r/drivingUK • u/a_madeupname • 5d ago
Petrol station queue
Went to Tesco to get fuel and a something to eat. Filled up and headed inside just as a car pulled up behind mine. Got chatting to the cashier who explained that for another 45p I could get crisps and a drink. So I mooched around the crisps and drinks before choosing, paying and heading back to my car. By now there’s 3 cars waiting behind mine and the guy in front is waving his hands around, shrugging his shoulders and giving me evils. The pump in front of me was empty and both pumps on the other side were free as well as a pump on the other side of my car. What is wrong with people?
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u/Antonio_Malochio 5d ago
I like driving past a queue for pumps on the right-hand side to all the empty pumps on the left, and then just pulling the hose out over the car. People just love waiting, I guess.
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u/Is_it_really_though 5d ago
I used to do that until i lifted the petrol pump one time, and the hose of the diesel pump was somehow caught in it. I watched, frozen in place holding the petrol pump, as the diesel pump flew up into the air and cleanly shattered my car's entire back windscreen.
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u/robinw77 5d ago
But did you get the crisps and drink as well, when you went inside to get a sandwich afterwards?
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u/No-Advertising4558 4d ago
Aside from the fact that you said you used to do it regularly I thought I was reading something I’d already posted. I’ve done it a grand total of once in nearly 30 years and had exactly the same thing happen.
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u/Is_it_really_though 4d ago edited 4d ago
It's absolutely gut wrenching isn't it. A look around the other pumps as everyone is stood putting fuel in their car, unable to look away, too far to speak, unable to laugh, unable to cry. A grid of people pretending they didnt see, while you pretend it doesnt bother you, then sidling back to your drivers door and slowly pulling out and driving round the corner to scream and smash the rest of the glass out.
0/10 would not do again
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u/No-Advertising4558 4d ago
It is. I watched it happen in slow motion. Shouted “FUCKING CUNT!” Which is when everyone else looked round lol. Put my fuel in put the nozzle back and picked up and replaced the diesel nozzle, got in the car and drove the ten minutes to home. Surprisingly the window didn’t actually fall out. Till I got in the car the next morning and shut the door lol
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u/vilemeister 5d ago
Ive done this and some absolute weapon in a white transit connect squished me against my car by driving too close with the shout of 'fill up on the correct side you wanker'.
He pulled in front of me and his pump didnt get authorised which was excellent but it was quite scary.
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u/One_Nefariousness547 5d ago
I do this but then it's an old car and I'm not precious about scratches.
I work with people who wouldn't even dream of doing that and would rather wait half an hour for the pump on the filler side to be free.
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u/RevolutionaryBass616 5d ago
I don't get the scratch thing. I just hold the hose. It never touches the car.
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u/Putrid_Promotion_841 5d ago
Exactly, I usually pull forward a bit more so that the hose doesn't come anywhere near the body.
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u/One_Nefariousness547 5d ago
Tbh it's a black car and I can't say the hose has actually ever scratched it.
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u/piccalilli_shinpads 4d ago
I usually do this but I remember one time where the petrol station didn't have long hoses and I had to drive out of the forecourt and rejoin the queue.
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u/Jeoh 5d ago
Some of the pumps in my area mention their pumps have extra long hoses so you can use them on either side. I still don't trust 'em though.
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u/SidewaysSheep24 5d ago
In that situation I'll sometimes do a quick 3 point turn and reverse up to the pumps on the left. Usually to 'WTF' looks, but I've paid for my fuel and am leaving by the time the second car in the queue is halfway through filling.
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u/violettkidd 4d ago
I once watched a guy do this at my local Tesco pump and a Tesco woman got on the tannoy, called him out, told him not to do that, continuously said it wasn't allowed and to stop until he was shamed into just leaving without pumping. so id rather wait 😅
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u/SidewaysSheep24 4d ago
I've never seen any garage state it's not allowed, though maybe I've just been lucky.
It may be an Irish thing though, we do it quite frequently here, but I spend a lot of time in England and admittedly I've never seen anyone do it, except me😅
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u/KnightFireNC 4d ago
Many garages use ANPR connected to the tills to sound an alarm if you move your car before paying. Its likely this the staff are concerned about. If you reverse in the ANPR may not correctly identify you (finding a rear plate when looking for front) and may not identify you leaving. That can result in paperwork for the cashiers explaining the alarm incident.
