Pump sitting (at the gas pump) -- don't be a jerk

[Mr.Mystery]

What’s up with these drivers who think they own space in front of the pump while others are waiting to fill up?

People, if you must go into the convenience store or truck stop after you’re done gassing up, MOVE YOUR VEHICLE before you buy the chili cheese dog or evacuate your bowels or watch the kitty vid on your cell phone.

There’s lots of other parking which is NOT in front of a pump somebody is waiting to use.

It’s just common courtesy, folks. Becoming less and less common.

[dalton99a]

1. Some are absent-minded. Most are selfish assholes.

Same assholes who will honk at you if you are too slow for them

[MurrayDelph]

8. And some remember the days before "Pay at the Pump"

when you had to go back in to finish paying. And if you moved your car before the transaction was closed, you would be paying for the next guy's gas.

I had to leave my car at the pump twice two weeks ago: once because of a faulty card reader, once for a pit stop. Both times I checked to make sure there was no backlog, and one of those was after I offered to move first, but the attendant (this was in Oregon) said to just leave it.

Other times, if I had to go inside (I just got back from a cross-country roundtrip drive) I'd move my car. Assuming there was a place to park.

[Hotler]

2. YEAH! And stop driving 10 mph under the limit in the left lane.

[mwooldri]

5. I only do that when the people in the right lane....

... are driving 10 mpg slower than me.

[RocRizzo55]

10. And keep off my lawn n/t

[gab13by13]

3. I let people ahead of me in line,

not at the gas pump. I gave up waiting, I just enjoy the moment sitting or standing there. I realized that it wasn't other people who were upsetting me, I was upsetting me.

[Mr.Mystery]

4. Good advice. You can't make

Selfish people less selfish.

Still it boggles the mind how oblivious they can be. If you parked in front of them and made them back out, you’d get an ass chewing. But when they do virtually the same thing, it’s normal behavior.

[Maraya1969]

6. I'm guilty of that but never at a station where all the pumps are busy. Most of the time

there are plenty of other pumps open and I'm not blocking anyone.

[mwooldri]

7. If you ever visit a Pilot, Flying J or Loves...

... one thing you will hear frequently is a message that once you've done fueling your big rig to please pull forward. Plus the signs. Maybe that's now needed for the gasoline pumps too?

[demmiblue]

9. I haven't really seen people doing this, tbh.

[Mr.Mystery]

14. Where I notice it the most is on the Interstate highway

Off ramps and truck stops.

At a Buc-ees in Texas, I saw a woman drive off with the hose still in her tank, breaking the hose and spewing gas everywhere.

Why? Because she parked at the pump, went shopping for a half hour, and FORGOT she wasn’t finished fueling.

Duh.

[MineralMan]

11. There's no sense of rule following pretty much everywhere now.

Gas stations are not the only place where thoughtless people obstruct others, although it's very obvious at the gas station. One of my pet peeves is the driver who takes the first pump in an empty lane, blocking everyone behind him or her who want to pump gas in that lane. Drive ahead to the last available pump in the lane. Don't block the entire lane while you get fueled up.

But, there are also those who block an entire aisle in the supermarket with their shopping cart, instead of standing behind the cart in the aisle you're shopping in. Also, those who cut the line at the checkout counter. Those people standing waiting for their turn are trying not to block the way of other people. If you duck into the line without looking to see if others are waiting, you are not paying attention.

Also, if you realize halfway through being checked out that you forgot something, that's not the time to leave your cart to go get that thing. Check out, and then go get it and go through the express lane with the thing you forgot. Otherwise, you're holding up other shoppers unnecessarily.

If you see someone coming up the onramp on a freeway and you're driving in the right lane, don't speed up to keep them from merging. Let them merge in front of you and lay back to make it easy. Next time you're coming up the onramp, you'll appreciate those who do that and let you merge.

Bottom line rule of etiquette in all situations is:

"You are not the most important person on the planet. Have some consideration for those around you."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. Egoistic politicians are setting selfish examples and encouraging white privilege. . . . nt

[MichMan]

24. I usually pull forward, but then that blocks someone with the gas cap on the other side of mine

"One of my pet peeves is the driver who takes the first pump in an empty lane, blocking everyone behind him or her who want to pump gas in that lane. Drive ahead to the last available pump in the lane. Don't block the entire lane while you get fueled up."

My gas cap is on the passenger side of every car I have ever owned. When someone with one of the driver's side pulls forward to the last pump, that prevents me from using the empty one unless I want to pull all the way around and back up.

[MineralMan]

25. I have two cars with gas fillers on opposite sides.

So, I pay attention to that. The gas station I use most often has three rows of pumps, each row with three double-sided pumps. I choose my lane, depending on what car I'm driving. The layout of that station doesn't make it easy for people to come into the lane from the opposite direction, so the traffic flows through the lanes in one direction. Choose the left or right side of a lane, depending on what car you have, and pull forward to the last available pump. Easy peasy.

