Was I out of order for driving into the petrol pump in front rather than waiting?

[HappyPinkHare]

AITA? Just want to get everyone’s opinions on petrol forecourt / station etiquette in the uk. Two petrol pumps are placed one in front of the other, in single lanes, so if someone is in front of you refuelling, you can’t drive past them (you either have to wait or reverse). When I drove into the forecourt, a black car was in pump 1, still filling up and pump 2 (in front of them was free). So I drove up the other lanes and reversed in front of them into pump 2. I got out, opened my petrol cap, paid using my credit card a pin and lifted the nozzle. At that point, the lady came out of her car aggressively and told me to move out of the way so they could drive off the forecourt as they were in a hurry. If I was still in my car, I probably would have moved, but as I was already about to refuel, I asked why she didn’t reverse and go down the other lanes. It basically got out of hand and she was knocking the hose in my hand to stop me from refuelling and screaming saying “are you going to pour petrol on me?” Anyway, after lots of swearing and aggression (from both husband and wife) and me passively refusing to move, they ended up reversing (just one car length by the way) and leaving via the route I had suggested originally. It got me thinking that what I did (reverse into pump 2) was maybe wrong because why were they so angry, was i out of order?

It's hardly an obsession. Why do you think the petrol symbol on your dashboard shows what side the fuel cap is on? Also if you're stretching the hose you are then standing in the middle of the forecourt while other cars drive round you.

Pull a bit further forward so you don't have to drag it over the roof.

If you cant wait a few minutes for someone to finish filling their car and drive off it's an obsession. The other pumps were empty, you pull the car a bit further forward and dont need to take the hose over the roof. And as OP has said it's a one car width space, you dont need to worry about other cars in that space. OP was an annoying asshole and while she didnt deserve the unhinged response they may have been on their way to a funeral with plans to change into something less comfortable when they got there. Grief can make people behave badly.

No-one comes off well from this.

Yet seemingly incapable of pulling a hose around the car

Their reaction was crazy and completely unreasonable but you were also unreasonable to block them in rather than wait a few minutes for your turn.

Grief?? What are you talking about? The grief of reversing your car one metre? Or have you created a whole backstory for the lunatics to excuse their behaviour ?

You wanted the left. Not needed. The other pumps were were you should have went. The hose reaches over easily.

you chose to drive past perfectly useable pumps.

This post made me laugh out loud. I didn't realise there are special (secret) Highway Code rules applicable to petrol stations 😂

OP you did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact I would go so far as to say that you are role modelling excellent petrol station etiquette by being speedy, and aware of others' time pressures. As opposed to the faffers.

They overreacted 100% you didn’t deserve the wrath. however it’s probably not best practice to reverse into the first pump despite it being clear to do. But saying that it’s more annoying when the car infront takes years to leave because they’re doing something on their phone before driving off

What you did was not good manners. You inconvenienced someone else, so it was more convenient for you. That’s poor in a public place. They overreacted but you caused it.

If they were in a hurry, how come they had so much time to argue with you instead of reversing and driving off?

I think that potentially blocking someone in (if all the pumps ended up being parked at) that was there before you is rude. Lucky you that you use the moral high ground of them losing their temper and acting irrationally though. I do wonder if you posted this and the person hadn’t lost their temper and perhaps they cried that they were late to an appt etc if you would have received a slightly different response.

They don’t always stretch far enough - more difficult if you have a large car.

I’ve found on smaller petrol forecourts where you are stretching the hose you invariably also have to park further forward to do so and potentially block the area in front of your car. Hence why lots wait for the pump on the correct side

I weirdly don’t think I’ve ever used a petrol pump where you can’t pull out and drive past the person in the pump ahead. Your drawing was helpful.

I think had it been me, I would have waited. Reversing in and blocking them would be a no for me. Equally, I would have been annoyed if someone did that to me - to the extent of an eye roll and a tut. I would then have reversed out and gone round the other way whilst silently calling you an idiot. You however haven’t broken any laws.

I think the women’s reaction was actually really dangerous. Petrol and walking your hand? Wow. What did the station staff do/say? I would ask if they have CCTV and report that behaviour simply because it’s actually really dangerous and that would serve her right for not thinking about safety whilst she was wildly over reacting.

Petrol forecourts are on private land so obviously the Highway Code is not applicable here. What an odd thing to say.

Pleased for you that your own lack of basic comprehension brings happiness to your life.

I do think you broke etiquette, but I don't think it's a big deal. I'd say you were in the wrong, but they overreacted.
You should have used pump 3 or 4.

As I read OP's post, what she did is exactly what you are advocating. She didn't go outside the whole lane, she just overtook the car in pump 2 by diverting towards the space for pumps 3 and 4, then went back to the left and reversed back a short way so her car was properly aligned. Which is what thousands of people do in petrol stations every day.

Perhaps OP could clarify?

I accidentally clicked YABU, should have been YANBU

So Petrol stations just have one empty pump sat there out of use constantly?! Nope!

What if the person has been there first and decided to wonder around the shop for a bit before paying? So many petrol stations are now mini supermarkets it’s quite likely the person in front of your at the pumps may be there after you’ve got back to your car.

Crazy behaviour!

I wouldn't

Sorry, ignore me, I see from OP's later posts that I was incorrect.

I agree they over-reacted big-time, but yes, you were out of order driving down the other side of the pumps and then using the pump in front of them, blocking their exit. Why didn't you use one of the pumps on the other side? That's what I would have done. If you line your car up properly, the hose does stretch to the other side of the car. It was a lack of consideration on your part, and if I had been in the other car, I might have called you an arsehole or something, but that would have been it.

I posted this because I wanted an honest opinion of whether ‘My actions’ were deemed unreasonable. Prior to this incident, I have seen people make this manoeuvre on many occasions and thought it to be normal.

Due to the couples’ reaction (and it was clear they were irate over what I had done, they weren’t crying or begging, they approached me aggressively) I realised, there must be others who would be annoyed by it. I wasn’t asking for votes on their behaviour.

I’ve not sugar coated it from my side, I could easily have said there was a clear legitimate way out. I’ve describe exactly that they were single lanes and they would had to reverse and get out through lanes 3 & 4. I again nothing from making up a story to suit me. I have made the facts pretty clear.

I didn’t use pump 3 or 4 because I simply didn’t think pump 2 would be ‘annoying’ anyone. Hence the question on this post.

I can see why there are always queues at petrol stations now. Turns out 15% of mumsnetters can't drive and/or enjoy queuing.

Or would have simply used one of the other available pumps, which would have been the reasonabale thing to do ...