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Petrol forecourt etiquette


scolopax
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My local rural petrol station is like most part grocery store. It is normally quite busy and a couple of days ago I queued to wait for an available pump.   On fuelling  up I noticed that the inner two pumps, closest to the shop,  were “occupied “ by a pick up with the fuel in take on the wrong side and parked midway between the two. Now as I walked to pay the owner of the vehicle came back, I did not say anything but we made eye contact and he realised I had an issue. A short conversation ensued with me confirming that he had not taken any fuel just bought groceries, and that he knew that the car parking was only 50 yards away. I finished by stating that I thought it was selfish to occupy pumps at a busy station, he replied with a smirk that he did not care. And that was the end of it. The tenuous link to shooting is that i discovered at the counter he was one of the major local landowners having several large farms. So no point me doing any door knocking at any of his properties hereabouts now lol.

 

So PW massive, was I right to be irked? Or is it acceptable to park at a pump but not buy fuel?

Edited by scolopax
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I normally fill up with LPG which the Shell designers have decided to put halfway up between the normal pumps. Obviously occasionally I will have ome pull in behind whilst I am filling which is slow compared to liquid but as soon as I detach the hose a replace the filler, I move up to allow the other driver access before I go to pay. I would say that 1 in 5 actually say thank you.

So it works both ways. Yes I have sat for five minutes and eventually a 'bloke' you know the type, returns to his all singing all dancing Audi with his choice of liquid refreshment, the carton of which will no doubt finish up on the verge somewhere. Never so much as a hand wave...more a stuff you glance.  I did have one however. He pulled up just a bit short of the LPG and I slid past and backed up to about 6 inches from his front bumper and started to fill up. On his return he took a long hard look and i gave him a cheery 'Good morning, nice weather'  He had to back up two car lengths to get around my Landie and I had a little chuckle.

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Ours has a fuel only window that bypasses the main line  - much to the annoyance of mums who seem to fill up and do a weekly shop at the same time. 

Dont get me started on those that park at the pay at pump only - fuel up, pay then go inside to do some shopping! 

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Before long I think all petrol stations will only use the petrol as bait for the shops (which are getting bigger) so its only going to get worse.

I often fill up at an ASDA because its really cheap but that means its often got three or more cars queuing behind each pump. When the car on the first pump drives out the car on the second pump behind it is still filling up so the next car in the queue can't move forward.  Chavs take the opportunity to reverse in  from the exit onto the empty pump 

Edited by Vince Green
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Gives me the right hump ,had to fill up in Petersfield the other year on a Sunday pm no pay at pump so had to go inside to find all the checkouts filled by people doing their weekly shop waited for at least 15 mins to pay ,when I said I only wanted to pay for petrol the cashier said “is that it “ ,that boiled my p#ss at that point I asked if they intended to sell food and fuel why  didn’t they have a till just for fuel payment , never been back there 

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I recently went in to a Texaco Filling Station along the A361, put some diesel in the van, went in to pay and joined the queue at the till nearest to the door.

After a couple of minutes had passed and we were going nowhere fast one of the till staff told me I had to join the main queue. I stated I had come in to a filling station and had put fuel in to my vehicle so joined the queue nearest the door.

No, you have to join the queue of shoppers doing their weekly shop in a Coop shop!:angry:

I duly joined the damned main queue, waited patient;ly to get back to the queue I had originally joined and finally paid for my fuel.

The Staff member asked if I wanted my receipt? To which I replied oh yes, I want to remember to never waste my time at this none garage ever again!  :no:

I am lead to believe that this sort of thing is regarded as PROGRESS!:rolleyes:

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At my local Tesco Express garage they park at the pumps and do a monthly shop!!!!!

 

with regard to driving in the country I always give way/ reverse out of the way as this has obtained me shooting in the past as when trying to persuade a reluctant farmer to allow me to shoot his wife has come past and states " That's the nice man who let me pass in the lane" result.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, islandgun said:

my local shop has fill up, move away to the shop and then pay

Interesting as I have been told by one major supermarket not to pull away to park up and pay as it is logged as driving off without paying. So even being considerate gets criticism!

Sign of the times grin and bare it as any altercation puts your certificate at risk.

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1 minute ago, Dave at kelton said:

Interesting as I have been told by one major supermarket not to pull away to park up and pay as it is logged as driving off without paying. So even being considerate gets criticism!

We have one pump and plenty of visitors,  the pump has a directions for use label on it but still some visitors will leave their car at the pump and wander off to shop, meanwhile you have been waiting and waiting, to make matters worse the shop can have a long queue

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11 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

I have been told by one major supermarket not to pull away to park up and pay as it is logged as driving off without paying. 

I've heard that as well. a customer of mine had police round his house about 11pm one evening for non payment for fuel but he was able to pull a receipt from the door pocket of his car. When he asked what would have happened if I hadn't had the receipt the copper said you would have been arrested and charged with theft. they had come to arrest him, it slightly threw them when he had a receipt because they had been told it was a straight forward drive off. .

always get and keep a receipt

Edited by Vince Green
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local fuel statins around here tend to have coffee and buns etc so four pumps, choose one with nobody about assumed in shop to pay for fuel , others occupied with people filling up they all leave and you are still waiting for the muppet killing time in a company car with a coffee in hand , and yet do not park off to one side to free the pump up before killing time makes me spit

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12 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

Interesting as I have been told by one major supermarket not to pull away to park up and pay as it is logged as driving off without paying. So even being considerate gets criticism!

Yes, I was told the same

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15 hours ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I recently went in to a Texaco Filling Station along the A361, put some diesel in the van, went in to pay and joined the queue at the till nearest to the door.

After a couple of minutes had passed and we were going nowhere fast one of the till staff told me I had to join the main queue. I stated I had come in to a filling station and had put fuel in to my vehicle so joined the queue nearest the door.

No, you have to join the queue of shoppers doing their weekly shop in a Coop shop!

I duly joined the damned main queue, waited patient;ly to get back to the queue I had originally joined and finally paid for my fuel.

The Staff member asked if I wanted my receipt? To which I replied oh yes, I want to remember to never waste my time at this none garage ever again! 

I am lead to believe that this sort of thing is regarded as PROGRESS!

Same thing at one near us …. BONKERS .. and voting with my feet!

OP .. you're right .. he was inconsiderate .. just hope that karma will get him someway!

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