its not difficult to understand that you can fill up the car from either side

[ljwales]

Why do so many people not understand this? Just wasted 10mins when running late as there was a huge q despite being free pumps! Sadly I couldn't get to them as other people were blocking.

I've driven vans and you can fill up either side. So there really is no excuse!

If I park my big estate that far forward, no-one would get out past me at the front in my local filling station.

I usually wait because I fill the work vans up more than my car and they are all extra long/extra high so at over 5m long I take up the whole forecourt if I don't fill up on the right side. I probably could just about fill my car up by dragging the hose over the roof of the car, but meh, I don't really want to and will happily just sit there waiting.

I'm another one who wishes the shop would only sell drink, sweets and sandwiches and not enough to do a weekly shop though.

Um, does anyone else think the non-red car in BackOnPlanetEarth's picture is dark grey, not beige?

PS I saw the dress as blue and black.

None of the petrol stations locally to me have pumps that stretch long enough to fill up on the 'wrong' side. So YABU!

Both my car and my petrol station hoses mean that I could park either side to fill my car - however the three crumbling vertebrae in my neck mean I can't hold the hose taut on the "wrong" side long enough to fill the car.

So OP YABVU and selfishly disablist.

not in my local garages, either. Pulling further forward isn't an option either as that WOULD block people.

suggestion, OP - leave earlier.

I'm not scared of scratching my car with a rubber hose...I'm scared of making a complete tit of myself trying to fill up from the wrong side!!

I scared of clinging for dear life onto a wildly flailing hose and chugging 50 gallons of petrol all over the forecourt, as I battle against the laws of physics, good sense and my own abilities, in order to fill up my car.

YABU to think that people don't know they can use both side.

YABU to be so obtuse as to why people don't.

I think it's too much faff for the time saved so I don't generally do it. There are shit loads of places with just too short hoses. If you stand face on to the pump and half kill yourself pulling the hose over then you can't see the display over the top of your car and have to hope to God you don't go over the £££ . If you pull forward you are at a funny angle and still can't see it.

Funny how you were the only one blocked from getting to the pump but everyone else was stupid or scared or not running late

I've never been somewhere where it doesn't reach both sides though, and I travel a lot.

Most of the petrol stations near me don't reach. I know because I've made myself look like an arse trying.

I often use the "wrong" side even in my landrover. But I have had the experience of driving up to the wrong side in a small car and the hose not fitting over, I drove forward and then reversed back millimetres fromcloser to the pump and it still didn't fit over. I then drove off as I was far too embarrassed to join the queue again!!

They're terrified the nasty pump hose with scratch their pretty paintwork.

Lord knows what they think auto paint is made of today.

My 3 local petrol stations will not allow you to fill up on the opposite side. It just causes bother, frustration and arguments when people think someone is pushing in to fill up on the 'wrong' side. You either fill up on the side you are supposed to or they will not allow you to get petrol.

Doesn't bother me - there are more serious to worry about in this world.

Now I'm being disableist and these nasty noses can "half kill" you?

Where are all these stations where your not allowed to fill on the other side?

I'm genuinely learning a lot about here, I'm 5ft 6 and not particularly strong, but I've never had trouble pulling a hose.

If I was you I'd of shouted back "look bitch my Ferrari won't take that muck that you use"

I could use the other side yes, but I don't want to, and why should I just because people are running late, that's hardly my problem is it.

There are quite a few here in Kent that don't stretch that far. I have tried and sometimes it works but other times I have had to admit defeat - I did complain at the kiosk but no one cared. They just said 'yeah the hoses are quite short'.

So honestly even if people know about this and are willing to do it, it isn't always feasible.

I'm sad no one has given me one in south Wales to try this with, I'm going to need to refuel today :(

Well - they exist.

Hope you don't get stuck in a queue. Or the person in front isn't buying a coffee.

Go to a rural garage in North Wales.
They do not reach.

I had trouble yesterday hauling the hose out to fill up on the nearest side and that was 'down South'. It was very tightly sprung and I has to hold it with two hands to stop it relocating itself.

YABU and very impatient.

If I was in a hurry, I wouldn't want to risk pulling up on the 'wrong' side and not having the hose reach.

If I'm not in a hurry, I can wait for a pump on the 'right' side to become available.

So I've never bothered to try and this thread hasn't changed my mind.

It is a small town in Rural Yorkshire iwhere it is banned.

I have NO idea why, though until fairly recently many of the petrol stations were attended service only. (Some still are) Perhaps folks have only just come to terms with havig to put fuel In for themselves and the garages think it will all be too much for them if they let them pull the hoses over too.