cars I mean vectra's and the like.

(just felt the need to clarify there)