Kids at the pump....

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So, I stopped at the services to get some fuel today and my son, who's 8, got out to stretch his legs while I was filling up. We were chatting; as you do, and the attendant announced over the load speaker "no children at the pumps" and cut off the fuel. Now, I fully understand that no one under the age of 16 (I believe) can dispense fuel, but we were in full view of the attendant and he was clearly just chatting to me.

Now, I'm not the sort to get annoyed with stuff, so I went in, we both used the loo and paid for what I'd got; I guess I was served by a different member of staff as nothing was said, and left.

Was I in the wrong? A quick internet search suggests I didn't do anything wrong. Maybe someone on here knows better.

I operated filling stations for many many years.

On one occasion a similar situation to yours occurred. The child was stood chatting to his father as he filled the car all went well until the fuel cut off failed on the pump and fuel splashed back into the child's eyes.

The noise that child made has haunted me for years.

If petrol were discovered today, we would never allow untrained people to dispense it. Just because it's usually safe does not mean petrol filling stations are a safe environment.

When something goes wrong it can be catastrophic.
 
grober said:
Putting it from the forecourt attendant's viewpoint I'm sure during their brief "training" it will have been made abundantly clear by their line manager that any safety incident on their watch, remotely traceable back to them, would result in instant dismissal. So what might seem a trivial breach of forecourt etiquette to a customer might not present in the same manner to a harrased employee. Its a low paid sh*t job at the best of times. Dealing with a constant stream of often bolshy members of the general public in a hurry [ what da ya mean my card has been refused you officious jumped up little £$%^&**!!!!!!!!!!!!]---I wouldn't fancy it much . :rolleyes:

I completely agree. Hence I had no beef with the attendant. He was doing his job and enforcing the rules as he saw them. I was just surprised on the day.
 
NDFR said:
I operated filling stations for many many years. On one occasion a similar situation to yours occurred. The child was stood chatting to his father as he filled the car all went well until the fuel cut off failed on the pump and fuel splashed back into the child's eyes. The noise that child made has haunted me for years. If petrol were discovered today, we would never allow untrained people to dispense it. Just because it's usually safe does not mean petrol filling stations are a safe environment. When something goes wrong it can be catastrophic.

Thanks for sharing. That's awful and obviously something to consider. I wouldn't let my kids near the nozzle for this very reason.
 
Did you know as a private individual you can fill a Jerry can up but as a employee driving a company vehicle this is not so. You would need to have a dangerous goods document and been on a course to carry fuel. Crazy comes to mind. This law was brought in a few years back due to the Fire in the Montblanc tunnel.

Yes , there are many things private individuals can do , yet as employees are tied in knots by H&S regulations - towing trailers being another example coming easily to mind ; oh and use of ladders/access platforms :D
 
I operated filling stations for many many years.

On one occasion a similar situation to yours occurred. The child was stood chatting to his father as he filled the car all went well until the fuel cut off failed on the pump and fuel splashed back into the child's eyes.

The noise that child made has haunted me for years.

If petrol were discovered today, we would never allow untrained people to dispense it. Just because it's usually safe does not mean petrol filling stations are a safe environment.

When something goes wrong it can be catastrophic.

Quite - something like that , or inhalation of fumes , are the main reasons I wouldn't like my son standing too close - hope the young chap was OK afterwards ?

This does prompt me with another theme for the 'do you remember' thread -

When every petrol station had attendants who came out and filled your tank / checked oil/air/water and cleaned the screen :D
 
By expanding the function of forecourt hubs into the retail of other goods other than fuel and other motoring sundries such as oil etc does cause potential conflicts in behaviour in relation to the forecourt and is an issue that should be addressed.

There is also more than a little conflict in petrol station shops which are licenced and sell alcoholic drinks !

A local BP station with a shop branded as Marks & Spencer has an aisle full of wines , beers etc , and spirits displayed behind the counter !
 
Yep! I have never sheltered my kids from anything, my son in particular (unfortunately my daughter resides on 'planet pink'....). He's the first to light the candles on the table, or the BBQ. He helps me strip down my motorbike, and he carries out some tasks etc. He knows about H&S and the use of PPE, keeping the workplace tidy and having respect for tools. If he gets a burn or a cut (within the realms of supervised reason of course) he's learned a valuable life lesson, which he doesn't repeat. In addition, when his great grandad was dying of cancer, from smoking, the kids were there to the end. They know what life is and know what keeping safe is. For me, empathy is key, every decision they make they have to weigh up the consequences and how their choices may effect themselves and others. I don't teach them to be completely risk averse, but guide them by explaining the fallout of their actions and how they would feel if the boot was on the other foot.

Too many of my kids friends are so sheltered (normally in an iPad induced bubble) that they have no common sense at all. I accept the forecourt attendant has every right to think my kids are the same, but they're not, and that's because they are given responsibility and, more importantly, accountability for their actions.

