Petrol station queue and angry man - diagram included

[Popcorninapot]

So a man shouted and swore at me today in a supermarket petrol station. Now he is obviously unreasonable for being unable to control his temper but did my petrol station etiquette deserve his wrath?

Busy supermarket petrol station, four pumps all full, two cars queuing across the back of the petrol station.

Not enough room for me to pull in and queue behind the two cars but staying where I am is causing backlog of cars trying to get into the supermarket car park. So I pull in and queue for the nearest pump (dotted line).

Queuing car 2 is livid that I pushed in, have no patience, shouting and swearing. Now I was genuinely just trying to get out of the way (I am a queue stickler usually!) but my view has always been that you choose a petrol pump to queue in and it's a bit pot luck if it moves faster or slower than the others, not that you line up in order to then be able to choose the first available pump.

Have I been getting this wrong for years? As I was filling my car I noticed subsequent cars using the choose a queue technique but am happy to be told AIBU!

Diagram

I would’ve held back slightly to start with, moving slowly, and trying to make eye contact with the drivers of the queueing vehicles that were already there...but then I would’ve done the same as you. You pick a queue, and that’s it. It’s pot luck which goes fastest although if I’m in it, it will absolutely be the slowest

I'm a queue stickler but I agree with you that you have to pick a pump and queue in that line only or it cause tailbacks into the road. You can't bag all the pumps like he was trying to.

Same in McDonald's. Pick a till and then watch the other queues go down quicker. 😁

Well I think YANBU. Im definitely with you, I would usually just pick a queue... I like to wait for the side my petrol cap is on so accept some people might get there a bit quicker if they're happy to wrestle the pump round their car!

I've always been under the impression that you pick a pump and queue for it. You can't hog all pumps! That's just rude.

And to add - I wasn't in a hurry and he got his petrol before me anyway!

What madness is this!!!!! You pick a queue!

I bet he wouldnt have been swearing if a man did this.

You choose a lane and it's pure luck who goes first. He has some serious anger issues.

You pick a queue and stick with it unless you can safely reverse and change. He's an idiot. Thought everyone knew this? It's the most sensible option, how else would everyone fit?

You pick a pump and join the queue. You can't hog all the pumps, it's not like queuing for a loo!

He's a twat, you did nothing wrong.

You pick a pump and get in the queue. People doing what the people in front of you did are why there was a backlog onto the road :)

Sounds sensible to me! So shouty man might have to wait another few minutes. At least you’re not holding up the traffic.

Yeah there's not a communal queue. You wait behind the pump you want. I know most have long hoses know that you can use at either side. But most people seem to prefer to use a correct side pump . So I'd there was a communal queue this wouldn't work. He was a twat.

Actually, a single queue is fairer but it is only feasible if there are only a few cars or the petrol station has enough space.
Can't fully appreciate from the diagram, but you could have pulled slightly to his side to let the people behind you drive past (if that was the case).

Agree with everyone else you just pick a queue and hope it’s the quickest!

Pick a queue.

If a gap opens up at another queue, then depending on the traffic, maybe get to that spot if it's safe. Otherwise stay in the queue.

No pushing in.

You choose a lane - he's being a dick!

Almost all hoses will reach both sides, so I go for whichever one is least busy. It seems to cause amazement when those queuing for the correct side pumps see me hop out and pull the hose over. I'm more amazed that they carry on queuing despite the fact they know that they can use both sides.

You pick a queue, with I suppose an exception for "the driver of the car in front appears to have been abducted by aliens"

It's like supermarket tills, isn't it? You don't get to push into the queue at the next till because it's going faster than yours.

The two cars parking d sideways we're being unreasonable. You pick a pump and queue, you don't get to block several people from queueing.

Presumably it was his first time at a petrol station as I have never ever seen a communal queue. Like all other pp have said you pick a pump and stick with it.

I used to travel around the UK in my old job. Been to a lot of petrol stations in many, many locations. Never seen a communal queue. What nonsense is that? You pick a queue and you join it. You can’t just park in the middle and block everyone else who may just want to go in to shop! That’s madness!

You pick a pump and queue at our nearest petrol station. None of this first come first served as the layout doesn't cope with that.

You definitely pick a pump and join that queue. He was in the wrong.

@TruffleShuffles that's what I wish I had said to him. Thanks everyone, thought I was right but it makes you doubt.

I am pleased that my very non confrontational self didn't just take it and stuck up for myself!

It has to be a pick a particular pump and join that queue system, because otherwise we’d all get stuck waiting behind that one nellie who HAS to wait for a left-side pump to open up, because they haven’t learned how to get the hose around to the other side of their vehicle yet.