[panader0]

34. Sadly Mineral Man, your sense of decency is nearly gone these days.

It's not "old fashioned" to be considerate. I try to be every time I'm in public.

[debm55]

12. I agree, and your post is so spot on.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

13. Agreed.

After I'm done fueling my truck, if I have to go inside for whatever, I'll park my rig so whoever is behind me can pull forward and start fueling.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Conspire with the other drivers and box the vehicle in. Then go into store and dawdle. . . .nt

[USALiberal]

18. Lighten up, That's a big complaint for you you have a pretty easy life.

[sl8]

19. Out of curiosity, can the next person pump if the previous person hasn't yet paid?

I realize that these days the vast majority pay at the pump or pre-pay, so it's not an issue.

But in the case of someone who does pay inside, after they pump, is the pump even available to the next customer before the current sale is completed? I'm pretty sure that was not the case with older pumps, but don't really know about newer, computerized pumps.

[Patton French]

20. Trump bumper stickers, no doubt. NT

[LudwigPastorius]

21. You know what really grinds my gears?

Autocratic dictators who invade neighboring countries, then threaten to use tactical nukes when their shitty army starts losing.

[Mr.Mystery]

39. Yes, me too.

But I didn’t encounter any of those in my recent drive to Kansas City over the weekend, heh.

I agree my issue is a “first world” problem of small magnitude.

[packman]

22. Some stations offer a few cents cheaper if paying in cash

Have to go inside to pay first, then come out and pump amount given inside - maybe have to return if change is given.

[Warpy]

23. They could be waiting in line at the register for change

because it didn't take the whole hundred to fill up the SUV.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. Could Be

But around a year ago I was at an full, 8 pump station in town. Only one pump each way, so no pulling in front.
I'm waiting behind a smallish SUV. Woman gets done, goes in to pay. Comes out with a 55 gallon drum of pop.
Gets in car, then settles in. She then gets on her PHONE! She's texting with someone right behind her waiting and the same is true on 5 of the 8 pumps.
I'm not the type to hustle somebody up with my horn, but after a couple minutes I did it. Had to do it twice.
Finally, she puts down the phone, starts up and leaves.
I'm sure I became the cranky old man who couldn't wait.

[Warpy]

29. Oh, that was justified. I'd have done it, too, probably with loud commentary

because I've got a big and pungent vocabulary and I'm not afraid to use it.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. It Was A Good 6 or 7 Minutes Of Waiting

Then, I have to wait some more?
Thanks for affirming I was justified.

[Sympthsical]

35. One of my greatest moments of passive aggression was similar

Was at a gas station, politely waiting a respectable distance after a woman got back in from the store. She knew I was there. She gets in her car and makes a phone call. Then starts eating a yogurt. Then, I dunno, contemplates life? I am not a passive aggressive person, but the yogurt got to me for some reason.

This was going on for a while to the point there was someone else behind me. I saw someone at the opposite pump start going so I swerve into the middle, pull forward, and right turn around so about half my car's ass in front of her yogurtness while I wait for the other person. She is now going nowhere, leisurely or not.

Looks are exchanged.

I am unruffled as I quietly take a moment to check texts.

She could've had another yogurt.

(just in case it seems like I was screwing the person initially behind me, he got to the pump more quickly than if I had waited it out and pumped there, so there was no collateral damage).

[CTyankee]

36. I would tap the horn to get the driver's attention, then wave and smile or, if close enough, I

would lower my window and ask "Everything OK?"

[Mr.Mystery]

37. Exactly, what I'm talking about. NT

[Initech]

26. Common courtesy flew out the window when Trump got elected.

[vanlassie]

27. A newer form of entitled behavior where I live

(To go with the gas pump sitting) is lane hogging. That’s where a person stops two car lengths behind the car ahead at a red light. That way, they can look at their phone and not think about the road. So what if it jams the lanes behind them? They may say they are afraid of someone on their phone ramming them from behind so they are giving themselves some bumper space, but once the person behind has also stopped, it would be decent to close the gap. Decent isn’t in their behavior pattern, however. They are entitled people!

[Mr.Mystery]

38. THIS (arrow up)

I was taught to “cover the bumper” when I pull up behind someone at a stop light—i.e., get so close you can’t see their bumper.

That way, you make it easier for the cars behind you to get through the stoplight.

Now when I do that, the car ahead moves forward like I’m “tailgating.” You can’t tailgate when the car is STOPPED . . .

[roamer65]

31. Some of us still pay in cash.

So some of us still go into the station for that reason.

Otherwise I have seen people use credit card then go into the station. They are the ones who need to move their ass out of the way.

[Kaleva]

33. I agree

If you paid at the pump with a card, it'd be common courtesy to move to a parking spot before going into the station for any other reason.

[Kaleva]

32. They could be inside waiting in line to pay the cashier for the gas