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?

For Pete's sake people need to reverse to manoeuvre in petrol stations all the time. It's not illegal, it's not dangerous, it's a normal part of driving. Starting to seriously doubt if people should be allowed out, let alone drive a car.

Exactly this. OP was a dick, other car was a dick. 🤷‍♀️

It's really weird that you ask if I'm an anxious driver (I'm not...drive around the UK in various different cars as part of my job) while you apparently needed to consult "a confident driver" for their opinion rather than just provide your own

I'm so glad you let us know what A MAN thinks of the thread.. and fyi, just because he's a confident driver doesn't mean he's a good one!

I don't think op was a dick. She hadn't blocked them in. All they had to do was reverse a few feet then drive out around her. No different than getting out of a parallel parked position on the road.

Never seen anyone do what you did, driving past me and backing up - yes no problem as long as you don't block me from leaving.

Since you blocked them from leaving by not waiting I can easily see why they were annoyed, why didn't you either a) use pump 3 or 4, id no one was in that lane you could have pulled well forward so the hose would go behind your car and not over it, or b) waited for them to finish and then take the front pump allowing someone to slide in behind you?

👏Right?

But the ENTIRE issue is that it was a SINGLE lane. They couldn't drive around her. They would have had to reverse right out of the lane back onto the forecourt.
I think people are failing to understand because what the OP is entirely bizarre.

@NetballHoop - they absolutely could drive round her, it’s throughout OPs posts that there was no-one using the other pumps. There was no blocking in at all going on. All the aggro nutcase had to do was a v simple reverse and go round manoeuvre and if they had trouble with that they are not fit to drive on roads.

And all OP had to do was go to an empty pump, but instead chose to reverse to be in front of a car already there. Utter madness. There were other free pumps.

I don't drive so I asked someone who does is that a problem for you? I also asked my sister, mum, dad and cousin and they all said the same thing. Not everyone wakes up looking for trouble.

Someone did this to me, I couldn’t reverse as there was a car right behind me. Cars to the left of me, long queues. Then they disappeared inside and presumably did a food shop. So selfish.
If they could get out then they overreacted, well they overreacted regardless but I can see why they were annoyed.

Lol I can’t believe you got a man’s opinion for MN.

If you don't drive then this is a really weird thread for you to decide to provide your opinion on, tbh.

It's "Not a problem for me" that you asked every random you know to comment on a scenario none of them were involved with and only found out about third hand (FYI it is bizarre you seem to think I'm waking up looking for trouble then use such aggressive language yourself!) but it is both odd and pointless.

I don't have a child with additional needs, I can't imagine the level of arrogance it would take for me to jump on the 'SN children' forum and start spouting out my completely unevidenced and unexperienced advice regardless!

Haha, I know, right? Who would’ve thought a man’s opinion could actually be useful every now and then.

Fair enough, I can see where you're coming from. But I think everyone has their own perspective to offer, even if they haven't experienced the exact same situation. I wasn’t trying to offer unsolicited advice, just participating in a conversation. I’m always open to learning more from others who have direct experience.

This. Jesus, the reading comprehension on this thread. She's said a million times they were not blocked in. They could back up and drive through the middle.

Batshit crazy behaviour. If someone was already in front of them would they have done the same?

You are a better person than me - the minute she tried to knock the hose out of my hand, I'd have squirted petrol on her!
What she did could be classed as assault and you'd have been within your rights to call the police.

If they are in that much of a hurry, they needed to have filled their car the day before or set off earlier - the rest of the world doesn't owe it to them, to adhere to their schedule!
Bonkers people!

And even easier, all OP had to do as go to one of the free pumps. That’s normal practise 🤷‍♀️

If you squirt petrol on someone you should expect to be arrested

@Tontostitismaybe I'd just dribble a little bit on her shoes then

TBF, people can't go around wresting petrol pumps out of other customers' hands just because they are in a hurry!

Here lies the problem

You are selfish and entitled

Everyone who tells you this you bite back at them . You know you were wrong you just want validation from other selfish humans

It's not selfish or entitled to drive around to get to the pump which on the correct side of the car. At most, the bonkers couple would have to wait a few minutes for OP to fill up and pay. And they didn't even have to do that - they could have driven around.
Its far more weird to try and physically remove the pump from the OPs hand than to do what OP did!

And OP could have also waited for the couple to finish up if she so desperately wanted to use that side pump. Why should someone else have to wait for her if she wouldn’t wait for them? She was a dick.

She could have waited, but it doesn't make her a dick because she chose to drive around and use the free pump in front - trying to wrestle the pump out of her hands, does make the other woman seem unhinged, though. The other couple also weren't trapped - they could also have driven around by the free pumps.