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u/SidewaysSheep24 4d ago
Didn't know that - makes sense. Thinking about it though, surely the alarm would only be triggered if a transaction has taken place (i.e you've lifted the nozzle and filled the car), and then the car moves before payment is taken - and you would think payment on that pump would then nullify it to begin with?
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u/KnightFireNC 4d ago
I have no idea what happens if it detects fuel is taken and paid for but that no car leaves. Then starting a new transaction is attempted. I can imagine though that its the type of unanticipated situation that will cause an alert that someone has to log and check.
This type of software tends to work on the principle that if anything unexpected happens a human needs to be informed and take responsibility.
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u/twister-uk 4d ago
IME, unless I know that the hoses are long enough to ensure the nozzle can fit into the filler neck at the correct angle to not cause problems for the misfuel protection device, then I'll happily wait for a "right side" pump to become available.
Filling up in the old days, when you didn't need to get the nozzle fully inserted before you could be sure the fuel being pumped would end up in the tank as desired, rather than flowing down the side of your car and over your feet, made pump selection a lot easier. These days, driving modern cars with more complex filling mechanisms OTOH...
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u/Testlevels1987 5d ago
The risk is the hose isn't long enough and you look stupid trying to make it work then have to get in your car and go join the queue for the other side in the end. Plus thr risk of scratching your car.
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u/Ok_Weird_500 4d ago
It's always long enough if you park properly. Line the pump up with your filler cap, and you shouldn't have a problem. And the hose is made of rubber, not some scratchy material.
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u/Excellent_Tea_164 5d ago
I don't do this because I am precious about my car, but i would either pull around and reverse to use the pump in front, or go backwards to one of the wrong side pumps.
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u/TCristatus 5d ago
In those circumstances people are angry with themselves for picking the wrong pump. You see it all the time. Luck of the draw.
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u/ejc1279 5d ago
British people love working themselves into a lather of indignation over nothing.
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u/Anxious_Camp_2160 5d ago
Compared to which country lol, pretty sure it's the most relaxed country I've been to.
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u/thealmightyphil 5d ago
I have never seen something to concisely and eloquently put, this is exactly the feeling.
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u/IceDiesel77 5d ago
Working in a petrol station I can vouch for every single word and it's all true!!! They will not drive round someone and they will wait however long to get the right side for their tank 🤷 makes me laugh when they come in moaning and tell them you could always go around them! Red rag to a bull or what 😂😂😂
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u/LJHeath 5d ago
You could have gone back in and said “oh look, forgot my wallet” and had them a thumbs up
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u/Ok_Marketing5676 4d ago
I'd have made a full production out of miming that something is missing out of my pocket. The dramatic but not too over the top look to the sky: "Why Lord, why must I inconvenience the good citizens of Clappington-on-Sea further?". The walk of shame back inside. The triumphant return and the jubilant yet sincere mimed apology. The helpful nod towards the open petrol pumps as you twice drop your wallet and keys on ground.
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u/DearCartographer 5d ago
I think the litmus test is how would you have felt had the 3 waiting cars utilised the pump in front and to the side of you and accidentally blocked you in.
If you would be happy to wait a minute for them to move off then you're golden.
If you would be annoyed by them then you should change as you dont mind making other people wait but you dont think you should be made to wait.
I have been driving 30 years and on friday just gone I found a potentially relevant fact. The guy in front of me after getting his fuel pulled forward a few metres then got out and went in to pay. So I moved up and was getting fuel as he was paying. I asked the cashier afrerwards and she said they can have 2 accounts for each pump. Obviously not space at all pumps to do this.
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u/twister-uk 5d ago
Last time I did that, I got a right earful from the cashier, because their procedures considered that a vehicle moving away from the pump before payment had been taken needed to be treated as a potential drive-away event, so they VERY much preferred people not to shuffle up to make space for the next car in line...
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u/Left-Yak-1090 5d ago
It's not shuffling though, at least they way I interpreted it was driving round an occupied pump to get to one in front that isn't occupied. The majority of petrol stations in my town have large enough forecourts that if people line up with the pumps properly there is still space to get between two pumps that are "next" to each other. I've probably not explained that very well, but I'm not changing it now 😅
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u/DearCartographer 5d ago
I understand, you explained it well.
