Fueling on the "wrong side"

[Fozziebear]

The morons block the shell station near me most mornings, 8 pumps and one line waiting for an empty one. Funny to watch as it has 2 entry/exits, just roll round the roundabout, choose empty entrance, pull into pump and fuel.

[billzeebub]

I nearly always fuel on the wrong side as there is invariably a 'left sided' pump free. Mind you, even the extra long pumps wouldn't reach for some of these people and their lack of spacial awareness/knowledge of how big their car is..

Edited by billzeebub on Monday 7th October 23:12

[Patrick Bateman]

Paul_M3 said:

Does this not depend on the individual pumps to a certain extent though?

The local Tesco pumps have the hose attached from high up, and 'wrong side' filling would be very easy.

My local Shell station however has the hose come out from pretty much ground level. It would be incredibly difficult to fill up the 'wrong side' if you wanted to be 100% sure you wouldn't touch your paintwork with the hose.

It's easy enough if you stop the car far enough forward.

[Pdelamare]

With careful positioning of my SL I find that even the shortest hose allows me to fill up on the wrong side, no matter where the hose mounts. I too delight in pulling into a station to see some morons queuing when there's a pump available.

It's even easier in my little a Smart Gaymobile.

[Bonefish Blues]

backwoodsman said:

Fleckers said:

was she fit ?

I would put my nozzle in her, repeatedly, right side, or wrong side.

Eh? I thought you filled on the wrong side, unless that's not a euphemism

[Emeye]

These are the same muppets who have decided that overtaking them is illegal when they are doing 50mph on a national speed limit road.

[9mm]

eliot said:

I always join the shortest queue regardless of side. I dont see how you are jumping infront of someone, if they are in a different queue. Never had any comments or hassle from anyone in my local station.

I agree and can't for the life of me understand how anyone could interpret going to the shortest line as queue jumping.

[Paul_M3]

Patrick Bateman said:

Paul_M3 said:

Does this not depend on the individual pumps to a certain extent though?

The local Tesco pumps have the hose attached from high up, and 'wrong side' filling would be very easy.

My local Shell station however has the hose come out from pretty much ground level. It would be incredibly difficult to fill up the 'wrong side' if you wanted to be 100% sure you wouldn't touch your paintwork with the hose.

It's easy enough if you stop the car far enough forward.

For the majority of cars, maybe. But not all cars have the filler point in the same place. Some are further from the extremities of the vehicle, making it more awkward.

[Dr Interceptor]

Worse than just having to wait for the right side, I have to wait for the right pump - my local Shell doesn't have all fuel grades available at all the pumps.

However as others have said, if you want to drape the hose over, you crack on. Don't mind me.

[Gixer]

Hilarious.

I fill my daily several times a week and as I collect Tesco points its usually at their garages. You really notice this behaviour there. Long queues and yet I nearly always drive straight in and on to a pump. I just pull further forward than usual and the pipe reaches around the back of the car so doesn't even touch the paint. In the ZR1 its simple as the filler is in the middle of the rear.

Used to see a similar thing at the old Sadlers Farm roundabout (which is now traffic lights). People used to queue for ages in the right lane to go right (for those that don't know it, it was a large roundabout made up of small roundabouts), I used to take the empty left lane and go round the roundabouts the other way and rarely used to even have to stop.

[mikal83]

AS per the OP.......lol, I love it when you get a "dirty" look. As per my bike, If I get close to the pump, I stay sitting on it.
Also, sometimes I forget which side the fuel flap is. In the USA they put a little triangle by the fuel gauge to remind you! Simples.

[Pan Pan]

Years ago my brother often had a bit of bother when filling his Europa, he would fill one side, and then walk around the car to fill up the other tank. He then got comments from the driver of the vehicle waiting behind, about him taking `all' the petrol, and that cars should not have two fuel tanks. But for him there was no `wrong side'

[CB2152]

Fortunately I tend to fill up after a late shift at work, so have my pick of the pumps. I do find it quite tricky, however, to fuel on the "wrong" side, because while the hose reaches, twisting the nozzle so it's not upside down can be a nightmare.
This is worse on the Tesco high mounted hoses, and I've never experimented to see how far the Shell "unravel" type go. Normally because this is where I go after work and I don't need to

[Ferosferio]

The fact that some people think about whether there's a 'right' or 'correct' side or not is hilarious in itself. Ridiculous, even. If there's a free pump and the hose will reach to the other side of the car, use it.

[djdestiny]

There's nothing more satisfying than driving straight past the sheep waiting for the right side!
When they look at you fill up and drive off again before they've even started, I always imagine they are sitting there thinking "I could/should of done that!"

[aizvara]

Ferosferio said:

The fact that some people think about whether there's a 'right' or 'correct' side or not is hilarious in itself. Ridiculous, even. If there's a free pump and the hose will reach to the other side of the car, use it.

I tried filling on the 'wrong' side one of the first times I filled up and ended up with a lot of clicking and not a lot of filling, and I inadvertently blocked people trying to exit through the gap. Another time I ran out of patience with queuing and tried it again only to not have the pump activated and much shaking of head from the attendant.

As a result I've decided I'll wait for a 'correct' side pump as I really can't be bothered to guess whether it will work or not, unless there are very clear signs telling me it will. Sorry for being hilarious/ridiculous.

[chrisw666]

I'm possibly one of the least patient people in the world ever, but for some reason in petrol stations I always wait for the pump on the right side to become free and then do things at my own pace. Life is too short to get wound up by little things and as I only ever brim my tank its not a hugely life altering experience losing a few minutes in a queue.

[RemyMartin]

Never ever wait for fuel, have always taken the available pump regardless of side, I simply have just held the hose off the paint.

Also its never caused an issue with filling up, certainly not in 14 years of driving.

[Ferosferio]

aizvara said:

Ferosferio said:

The fact that some people think about whether there's a 'right' or 'correct' side or not is hilarious in itself. Ridiculous, even. If there's a free pump and the hose will reach to the other side of the car, use it.

I tried filling on the 'wrong' side one of the first times I filled up and ended up with a lot of clicking and not a lot of filling, and I inadvertently blocked people trying to exit through the gap. Another time I ran out of patience with queuing and tried it again only to not have the pump activated and much shaking of head from the attendant.

As a result I've decided I'll wait for a 'correct' side pump as I really can't be bothered to guess whether it will work or not, unless there are very clear signs telling me it will. Sorry for being hilarious/ridiculous.

I suppose what I'm referring to is when others feel the need to let you know their opinion on what they consider being the 'correct' side - this is what I find hilarious/ridiculous; I had this experience just last week when a fellow customer took it upon himself to inform me that I was refuelling on what he considered to be the 'wrong' side.

Unless there are specific instructions stating which side to use - I too couldn't be bothered with having to move if the station attendant didn't activate the pump - I'll continue to use any side I please.

Apologies for the initial lack of clarity, my intention wasn't to offend or upset

[aizvara]

Ferosferio said:

I suppose what I'm referring to is when others feel the need to let you know their opinion on what they consider being the 'correct' side - this is what I find hilarious/ridiculous; I had this experience just last week when a fellow customer took it upon himself to inform me that I was refuelling on what he considered to be the 'wrong' side.

Unless there are specific instructions stating which side to use - I too couldn't be bothered with having to move if the station attendant didn't activate the pump - I'll continue to use any side I please.

Apologies for the initial lack of clarity, my intention wasn't to offend or upset

No offence taken - I'm happy if other people want to use the 'wrong' side to fill up, it obviously makes the queue shorter.