I consider myself immune to road rage (breath slowly, count to ten, I hope you crash you - ) but when people block the ENTRANCE to a petrol station... not just to get a pump on the "right" side of their car, but in order to hedge their bets before joining a queue. They also, at my local sainsburys, cause a queue on the actual road which is dangerous.
This I believe is a growing trend. It ought to be stamped out and the offenders punished.
I always give them a good blast on the horn, after I've made sure that there's no-one in their car bigger than me. {SNIP stereo typical comment removed}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 11/07/2008 at 13:46
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This I believe is a growing trend. It ought to be stamped out and the offenders punished.
Quite right bananastand. Then all the murderers, fraudsters, child molesters, rapists, muggers and burglars can get their vehicles (or other people's vehicles in the case of car thieves) refuelled without having to wait, and continue unobstructed with their blameless lives.
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I tried filling from the 'wrong' side once... took twice as long and clicked off every 5 seconds.
Never again.
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I tried filling from the 'wrong' side once... took twice as long and clicked off every 5 seconds.
Never had that and I always fill from the wrong side at my local station, they are nearly always the only pumps with no que, although being in a saloon I just lay the pipe across the boot, shorter distance then an estate or hatchback maybe. So long may people queing for the "right" pump continue :-)
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If I have to wait for a pump, I make sure I'm well clear of the entrance.
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Whats all this "filling from the wrong side"?
most of the pumps i remember were "double - faced" which meant they could re-fuel a car on either side of the island they are stood on. I often used to use the "other" pump if i was forced to pull up at a pump on the wrong side. Sometimes caused a bit of "contaversy" ....but what the heck! it's my turn an i can use whichever one i like!! ;-)
bILLY
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I can imagine why they're doing it though. It's equally maddening to pick one queue, only to find that it's the slowest one and people who were several cars behind you when you arrived are fuelled and gone while you're still waiting.
If it weren't for the fact that a lot of people (myself included) prefer the pump on the "right" side of the car, this could all be solved by designing the petrol station so that queueing works like a bank not a supermarket - one single queue and you wait at the head of it until a pump becomes free. Then people would get served in exactly the same order that they arrived.
Causing an unnecessary queue out onto the road by trying to improvise that system yourself doesn't sound clever. On the other hand, while the queue is only on the entrance to the petrol station and not in anyone else's way, and the person at the front really does take the very next available pump on either side, I think I could avoid being botherd by it.
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not all pump hoses will reach the "offside" of the fuel filler, believe me the local petrol station near me have hoses so short you have trouble filling a motorbike :)
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I regularly fill an estate car from the 'wrong' side and it's never been a problem. You obviously have to park properly with the car parallel parked closely and the back of the car level with the pump, so that the hose can stretch in a straight line, but with minimal forward planning it's a doddle.. and with the hose stretched you get the last drop of juice out easily as well.... can't see the problem.
As for people blocking the entrance, drive in the exit and reverse up to the pump...:-)
I think this country's fixation with queueing is laughable. If you join a queue and it's the slowest, so be it. If someone else comes in after you and then gains an advantage, so what, it might be you next time. Give them a cheery wave...
I suspect that mentality (desperation that someone else doesn't 'get there first' out of place) is the bedrock of many people's driving planning and why they are often really ignorant about other people 'making progress'. It's a 'get back behind me where you belong mentality'.
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Interesting insight at the end there Westpig. I hadn't thought of that.
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I think this country's fixation with queueing is laughable. If you join a queue and it's the slowest so be it. If someone else comes in after you and then gains an advantage so what it might be you next time. Give them a cheery wave...
I don't actually get very mad when I find I'm in the slowest queue. But then, the only reason for getting mad at the person in front of you hedging their bets as the OP described is that it robs you of the opportunity to try and win the "which queue is fastest" gamble, which is just as pointless an attitude in the grand scheme of things.
We are keener than necessary to queue sometimes, but unless everyone gets their own personal filling station, there is going to be a need to queue at times. And if you have to queue, the way it works in banks is far more sensible than the way it works in supermarkets.
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A single queue would run out onto the road, and then you'd have people complaining that cars approaching from one direction would have an advantage to those turning across the traffic. Why not fill up at night when there's no queue?
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Why don't people fill-up properly, rather than putting in "ten quid's worth" so to speak. Come-on surely we aren't all that badly skint? Pehaps that why its quite common for people to run out of fuel? I think some people believe the car will run on the vapour in the tank.
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A single queue would run out onto the road and then you'd have people complaining that cars approaching from one direction would have an advantage to those turning across the traffic. Why not fill up at night when there's no queue?
I didn't say you wouldn't need to redesign the way petrol stations are laid out.
And since I have more than one conveniently close filling station I can and do choose to fill up when it's quiet. The fact that the queueing system is wrong rarely actually affects me, it just deeply offends my sense of logic...
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A little story I have.
I was driving along a road with a black mercedees infrount of me, who was obvoisly in a rush. I saw him turn into a petrol station, just like I had planned to do.
So I waited patently behind him as he stopped at the entrence of the forecourt as he waited for a pump to become free. To his credit he started crawling along to oneside of the forcourt. I was still waiting patently behind him, but other cars behind me were now choosing their own pumps to queue at - and some of these having waited were starting to fill their tanks up.