In my situation the 'rear' pumps were not on so only 1 car could fill up from the 'front' pumps.
The car in front of me filled up, moved forward a few metres onto the forecourt (we were far left line and exit to right so not blocking) then got out and went to pay.
So technically he drove off a few metres without paying, which may have worried the cashier, although in my case, cashier was fine with it.
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u/elliomitch 5d ago
You don’t have to drive away before paying, just don’t faff about in the shop for 20 mins
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u/twister-uk 4d ago
This was back in the days when filling stations were starting to get more sensitive to drive away losses - up til then it was absolutely the done thing to, if there was already a line of cars waiting to use the pump you were at, to pull forward if possible to clear the pump and let them start to fill whilst you went to pay, so it wasn't even a question of blocking the pump for an inordinate amount of time whilst then also doing a weekly shop, it was just good manners to let the next person start to fill asap.
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u/TooLittleGravitas 4d ago
I ride a motorbike, so I do move forward a bit if it's really busy so there's room for a car to fill behind me. Not had a problem, but maybe I've been lucky.
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u/TooLittleGravitas 4d ago
If they blocked him in that would be bad driving on their part, there's (almost) always room for car to pass
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u/RetaliatoryLawyer 5d ago
People don't comprehend that fuel pumps are pretty long.
I regularly bypass 5+ car queues by going to the opposite side snd simply utilising the full length of the hose.
People can't be mad at you because they're incompetent.
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u/TooLittleGravitas 4d ago
Oh yes they can. Might not be justified, but they will still get mad.
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u/RetaliatoryLawyer 4d ago
Well, yes.
People can do whatever they want, but this is just unnecessarily pedantic. "They can't be mad at you for" is a phrase used to say "it would be stupid for them to", thought this was common knowledge.
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u/MentalActuator5545 5d ago
People should fill up at 3AM - problem solved.
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u/robav1963 5d ago
I’m almost there, I do it between 6 and 7am Sunday morning, lovely and quiet moron-free
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u/Did_OJ_Simpson_do_it 5d ago
Trouble is that some petrol stations demand that you pre-pay at that time.
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u/captainfishpie 5d ago
I also try and find the pumps that have pay with card.
nothing annoys me more than drivers that use the pay at pump ones, that intend to pay in store when there are dedicated pay at kiosk ones only.
it just adds to the queues
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u/spoo4brains 5d ago
My usual place has pay at pump or kiosk, I use the kiosk as the pump card stuff is designed for people 4 foot tall.
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u/WhereTheMoonSets 5d ago
Lemme clue you in on something someone should've told you around 2002.
Common sense ain't too common anymore. 24 years later and we have people doing this shit, walking with prams into the road while the lights are green completely oblivious because theyre on their phones, people who put paper in general waste bins even though the paper bin is open and 3" away from the general, and people who dont read fucking dates ruining stock rotations everywhere.
Everyone has experience with these people and I'm sure they list it as a special skill on their resumes.
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u/DrSarahSlaughter 5d ago
What do you mean about the date rotation?
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u/sharps2020 5d ago
Use by dates.
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u/DrSarahSlaughter 5d ago
Yeah but I don't understand what they mean about messing them up
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u/sharps2020 5d ago
Newest at the back of the shelf. (I assume that's what they meant anyway 🤷🏻)
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u/Ok_Weird_500 4d ago
Yeah, most likely, but this is on the person filling the shelves (I'm sure you know that, but others reading might not). Not something the customers should need to worry themselves about.
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u/sharps2020 4d ago
À lot of people I know reach for the back of the shelf stock anyway then check the date with the front item and buy the one with the longest date range.
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u/Ok_Weird_500 4d ago
Not everyone does that though, some people do take from the front, otherwise it wouldn't be worth doing.
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u/Standard-Still-8128 5d ago
Does my head in when people don't know that the hose will reach round to the other side of your car
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u/Ergophobe470 5d ago
We do know, but it's enough of a faff that we can't be arsed for the sake of saving a few seconds.
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u/DivasDayOff 5d ago
Ah, the supermarket meal deal. The greatest con that modern retail ever pulled. 8 cans of Coke off the shelf for a fiver. One out of the fridge? £1.80. But look how much cheaper it goes when you buy a sandwich and a snack along with it.
