Petrol Station Etiquette

[grober]

It's funny my chauffeur has never mentioned this phenomenon to me on returning to the car . Perhaps if I enquired via the vehicular intercom system the next time we visit one of the, how does one say "filling stations" at those supermarket places that the common people use.

 

[PXW]

Our local Morrisons has pay at the pump on two aisles of pumps and pay at kiosk at two others. People queue for ages to pay at the kiosk rather than pump. They block the access to the pay at pump aisles in doing so which is a right PITA.

The shop is so small they can't all be doing a hourly shop never mind weekly.

Wonder if those queueing have discount vouchers from the store? At Tesco, you can't redeem those at the pay at pump, so you have to go to the kiosk.

p.s. Is "queueing" the word with the most consecutive vowels in the english language?

 

[HR17]

Our local Morrisons has pay at the pump on two aisles of pumps and pay at kiosk at two others. People queue for ages to pay at the kiosk rather than pump. They block the access to the pay at pump aisles in doing so which is a right PITA.

The shop is so small they can't all be doing a hourly shop never mind weekly.

Same at our Morrisons, though if they employed more than one bored, disinterested, mouthbreathing moron behind the counter, there'd be much less hassle in buying fuel, and they'd probably see their turnover go through the roof as more paying punters would make it onto the forecount.

 

[Williamwoo]

p.s. Is "queueing" the word with the most consecutive vowels in the english language?

No, Euouae is (although it is admittedly slightly more obscure!)

Euouae - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Mr E]

IIRC isn't "Euouae" a mnemonic - rather than a word in the strictest sense? Something to do with the tones used to end verses/phrases in liturgical chanting?

 

[Williamwoo]

Well, yes, it is a mnemonic, but I suppose it all depends on how you define what a 'word' is!

 

[Charles Morgan]

On the subject of petrol stations, never forget your wallet (it fell out of my jeans) as it is very expensive - did that today and got stung for a £30 admin fee paying it online when I found it later.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

How's this for a dilemma?

You are a couple of hundred miles from home and stop for fuel, tank almost empty. Go to get wallet before filling up and realise you have left it at home.

Do you fill up and try and negotiate your way out of the predicament?

Or, put yourself at the mercy of the garage and try and agree a tankfull with no means to pay?

I know what the law says and I also know what I would do which would not involve any loss to either party.

 

[MOCAŠ]

On the subject of petrol stations, never forget your wallet

It's been many years since this happened to me (certainly before the days of online payments and mobile phones), but there have been a couple of occasions on which I've either found I didn't have my wallet, or that my sole debit card wasn't in it.

On the first occasion, I was lucky in that it was at my local filling station where the guy knew me, and was happy for me to just go home and come back with my card.

The other time was also fairly close to home, but not being familiar with the staff, I felt compelled to offer to park up the car and leave the keys with them as a sign of good faith, while I made off homeward on foot.

 

[Harrythedog]

Get someone at home to give the card details. I'd definitely fill up then negotiate afterwards

 

[MYML270]

Last year we had a couple of Chinese students visit us here in Tasmania, where manned pumps are common.

Tey came over from the mainland (Australia) where self service is the go and friendlieness is unheard of, mugging a sport.

When they got off the ferry they stopped at a service station to get fuel. Before they could get out of the car an elderly (to them, probably in his 40's) came out to serve them.

They did not know what to do and left the windows up, he taps on the window for them to open it and tell him what they want. They scream and quickly drive off.

When they were telling us the story, we could not stop laughing and tried to explain, it's called old fashioned service.

KenM

 

[Harrythedog]

The wife was in a filling station one day and the lady in front paid for an auto car wash and was given, as per usual, a plastic sleeve for the rear wiper (to prevent brush bristles sticking). The wife returned to the car and watched this lady put the plastic cover over the aerial and promptly drove into the car wash

 

[drsingh]

My wife had an incident today at the local BP. The garage was very busy today due to only a select few pumps with diesel available. My wife pulls in to one of the pumps and within a few minutes notices the driver in front of her has only just realised his pump does not have any diesel.

My wife kindly offers to reverse her car to allow him access to her pump. However, the driver queuing behind her takes offence at this and absolutely refuses to budge hence not allowing my wife to reverse. The driver in front of her was now left with no choice but to exit the garage and re-enter and subsequently go the back of a queue of at least 7 cars.

What is wrong with some people? Whatever happened to common courtesy?

 

[John]

That is indeed a poor show but some people have no courtesy...

 

[dvb247]

Yesterdays tail of woe, had a 10p a litre receipt for Tesco so off a I pop to Handforth Tesco, the station has cars queuing but with my hawk eyes I slip into a filling point which was the opposite side to my tank but still reaches which not many people realise, so I get out, machine said card only, so I did the Tesco card to keep my wife happy, did the credit card, chucked in £70, only then did it dawn on me that the reason for the queues was that everyone else had 10p off a litre and was clever enough to know that you can't use it on a pay at pump!!! to make things worse I had to go in for milk :-\

 

[wxmclk]

I use my left hand to hold the hose off the car.

+1. Always done this as scared of scuffing the top coat on the boot lid etc.

 

[wxmclk]

On the subject of petrol stations, never forget your wallet (it fell out of my jeans) as it is very expensive - did that today and got stung for a £30 admin fee paying it online when I found it later.

Interesting post. I have forgotten mine a couple of times at my local Sainsbury's. They have been fine about it, noted down the registration/sum owed etc in a book and advised me to return within 7 days. Apparently they then escalate the unpaid cases to a debt recovery firm.

On return to filling station they mark up the book and issue a receipt pretty much as normal. No fees/charges etc levied.

 

[wxmclk]

What is wrong with some people? Whatever happened to common courtesy?

That sadly is typical of the selfish agressive society we can now call Great Britain. For me the Great left this country of ours many years ago. Very sad state of affairs.

 

[renault12ts]

That sadly is typical of the selfish agressive society we can now call Great Britain. For me the Great left this country of ours many years ago. Very sad state of affairs.

The Great has nothing to do with the "Greatness" of the country, but the size.
Britannia Major as opposed to Britannia Minor (in France).

But I take your point.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

My petrol station story is embarrassing. When moving to our new house over 100 miles away I dashed into the local small petrol station to fill up prior to the journey. There were two other cars there but I was able to drive straight to one of the pumps at the front right. It wasn’t till I’d jumped out that I saw the “not working” sign on the pump, so I looked around and saw that the other free pump behind me on the left was OK. Worried that someone else would drive in and take it, I jumped back in my car and quickly reversed diagonally over to it. Have any of you with Parktronic noticed how slow it is to recognise obstructions? Well mine certainly is and it didn’t warn me about the posts put there to stop idiots like me hitting the pump. The post was definitely stronger than the rear nearside wing of my car: some blue paint on the post, big dent in wing! So that was the most expensive fill up I’ve ever had.