Eventually I decided to pass this black merc. that still didn't want to commit to one pump, I passed him and chose a pump myself. The person at the pump I chose came back to his car and left, allowing me to fill up.
Eventually the car beside the pump I was filling up with moved and the black merc. took it's place. On getting out of his car the black merc. owner turn to me and said 'So you decided to be a rude pink fluffy dice then did you?'.
I thought considering many cars that were behind me got to fill their tanks up before me, many of the people could have been considederd rude pink fluffy dice. Then it occured to me - maybe the black Merc. driver was the rude pink fluffy dice and everyone else was acting reasonably?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 11/07/2008 at 20:05
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I think i've got the answer. Petrol stations, to pander to those that get shirty when someone else 'beats' them at the 'fuel filling frenzy' should actually employ 'fuel marshals' on the forecourt who would direct you to the next available pump. They should wear a uniform and have a whistle etc.......:-)
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'fuel marshals' on the forecourt who would direct you to the next available pump. They should wear a uniform and have a whistle etc.......:-)
And pipeclayed boots, cuffs and white gloves, elegant pirouettes like a Rome traffic policeman... :o}
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"I think i've got the answer"
The simplest answer would be to ensure that all stations have long enough hoses that you could be certain that the hose would reach "the wrong side". I often fill up "on wrong side" at 2 local supermarkets.
I queued patiently the other week at same supermarket but different town when "the panic" was on (I was empty and needed to fill up). I got to pump on "wrong side" and couldn't reach despite a couple of manoevres so had to go round and join the queue again.
Do I remember vaguely in the past when some hoses were held up on a metal bar which swung out over the car so you don't have to drag the hose over back or rear of car?
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I've only ever visited one intelligently planned petrol station and it seems to have been a one-off. Like supermarkets, multi storeys and the like, the only concern seems to get as many punters onto the premises as possible then keep them there till they've paid. Actually quickening the process doesn't seem to be in their interests, DESPITE the obvious fact that a fast-moving filling station will attract more business. Whoops, then of course it'll attract huge queues and we're back to square one.
So - what was the magic layout? A long slip road leads to a bank of six double-sided parallel pumps on the left (with nice long hoses!), set at 45 degrees to the entrance road. There is space at each pump for one car only; if all pumps are taken then cars remain in the queue. After filling up and paying, you drive forwards and right onto the exit road which passes in front of the shop area. It was a darn near perfect setup, the only possible improvement I would make would be a gentle slope downwards to enable engineless queuing and coasting right up to the pump and maybe a sequence of lights above each pump to indicate "filling up" - "filled up" - "paying" so that queueing drivers can guess right and go for the next free pump.
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Hey, great idea! (drive up the exit) - - I have actually seen it done, and at the time I thought, what the... but now it seems... so .. clear..!
When I get those road blockers making everyone else wait, then up sainsburys exit I will go. If you see what I mean.
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What about those petrol stations where the shop is a little supermarket and people fill up with fuel, then abandon their cars at the pump while they do something along the lines of the weekly shop. Eventually they return to the car laden with carrier bags and delay the massive queue that has formed behind them even longer while they unload their shopping in the boot. Now they make me mad.
gabble
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LPG = I have to fill up on the 'right side' or I risk damaging the filling point on my vehicle.
Most forecourts usually have just one and sometimes even two points that LPG can be filled from and usually from the same pump - just opposite sides of that pump.
So I have no option but to get in a queue and wait - heck, I must be one of those selfish people you are talking about - please don't have me punished for something that I have no control over ;)
I have reversed across a forecourt before now when I have got fed up of waiting for the selfish or braindead few that will not make the effort or don't have the common sense 'savvy' to work out that their selfish act of filling up from the same pump each time is really inconsiderate.
Same as the people that dawdle in, fill up slowly, shuffle around the forecourt, chat to passengers in teh car about what sweets etc., they want, take ages to pay, chat to the cashier like it was a long lost friend of 20 years and then leave the pump and forecourt like they are re entering an race...
...all because they have 'finished' and have no need to hold people up any longer.
Edited by Tron on 12/07/2008 at 11:04
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Like Tron, I think one queue would not speed things, as I would sit at the head of the queue for one particular pump, while you rage behind me! I use 'premium diesel' and there is usually only one point for this - usually occupied by people who can use any one of six or more points.
For Tron and myself, perhaps they should put the Premium Diesel and Petrol, plus the LPG on one pump (two sides, obviously, for the LPG!) and allow those using standard fuels all the other slots.
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i've never understood why they have diesel and petrol on the same pumps you can wiat for ages while several people pump petrol and you want diesel (and the other way around). this would work if petrol stations also made better use of their space (more pumps) next time your at any garage look at the amount of unused space and work out how many more pumps they couls safely get on the forecourt you'd be surprised how many stations could
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Wow I never realised fuelling up was so competitive!
Personally i hate fuelling up so much i always try to go when I know its likley to be quiet.
You know, early morning, early afternoon, late evening.
Boy I must get a life !
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I consider myself immune to road rage ..............
I always give them a good blast on the horn ...........
No offence intended, but that's hardly the action of someone who's totally in charge of their emotions.
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Escargot, you're certainly living up to your name if you have only just tumbled to bananastand's, er, patchy self-knowledge...
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Escargot you're certainly living up to your name ..........
D'oh!
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