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Original poster

please please please tell me I am not the only dense person in the world....................

48 replies

psychomum5 · 01/08/2008 19:57

.............I cannot believe I am admitting to this, BUT, I am certain that I am not the only person to know this (supposedly simple) fact......

it regards putting petrol in the car....

at petrol stations.......((well, obviously - duh!!!))

well....anyhooo's......

we went on hols recently....not far, 'only' to weymouth, but we still needed to fill the car with petrol. we drive into the one at winfrith (DH tells me that it is clearly not good, yet I have no idea as I learnt somethig new there).

he did the petrol and then got into the car.....stating how bloody crap the man is in the shop at pressing buttons to allow the petrol out.

my face was like this ->..

and I asked him what on earth he was on about.

and his face was like this ->.. back at me.

well.....turns out.....

((and I cannot believe I am the only person to find this out this late in my driving life))

when you go into a petrol station and pull out the nozzle to put in the petrol, you have to wait for a man (or woman) in the shop to press a button to allow you the petrol.

stroll on......

seriously, where do you learn this stuff.....I had no clue!!!

I even had to ring nappiesGalore and flame and (today asked) CvQ.

I asked MIL

and SIL

and other friends

THEY ALL KNEW

and I did not......

but no-one told me.....

how do they know

and do YOU know????

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 01/08/2008 19:58

lol

yes i know

nickytwotimes · 01/08/2008 19:58

i didn't know either!

Lizzylou · 01/08/2008 19:58

I didn't know either

scorpio1 · 01/08/2008 19:58

and i cannot even drive!!

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 19:59

Yes, they wait until they know they have your registration number captured first.

TrinityRhino · 01/08/2008 19:59

yes I knew BUT
dh told me a couple of years AFTER I started driving lol

butterflybessie · 01/08/2008 20:00

Nope, I didn't know, I knew you had to wait for the display to go to zero, but I thought that it was computerised, there you go then to thickos (and I was born in Dorset), maybe it is a southerners thing

Snaf · 01/08/2008 20:00

Nope, I never knew that.

I'll stop shaking the pump to get the petrol running now, though...

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 01/08/2008 20:00

Am totally in a surprised kinda way.

I thought the petrol started coming out from me repeatedly pumping the trigger

Will ask dp......

Nagapie · 01/08/2008 20:01

Never knew that - is it the same at supermarket petrol pumps?? Surely, they are too busy robbing serving the customers to worry about that ...???

Original poster
psychomum5 · 01/08/2008 20:01

Oh thank god.

I am sooooooo relieved that I am not the only one!!!

why do they not tell you this when you are learning to drive???

I passed when I was 17....I am now 35.....I never knew.

I did wonder why so petrol station nozzles took a while to 'click', but did not know that it was 'human click' that did it.

NEVER

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 01/08/2008 20:03

yes I knew that

GentlyWorryTheAnimal · 01/08/2008 20:04

pmsl @ lots of people not knowing!

Although I am still sniggering at ChocolateTeapot not realising she didn't have to lean against taps in the bath until she was 23!!!

Goober · 01/08/2008 20:05

Of course they do, otherwise you'd nick it wouldn't you?

littlerach · 01/08/2008 20:07

I knew
(And I grew up in Bournemouth!)

Only cos I had a mate who worked in a petrol station and he let me have a go!

Original poster
psychomum5 · 01/08/2008 20:07

goober....I still never figured out how they could stop you from nicking it.....still can;t in fact!!!

OP posts:
Snaf · 01/08/2008 20:07

No wonder the guy at my local petrol station is always smirking when I come in to pay.

SorenLorensen · 01/08/2008 20:07

I didn't know that either (mind you, I don't drive).

milge · 01/08/2008 20:09

Only when they have checked your numberplate against CCTV for recent drive offs...

Goober · 01/08/2008 20:10

They take down your details before they press the button.
Now in most petrol stations the pump has a finger-print-reader in the nozzle thingy. That is why most stations have had overhauls recently.

SlartyBartFast · 01/08/2008 20:10

i kknew but here is anotehr fact, on your whats it, where all your guages are there is a picture of a fuel pump and the actual hose showing you which side of your care the petrol cap is, ingenious, i only found that out recedntly
it is so embarrassing when you forget, which i do occasionally

ihatebikerides · 01/08/2008 20:11

Isn't that what the beeping noises are when you go in to pay? Then the man presses buttons and they stop. That's the only way I figured it out.

Seona1973 · 01/08/2008 20:11

what about stand alone pay at pump petrol stations near the main supermarket (i.e. no kiosk to pay in)? - who presses the switch then?

SlartyBartFast · 01/08/2008 20:12

same here ihatebikerides

Nagapie · 01/08/2008 20:12

Now that you mention it, there have been so many 'drive offs' in London without paying, there is talk of having to pay for petrol before pumping it...