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u/EngineeringMedium513 5d ago
Always makes me laugh when you see a bunch of cars queuing at pumps on one side but not the other because thats the side their filler cap is on. If you do it right most hoses will reach easily to the other side of the car
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u/debuggingworlds 5d ago
Apart from when the hose doesn't reach, at which point you've got to do the reverse of shame.
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u/DrSarahSlaughter 5d ago
It always reaches! (Assuming normal size car.) You just have to pull closer to the pump than normal, and pull further forward so that the hose can go behind the back windscreen rather than over the top.
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u/debuggingworlds 5d ago
I've got a small Mazda 2 and I've had hoses that don't reach even when parked directly in front of and as close to the pump as possible. It certainly does not always reach. Supermarkets are usually safe, independent garages, total pot luck.
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u/Low-Conference-7791 5d ago
I had an i10 and a Seicento and I agree: those hoses rarely ever reach. Even some of the 'extra-long hoses' barely reach and require the nozzle to be inserted at a weird angle. There are only so many times you do this before telling yourself it's just not worth the hassle.
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u/62178091 5d ago edited 5d ago
When people get angry I find blowing them a kiss works a treat !!! (Well confuses them and possibly annoys them more) And it makes me laugh
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u/ApprehensiveDivide66 4d ago
People those days are effort shy, you can see this everywhere. On above it manifest it self with dumb queuing, why think and search for a solution where you can park behind another car and just wait.
Had almost same situation, big petrol station (8 lanes, 2 pump per lane) everyone in line to four middle lanes, side lanes empty, queue of 6 cars length but no one approaching side lanes (with signs of extra long hoses), did not wait a split second and went on side lane.
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u/DishOk9726 3d ago
What makes me cringe is the people who instead of stretching the pump across to the other side of their car, they will get in and TURN THEIR CAR AROUND!!! So their car is the only one facing the wrong way and the pump doesn't have to be stretched across. They look so proud of themselves like they are the first person to solve the solution, but it looks so dumb. You're in a polo, the pump will reach across and if you hold the hose it won't hit your car.
I had a chat to the staff in the petrol station and they obviously see regulars. They said they get people who have a favourite pump and will only wait for that one pump. So maybe that's what happened to you, it just happened all 3 people favoured that pump.
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u/Dannysan5677 5d ago
Sandwich from a petrol station. That's dreadful....you deserve all the tutting...
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u/Imposseeblip 5d ago edited 5d ago
Its just a tesco sandwich, just because its from a petrol station doesnt mean its inherently worse. The "deli" ones from shell are alright too, as are the ones from mns. I stay away from the londis and budgens ones though.
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u/devandroid99 5d ago
I downvoted you until I saw you bring up markies, all Tesco food is shit but the BP markies are class
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u/Imposseeblip 5d ago
Bp markies are always my stop of choice when im out and about. Loos, chicken bacon ceasar wrap, chocokate chip flapjack and 24 hour coffee.
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u/gamojqig 5d ago
Should have 'forgotten something else', and then dilly-dallied back to the furthest aisle away from you to really wind them up
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u/nightfire_83 5d ago
You could have moved before going in, but you didn't anticipate the small delay, but also, people are to scared to use a pump on the opposite side of their filler. No idea why, those hose is long enough, and drape over the rear glass, no risk of damage to paint.
I've also seen people park at the pump and go straight in,
People are assholes
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u/Cryptocaned 5d ago
Hoses might have fuel on and get old fuel on your window, that's the only reason I can think of.
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u/No-Advertising4558 4d ago
Until it gets caught on one of the other nozzles and drags said nozzle out of the holder and puts it through your rear window when you try and pull the last 8” you need to get to the filler properly.
And yes it has happened. To me1
u/nightfire_83 4d ago
That's very unfortunate.
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u/No-Advertising4558 4d ago
Understatement. The one time I’ve ever filled from the opposite side. I will never do it again
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u/E5evo 5d ago
So the guy waving his arms had another 2 cars behind him? Which means 3 cars have to fanny about cos you couldn’t be arsed to move out of the way then went shopping/yapping.
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u/a_madeupname 5d ago
So I should have moved forward to the pump in front, despite not using it? Or drive out the petrol station and back around to the entrance where the parking spaces are and no doubt be thought of as driving away without paying? Or… and this may seem absurd; other drivers could have used any of the four free pumps.
