just stretch the hose over your sodding car

[PiperPublickOccurrences]

I don't fill the car with fuel that often as it's mainly just used for around time.

Every time I go to the petrol station the access is blocked by people queuing for a pump on the "correct" side of their car.

If I can stretch the hose over my mum-bus people carrier, you can stretch it over your ford fiesta.

Petrol station etiquette should definitely be on the driving test.

Well as long as you're OK burnername stuff anyone else eh?

I bet you pack all your shopping at the till in Lidl and leave your car at the pump while you do a top up shop in the petrol station shop too

Don't do it then, if that's what you've decided. But, if you are physically capable of it, and by waiting you're blocking someone get to a free pump; then your decision is selfish. Own it.

Exactly! And what's all this "i'd look like a twat" or "it's so stressful" - do you really think that you're SO interesting that everyone's treating you filling your car with fuel as a spectator sport??

I might be a bit thick but if you've got to fill up your car why don't you allow extra time at the start of your journey or go when it's less busy? 🤔 if I need to fill up and I've got to be somewhere at a certain time I always add 10 mins onto my travel time. I don't understand why people are getting so irate about it. Surely you expect to wait at a perol station?

You only need to have your car slightly forward to get the hose around the back of the car. People saying cars are blocking exits/making it a massive squeeeze are exaggerating just a tad. We are talking slightly more forward than the pump, not a whole car length!

^^This
I have never blocked an exit when doing this. Must be bloody ppoor parkers where you are if they do. (And I have a 7 seater)
A few inches forward is all you need.

I wait for the correct side. I have shocking arthritis in my wrists and thumbs and I need to two hands just to squeeze the handle, never mind hanging onto a stretched hose.

I don't mind queuing. I just spend the time chilling and listening to the radio.

I might be a bit thick but if you've got to fill up your car why don't you allow extra time at the start of your journey or go when it's less busy?

Cos to get the cheapest petrol I need to fill up when I am in the area, not go especially for it. Why would I make a 16 mile round trip just for petrol?

I get petrol when I am near the petrol station. I use whatever pump is free. Its easy but apparently not for those who queue up and block the entrance to the petrol station cos they can only use one lane of pumps when there are 4.

@DJNOUN, sounds painful

I need the hose to be the same side, I have nerve issues and tennis elbow in one arm, rotator cuff trouble on the other side and a dodgy disc in my neck. It's too painful to haul on the thing and pull it over to the other side.

Agree with you op.
I have never in the last ten years met a hose that wouldn’t easily stretch

Willow fair enough, but not everyone lives 16 miles from a cheaper petrol station and I still don't see the point in getting angry. I expect to wait if I'm filling up with petrol so it really doesn't annoy me. People who don't like to wait say that the "right pump side" people are selfish and the the RPS people will think the "any pump side" brigade are impatient or whatever else.

I didn't think it was selfish, I didn't even realise it was a problem people not using any pump until I read this thread. Perhaps that's because I don't get worked up about waiting at a petrol station and I've never been blocked from entering one.

The last time i filled up at asda i tried to fill from the pump at the other side to my fuel cap and it didnt fit so i had to turn round and go to the other side of the forecourt. Lesson learned when i usually wait at the right side even if there are cars in front as not all hoses reach the other sidw

Maybe mustbethin you have the luxury of being able to go to the petrol station whenever you like and have enough spare time not to care how long it takes.

Like I'd think many people I fill up when I'm passing a cheap petrol station or combine it with a supermarket shop, as I don't have a crystal ball I have no clue how many other drivers will be there at the same time as me and at my local Tesco I'm not sure I've ever been when there isn't a queue. Maybe at 10am on a Tuesday or midnight on a Friday but neither work nor children allow me to go at those times

I have arthritis in my hands, wrists, and one shoulder. If DH is with me and can pull the hose around for me I'll fill up on the wrong side. If I'm by myself I struggle even on the right side (I'm not slow, it's just painful beyond belief!).

Also for those saying 'but I drive a people carrier', my massive CMax was a piece of piss to fill up on either side because the flap was reasonably near the back. My Vectra, which looks smaller, is an absolute bitch even for DH because the flap is further forward in relation to the back of the car...

I don't want to stretch. Each to their own.

Not really I work full time. I have 3 petrol stations within 10 mins drive of my house, but if I have to fill up before I go out I allow 10 mins waiting time for petrol. I dont get annoyed if I have to wait, what's the point. I expect to wait, it's not about having loads of spare time. It's only like adding time onto your journey to allow for traffic rather than setting off late and speeding everywhere.

I recently tried the stretching thing as the service station was so busy. Couldn’t do it. Dragged my friend out of the car to help. We couldn’t do it together. The hose was too short. Our efforts were all very amusing for the queue of people behind us though !
Never again!

Can’t believe people are getting so irate about filling a car up, with all the shit that’s going on in the world! Seriously calm down you’ll have fucking heart attack.

I've seen kiosk- staff tell people off over the loudspeaker for doing this

@PattiStanger - No actually I wing it back into the trolley and pack into the back of my car. And I pay at pump when fuelling.

donquixotedelamancha have you considered soft rubber is rather good at picking up little stones and the like.

Stones stuck, like spikes, into a smooth hose, on tarmac, which (in most cases) never touched the ground?

If this worry is stopping you using both sides then consider looking at the hose first- you will still save time queuing.

Am I unusual in that the cars I have owned are made of metal and fairly scratch resistant?

It is really embarrassing at a busy petrol station (when for some reason everybody likes to demonstrate just how competent and efficient they are) if the hose doesn't reach. You either have to reverse out and try and push in the queue or just drive off as if you never wanted petrol anyway. Mortifying.

Am I unusual in that the cars I have owned are made of metal and fairly scratch resistant?

But the paint which covers it isn’t. If you don’t give a shit about your car that’s fine, some of us do.

Why are you all hoiking it over your car? You just park forward and pull it round the back. No lifting, no straining, no scratching (should be plenty give), no dripping, no melodrama. To be fair though people can keep queuing for one if they want. Makes the other queue shorter for me.

I'm small and feeble and struggle to stretch the hose to the other side of the car without getting myself tangled up in it! Sorry if I'm in your way but you'll just have to wait for all the time it takes to fill up my little car!

I did this once and actually got it stuck because it was stretched so far I couldn’t pull it back out again! Never again. But then the flap on one of my cars is so stupid it cuts ky hand up even if I am on the right side.