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?

She sounds totally unhinged, you did nothing wrong. Filling up the car with petrol is a pain in the arse little job and if she's in such a rush she should have managed her time better.

Rather than the people in the other car inconveniencing her, she inconvenienced them, I don’t know were you’re going with the “everyone else” as there seems to have been only the two cars there going by the details in the OP

I work in a petrol station and we hate to see this.I have had to witness a fatality due to this behaviour. Please just wait your turn. The couple were batshit though.

How is this dangerous? I don’t get it! In my local petrol station this would be a perfectly safe manoeuvre

I feel like some people on this thread don't understand what 'single lane' means.
Angry!couple are in the silver car on the left. With OP in front of them there isn't the option to just drive around her in the same section, they have to reverse back and then drive through the completely separate lane.

If there was someone behind them queuing that would be impossible and they'd be stuck. Even if there wasn't, someone approaching the station wouldn't be expecting them to reverse. Similarly if there had been anyone coming out of the shop/driving through the lane on the right they wouldn't be expecting OP to be that close to the forecourt and reversing back in, rather than driving out.

Yes, in her particular circumstance there wasn't anyone waiting so they could have reversed, and most normal people would have rather than starting a fight, but OP didn't know there wouldn't be anyone else coming up behind to block them in or coming out of the shop when she did her maneuverer. It would have been far safer for her to either wait, or just to use the other lane and stretch her hose - as they are specifically designed to do.

You did nothing wrong OP. I would’ve done exactly the same. Well done calmly continuing pumping fuel despite their unreasonable meltdown

I was also wondering this, as those lanes were clear.
The hoses these days are long enough to reach either side of the car, it isn’t awkward to fill from the other side.
Theres is an odd overreaction, but maybe they had to be at a hospital appointment or somewhere else important by a certain time, you effectively blocked their exit.

Put this comment by some entitled woman out of your mind completely. Who made her the pump police?

Also I feel like the crazy woman and those who support her stance shouldn’t really be allowed on the road since they can’t seem to deal with the simplest manoeuvres on a petrol forecourt.

The whole point is that nobody needed to be inconvenienced at all, there was a whole empty lane completely free. OP should have just used that and pulled the hose slightly further (which is neither an inconvenience nor dangerous, and is what they are specifically designed to do), rather than driving through the completely empty lane and blocking the one someone else was already in.

Every pay by pump at a supermarket I go to works like this.

it’s never once crossed my mind not to go in front of the pump is free and that abusive couple slowed themselves down arguing and assaulting you.

if the garage has CCtV I’d report via 101.

I Don’t think this is what OP had

Personally I don’t do this if there’s a car behind and I will be blocking them leaving unless I’m paying at pump for a small top up. But they sound unhinged in their reaction. Completely mad.

Just a diagram of how the forecourt was at the time

Their response was clearly unreasonable, but I would’ve been annoyed at you in their position for bypassing pumps 3 and 4. It’s really not hard to refuel from the opposite side.

What would you have done if pump 2 has also been occupied?

Such badly designed petrol pumps, glad we don't have any like that where we are.

I would find it annoying if I just finished and then a car reversed in and i had to wait. I wouldn't act unhinged though like they did.

In your case you should have used the other pumps - the hoses would stretch.

I don't think this is petrol station etiquette though. Isn't the etiquette to safely move into whatever the next available pump is? And there is no rule about not reversing. People shuffle about all the time to get closer to the pump, move out of a space etc. As long as you're looking where you're going, it's fine.

Now you have provided a diagram, you should have just used 3,4,7 or 8.
YWBU - entirely.

Yes I do wonder if the people disagreeing is because they can’t reverse and so they think this inconveniences them? It was only one car length to reverse and at 7am, it was free and roomy. I have 78% that agree with us on the poll so far, so that’s saying something.

Yes, you broke etiquette doing this. Though their reaction was very extreme!

I did say previously they were right handed pumps and I only use left sided ones

YWBU to reverse in front of them.

As you’ve previously stated, It was at 7am so it was pretty much empty
so you wouldn’t have had to wait long.

They were clearly batshit but 2 wrongs never make a right.

There is no etiquette.

Yes, I know right? I only question it because of how irate they were. The husband jumped out if the car f-ing and blinding. They were trying force me to put down the pump, close my petrol cap, cancel the card transaction, get in and drive forward and completely move for them to exit, when they could have just reversed and got out the way I had got in front of them..? It’s mind blowing

Their reaction was completely over the top.

However, it’s worth practicing refilling from the opposite side, even regular length hoses fit over the car to the “wrong side” if you park closely to the pump. (Yes ok not if in a van etc!) I simply pump with one hand and hold the hose pipe slightly off my car with the other. Pretty easy and the added bonus of not having to wait as long!