On a wider note, if we constantly have to live our lives as dictated by the actions of the lowest common denominator we're on a quick race to the bottom of the gene pool. However, in these litigation happy times, I understand the fact that this is probably unavoidable. How will our kids ever cope....

My eight year old son doesn't work on my cars yet , but he was out watching and showing interest as I changed discs & pads on my 190 yesterday , explaining what I was doing , and why , as I went ; I have let him work on his bike ( and checked it afterwards ) and he really is good with Meccano and can build some quite intricate models on his own from the instructions .

I'm confident that in a few short years I'll be finding tools missing and will know who to ask !

Oh , my daughter , now 30 , was more interested in horses than mechanical transportation when younger , but when she was learning to drive I made her change a wheel on the driveway , check oil etc and ensured she knew the basics - as I believe every motorist should .
 
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There is also more than a little conflict in petrol station shops which are licenced and sell alcoholic drinks !

A local BP station with a shop branded as Marks & Spencer has an aisle full of wines , beers etc , and spirits displayed behind the counter !

Most people buy their alcohol at a supermarket and then drive home with it in the car, what's the difference?
 
Quite - something like that , or inhalation of fumes , are the main reasons I wouldn't like my son standing too close - hope the young chap was OK afterwards ?

This does prompt me with another theme for the 'do you remember' thread -

When every petrol station had attendants who came out and filled your tank / checked oil/air/water and cleaned the screen :D

Yes the child was fine after treatment thankfully.
 
Pontoneer said:
My eight year old son doesn't work on my cars yet , but he was out watching and showing interest as I changed discs & pads on my 190 yesterday , explaining what I was doing , and why , as I went ; I have let him work on his bike ( and checked it afterwards ) and he really is good with Meccano and can build some quite intricate models on his own from the instructions . I'm confident that in a few short years I'll be finding tools missing and will know who to ask ! Oh , my daughter , now 30 , was more interested in horses than mechanical transportation when younger , but when she was learning to drive I made her change a wheel on the driveway , check oil etc and ensured she knew the basics - as I believe every motorist should .

It's such a lovely thing to do with your kids. Totally agree with the wheel changing idea. I'll try that one. Unfortunately my 9 year old daughter has just discovered these horrific hair bow things (they have a 'name' apparently) which she was parading about in yesterday. She can just about open a bag of crisps, albeit sending half the pack flying over the floor, so we'll have to see how that pans out. Academically she's bright, while my son is always behind at school (like I was), but then common sense can't be taught I guess.
 
Most people buy their alcohol at a supermarket and then drive home with it in the car, what's the difference?

I just think there's more of a direct correlation of petrol station customers being drivers , and there you tend to buy a few snacks or beverages to consume on a journey , versus supermarkets where , perhaps , the majority of customers went by car , but depending on location , perhaps many did not , and the alcohol tends to be part of the weekly/monthly shop , rather than a single purchase .

Selling the stuff in the petrol station perhaps makes it too easy for more than just the car to get 'tanked up' ?
 
I just think there's more of a direct correlation of petrol station customers being drivers , and there you tend to buy a few snacks or beverages to consume on a journey , versus supermarkets where , perhaps , the majority of customers went by car , but depending on location , perhaps many did not , and the alcohol tends to be part of the weekly/monthly shop , rather than a single purchase .

Selling the stuff in the petrol station perhaps makes it too easy for more than just the car to get 'tanked up' ?

I think you assume too much if you don't mind me saying.
 
Pontoneer said:
I just think there's more of a direct correlation of petrol station customers being drivers , and there you tend to buy a few snacks or beverages to consume on a journey , versus supermarkets where , perhaps , the majority of customers went by car , but depending on location , perhaps many did not , and the alcohol tends to be part of the weekly/monthly shop , rather than a single purchase . Selling the stuff in the petrol station perhaps makes it too easy for more than just the car to get 'tanked up' ?
They also sell condoms but I think it would be frowned upon to use them on the forecourt.
 
m16k said:
They also sell condoms but I think it would be frowned upon to use them on the forecourt.

Reading this, the forecourt seems like the place to be. Condoms, booze, fags.... Party at BP!
 
I always thought that kids should be seen and not heard but preferably kept in the boot which should be locked...........

I am joking..........
 
Oh , my daughter , now 30, but when she was learning to drive I made her change a wheel on the driveway .

Wondering if you'd do the same today with many modern cars not having a spare! :doh:
 
I always thought that kids should be seen and not heard but preferably kept in the boot..


Another contender for the 'Do You Remember' thread. I spent many a journey in the back of dads cortina estate.....................I wouldn't mind, I had no siblings, the rear seats were empty. :eek:

Ant. :D
 
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