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?

Well I think only being able to park on one side of the pump is a bit of a feeble argument, as the petrol pump cables reach right over to the other side of the car.

But as for did you do anything wrong parking in front of the woman? No, not really. You were entitled to go in front of her, and her reaction was batshit.

So YANBU regarding that. But YABU to only go to petrol pumps that are on the left of your car.

People like this are the reason I keep a hammer under the drivers seat. In this situation, I may have just hit her with the pump though, since it was to hand. Crazy bitch.

But there were loads of empty pumps. And it's ok for them to wait but not the OP?
She ignored the empty pumps, drove round and plonked herself in front of the only other car in an otherwise empty forecourt.
I don't think I would loose my shit if someone did that to me but I would think it mighty weird.

@HappyPinkHare do you also park next to the only other car in car park?

Why should she? No reason at all.

The pump she used was best configured for her vehicle, there are no rules about sticking to single lanes or not reversing, and there was plenty of space for other vehicles to easily get out if they are competent drivers.

She doesn’t have to stick to the pumps that random busybodies think is appropriate!

Not all of them. We only have two stations in our town with long reach hoses. The others, you do have to use the correct side, there are signs up to this effect.

You did nothing wrong

But then why couldn't the OP wait the couple the couple of minutes it would have taken for the couple in front to finish and drive away?

They’re maniacs

They didn’t have to wait, it’s not hard to reverse

You did nothing wrong. She wasn't blocked in and could easily leave by the route you initially suggested so it was weird of her to be so in-your-face about it. There are some deeply disturbed individuals out there, some of who have jobs and cars and somewhat functional lives but are not actually very nice people - thankfully you will probably never interact with her again so don't let it worry you.

I would’ve done the same

The unhinged couple were the ones being rude and inconsiderate by not using the first pump so the second was free for someone to come in and fill up behind them.
They made their own problem.
Also, why are so many people these days so entitled and on a hair trigger? Honestly, if I ever win the euros I’m going to employ a massive bodyguard/driver. He won’t have to do much, just drive me around and glare at dickheads when required.

As an aside, I was once at a petrol station where they announced over the tannoy for a car to move forwards or they won’t activate the pump for them.

😱

I honestly would never block someone in from leaving so think you were BU. There was nothing to guarantee that the other lanes wouldn't have been used before they were to leave.

Saying this I wouldn't have said anything if I could have easily maneuver out as you say they could. I would have thought you were a bit if a 🔔though. As for their behaviour definitely them BU too!

It's more than likely that when they pulled up someone was in front of them and left......

Well yeah, I mean should anyone even be driving if they struggle to reverse???

As I said in my first post on here, even if this happened to me and I had had to wait 2 minutes (and this happens sometimes!) I would have just waited. No biggie. 😃

The OP didn't block her in though, the woman only had to reverse back a bit and then drive past the OP.

i got angry looks for driving in a different way in the petrol station,
there were no signs saying IN or OUT, so i drove in and people were cross as they were trying to get in where i was at the petrol pump.
sounds like another place for arguments!

The number of people that refuse to use the pump on the opposite side to the fuel flap is astounding, not only on here, but everywhere.

Not really? Im not resting a dirty hose on my very expensive (to me) car !

Pull a bit further forward.............

Her reaction was completely over the top. She'd hate it in my local area, none of the petrol stations have one way systems and lots are on junctions so there's people appearing (and reversing) from all sorts of directions.

Given that you could have used the pumps in the other lanes, I think you were being annoying.
The hoses are designed for using at both sides of the car. And the pump layout isn't really designed for your drive-through-and-then-reverse manoeuvre.

It sounds like they were being unreasonable too, but it is very irritating when petrol customers are feeble about stretching the hose out to the other side of their car, so I vote YABU

😆

It's crazy isn't it?

I reckon pump waving woman who ranted at the OP would have been the same though. Refused to go to an 'opposite' pump! 😬