To think that petrol stations should make the handles of their pumps easier to hold

[BoffMonster]

I am wondering if anyone else is sick and tired of the fact that petrol stations have pump handles clearly designed for men, which required squeezing at a very awkward angle and in a difficult way for the female wrist, which means that your arm gets tired when filling up the car. Or am I alone?

lol. I have never noticed this.

If your arm gets tired, only put in a tenner at a time.

must be said, I have big hands for a wumman. And a french lorry driver did mention it once.

I don't have a problem with the handle as such (oo-er) but I do find the supply sometimes keeps clicking off if I have the nozzle at slightly the wrong angle (oo-er again). Anyone else? Or is it just my crappy car? Never found this with any other car.

Bananaskins- that happens to me too....the clicking off. I have quite big hands too.

They are also heavy and cannot have passed a health /risk assessment! I work as a staff nurse and we have policies and products to aid lifting. As a rsult I rarely now suffer back injuries. However as soon as I hit the pumps all the protection of my back is undone!!!! Please make them user friendly manufacturers for us menopoausal full time working mums!??

That clicking off thing happens to me sometimes too. I've always wondered why.

My hands don't get tired but I am usually only putting in a tenner at a time.

Speaking of petrol - our diesel is now 112.9p a litre!

I've been to a Tesco station that say you 'must not' stretch the hose over. . I quite often 're-arrange' the car on the forecourt as I move it to the parking after filling if I know I am going to be in there for a while.

It does make me giggle when I see the cashiers panicking

Yanbu, I damaged my hand in a car accident over a year ago, and it really hurts to fill up
I have had to rearrange on a forecourt, and now know from experience that the hose will NEVER reach to the other side of the car

News from BP!

Dear Dr BoffinMum,

Thank you for sending in your comments regarding the fuel nozzle handles.

Regulations in the UK and a number of other European countries prohibit the use of the lever locking systems used in Germany and the United States which is why the mechanism has to be disabled on nozzles here.

These regulations are aimed at controlling the limited risk of a a fuel spillage caused by a nozzle falling out of the car or failing to cut off when the car is full and the risk if customers igniting petrol vapours in the area of the nozzle if a static electricity spark occurs when they return to pick up the nozzle once filling is completed.

We are aware of the difficulties customers can have in holding nozzles open and have been working with suppliers for many years on a range of solutions. The latest nozzles we are fitting are lighter, have a slightly smaller handle diameter and lighter spring load on the lever. We are testing other products with the potential to roll these out on sites by strength of demand.

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. I hope the provide information will be of help.

{grin]

Nice people.

we have pump attendants at all pumps, here in the desert - and they have the locking things, so can leave your car filling up while they wash the windscreen

throws me, now, driving somewhere with self service pumps!

I love it when I go to my local ASDA and a particular attendant is there. They're not supposed to fill the car for you, but this one guy always offers if there is a woman on her own. He looks scary, think grumpy Hell's Angel with a fear of dentists, but he is a realy gentleman.

I'm quite strong and, although I don't struggle at all, I do find it cumbersome to fill the car. It doesn't help that my car has a huge tank and I usually wait until it's almost empty to fill it. £50-something worth of diesel takes a while to go in.

I only have little hands, so I struggle too, always have to use both hands. As if being a little goth girl, filling up a car with zebra print seats wasn't getting me enough weird looks. :s