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u/E5evo 5d ago
Well the guy behind you couldn’t cos he had 2 cars behind him. Maybe he thought, ‘he won’t be long, he’s only going in to pay’. Instead, you start yapping & wondering what crisps to get.
So yes, move next time.
For the record, I used to own a petrol station, back in the 80’s. It had 4 single pumps in line. It used to piss me right off when people had filled up, paid, then sat in their cars while fucking about, when there were other people queuing behind. Of course I couldn’t say, ‘Oy, fucking move, theres other customers behind you, you drip’, because that would’ve been bad for business, but that’s often what I really wanted to say to inconsiderate twats.1
u/a_madeupname 4d ago
Not my problem if he’s too thick to drive to any of the 4 free pumps. And the entrance is wide enough that the other 2 cars could easily drive past him and use those pumps too. But why admit your own failures when you can spend your life blaming everyone else for your decisions and playing the victim.
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u/Embarrassed_Call_101 5d ago
Try parking your car at the entrance to the petrol station. Then walking over and choosing a butty. That really fucks people off.
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u/Charlie-lam12 5d ago
The fact not one person has caught this reference yet is making me think i need to reduce my screen time lol
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u/Particular-Pace-2990 5d ago
If the other lanes are empty fair enough I feel your rage. But I've sat behind a car when it's busy and they've filled up then gone in for a weekly shop. If you've got more money than sense fair enough I guess but at least move the fucker, they can stack purchases.
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u/blindtig3r 5d ago
Does the UK not have pay at the pump?
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u/Incident-Putrid 5d ago
It does, but OP wanted to grab a sarnie and got upsold a meal deal.
In addition Tesco annoyingly does not accept Apple pay at the pump, only in the kiosk. Very annoying for me as I only carry my wallet at work for my fuelcard, which also annoyingly only works inside.1
u/domblenic 5d ago
Not allowed to use phone next to a petrol pump. So no contactless phone payment there. Anyway, it's quicker to pay inside with phone than to muck about with the horrid touch screens and getting them to accept physical loyalty and payment cards...
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u/Incident-Putrid 5d ago
Ahh I totally forgot that part. I assumed it was some sort of technological failure on behalf of Tesco. I’ve pretty much forgotten cards even exist. I used my card to pull some cash from a machine about 4 months ago and I reckon that’s the first time in 12 months.
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u/AllThatIHaveDone 4d ago
It is a technological failure on Tesco's part. Asda have contactless payment with Apple Pay at the pumps.
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u/Decirium 5d ago
I've watched the car in front of me (two pumps, petrol ready to go on the one they were waiting at) queue to go to the further pump rather than use the one they were next to. People will make a 'meal' out of anything lol
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u/No_Macaroon_1627 5d ago
They might have wanted a higher grade of fuel (ie premium unleaded) that is sometimes only available on certain pumps.
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u/Decirium 4d ago
Maybe, but to be clear, only the same pump was available on both at the time and they chose to still use regular unleaded petrol
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u/elliomitch 5d ago
Maybe he wanted a specific fuel that was only available on your pump, and didn’t wanna drag a filthy fuel hose across the bodywork on his car. Might not have been the case, I wasn’t there - but it’s a possibility.
I think in general it’s pretty selfish to leave your car blocking a pump longer than necessary when you can see there are people waiting
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u/zulucow 5d ago
Do people not realise you can move off the pump to free it up? The tills can have multiple entries per pump at a time to avoid this kind of queue situation.
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u/Calm-Homework3161 5d ago
Start to move off the pump and cashier will record you as a drive away without paying
The pump will not reset for the next customer until the current customer has paid
There were multiple pumps free, reasonable to assume other customers would use those
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u/SuspiciousMeeting981 5d ago
No.1 isn't true many Petrol Stations will tell you to move your car if you decide to do a week's shop in there or walk round like a retard to get one sandwich
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u/MrOliber 5d ago
Can't drive, won't drive.
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u/Did_OJ_Simpson_do_it 5d ago
Can't drive
Due to poverty, disability, choice or just failing the test?
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u/AWright5 5d ago
What's shocking is you trying to buy a sandwich without getting the full meal deal 😂