Fueling on the "wrong side"

[WinstonWolf]

Cloudy147 said:

Resurrection!

Petrol station visit tonight. "Right" side all full, so thought I'd try the "wrong" side, remembering some of the success on this thread. Parked carefully, got out and tested cable would reach before sticking my card in. That made the machine beepy and cross, but it reached.

So I paid... And then proceeded to stand in the freezing cold whilst my bks retreated up into my body whilst the sodding pump sprayed and clicked every few damn seconds. Guy behind had since joined, filled up and ready to go whilst I'm still chilling (literally). Spit, click, spit, click. Gave up at £50 (half way), and called it a day.

Will go back again later when it's less busy to fill up on the right side.

Never again.

Hold the nozzle upside down, it'll deliver as normal

[Rich Boy Spanner]

Don't understand why this subject is even an issue. For years I have always turned up, driven to the first empty pump and used it irrespective of what side it is on, nobody has ever said a word or appeared to give a damn, and the pump has always worked. Most other people do it too. I'm in Manchester and this is entirely normal behaviour. Nobody has the time or the inclination to be sat there waiting in a queue whilst there is an unused pump.

[Toaster Pilot]

I’m firmly in the “not dragging the hose over the body” camp but also in the “pick a pump to queue at and stick with it, don’t sit 20 yards away from all of the pumps waiting” one.

[Gary C]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

Don't understand why this subject is even an issue. For years I have always turned up, driven to the first empty pump and used it irrespective of what side it is on, nobody has ever said a word or appeared to give a damn, and the pump has always worked. Most other people do it too. I'm in Manchester and this is entirely normal behaviour. Nobody has the time or the inclination to be sat there waiting in a queue whilst there is an unused pump.

I filled up last night on the 'wrong' side and while filling, this thread came to mind

Only once had a problem when the attendant accused me of trying to damage his hose, despite it being easily long enough and having no kink or even a tight bend in it.
But they were assholes who owned cation road station, almost came to blows with them when they had a go at my dad (a customer !) when the owner wanted to go to the loo and started banging on the door and shouting scum.

[Shakermaker]

Pica-Pica said:

Mr2Mike said:

Pica-Pica said:

Never had this issue filling with diesel. Simply never.

You have never held a diesel pump nozzle without gloves and had your hands stink of diesel afterwards? Makes you wonder why they provide gloves at all...

No, never had need to wear gloves, or wipe hands after using diesel, or had hands stink. Never had drips running down the car. Why would people accept fuel stations that have such issues? Don’t blame the fuel, blame the filling stations and their equipment (I always use Shell).

Well, I never really thought this would be "a thing" until this morning - I stopped at the BP at Pease Pottage Services to grab the newspaper and found that they had closed off half of the forecourt to wash all the pumps, they had a special brush (looked like a washing up brush) to go over the diesel pump and they were containing all the run-off with a spill kit. I've never seen any other filling station do this in the 16+ years since I started driving, or any of the previous 17 years where I was just a passenger.

Still, I'm not going to pay 13p a litre more to know that they washed the pumps today and will stick with the usual practice of grabbing a glove when I fill up elsewhere.

[anonymous-user]

Shakermaker said:

Well, I never really thought this would be "a thing" until this morning - I stopped at the BP at Pease Pottage Services to grab the newspaper and found that they had closed off half of the forecourt to wash all the pumps, they had a special brush (looked like a washing up brush) to go over the diesel pump and they were containing all the run-off with a spill kit. I've never seen any other filling station do this in the 16+ years since I started driving, or any of the previous 17 years where I was just a passenger.

Still, I'm not going to pay 13p a litre more to know that they washed the pumps today and will stick with the usual practice of grabbing a glove when I fill up elsewhere.

I've never seen this either, or even thought about it, but logically all or most must do it sometimes or the pumps would be even filthier than they already are. I know a few people who worked at petrol stations over the years so I'll ask them.

[HTP99]

dme123 said:

Shakermaker said:

Well, I never really thought this would be "a thing" until this morning - I stopped at the BP at Pease Pottage Services to grab the newspaper and found that they had closed off half of the forecourt to wash all the pumps, they had a special brush (looked like a washing up brush) to go over the diesel pump and they were containing all the run-off with a spill kit. I've never seen any other filling station do this in the 16+ years since I started driving, or any of the previous 17 years where I was just a passenger.

Still, I'm not going to pay 13p a litre more to know that they washed the pumps today and will stick with the usual practice of grabbing a glove when I fill up elsewhere.

I've never seen this either, or even thought about it, but logically all or most must do it sometimes or the pumps would be even filthier than they already are. I know a few people who worked at petrol stations over the years so I'll ask them.

I work opposite a Shell garage, the pumps and forecourt are regularly cleaned.

[GTI16V]

8bit said:

gizlaroc said:

My wife moved our car forward toto allow the person behind to fill up at Corley services a few years back.

...

I never move from the pump any more.

I was waiting to pay for fuel in the shop at a petrol station years back and heard a chap with a motorbike talking to one of the staff about this, he'd filled up and moved his bike to allow someone else to fill up and they flagged him as having done a runner. The specifics are vague now but I think because he'd been dinged (incorrectly) for non-payment they couldn't accept payment from him then. Poor chap was trying to be helpful because the station was busy and there were a number of vehicles waiting and that's what he got for his trouble. As a result of that I've never moved the car until I've paid for the fuel and I always get a receipt.

I had exactly the same thing at Brampton Hut services a few years back.
It was absolutely chocker, so I moved to a one of the parking spaces just behind the forecourt.
The attendant had assumed I was bilking and had voided the transaction.
She'd also alerted the two Rozzers who were sat in the coffee bar on their break, so when I went to pay I not only had a ranting attendant to deal with, but also two pissed off coppers who would rather have been sipping their Cappuccino's.
To compound matters, my card was declined and I had to phone my flat mate to bail me out.

[jfire]

I've no issue with people who favour the correct side, except where the signs state 'Fill both sides' in which case I think they're being a bit precious if they worry about scratching the boot.

[donkmeister]

I was reprimanded over the Tannoy in a Sainsburys petrol station once... The signs said "extra long hoses, fill either side". Except the hose wouldn't quite reach, despite the car (a big estate car) being parked in the right place. As all the other pumps were being used or taken up with people shopping I turned the car round so the filler was on the "right" side... Nope, not allowed. They told me I had to turn round again.
After a right-side pump eventually became free and I filled up, I asked why I couldn't fill up facing the other way... Fire safety apparently. Maybe it was a made-up personal rule, but maybe it's Sainsburys policy, so I didn't labour the point that my car had a reverse gear and in the event of a petrol station going up in flames I wouldn't be hanging around to do a 3-pt turn...

[jfire]

donkmeister said:

I was reprimanded over the Tannoy in a Sainsburys petrol station once... The signs said "extra long hoses, fill either side". Except the hose wouldn't quite reach, despite the car (a big estate car) being parked in the right place. As all the other pumps were being used or taken up with people shopping I turned the car round so the filler was on the "right" side... Nope, not allowed. They told me I had to turn round again.
After a right-side pump eventually became free and I filled up, I asked why I couldn't fill up facing the other way... Fire safety apparently. Maybe it was a made-up personal rule, but maybe it's Sainsburys policy, so I didn't labour the point that my car had a reverse gear and in the event of a petrol station going up in flames I wouldn't be hanging around to do a 3-pt turn...

Fair enough IMO. Many idiots would try to go forward