>I once parked on the 'wrong' side of the fuel pump and attempted to drag the hose out to reach around my car. Couldn't do it! I couldn't make it stretch at all,

Yes, and you were filmed.

I am with MrNutt on this one makes my blood boil, more so when it turns out the T**T blocking the pumps is doing their weekly shopping inside then decide to pay by chip n pin and cant remember their sodding number……..I just want pertol from a petrol station not much to ask?

more so when it turns out the T**T blocking the pumps is doing their weekly shopping inside then decide to pay by chip n pin and cant remember their sodding number

If you're sitting in a queue outside how do you know the person has fotgotten their pin number?

Didn't some Exploding Science program with Richard Hammond show that the static generated by a shell suit is more likley to cause a spark than a caravan full of mobile phones all ringing at the same time?

If you're sitting in a queue outside how do you know the person has fotgotten their pin number?

because "someone in front of me went in and paid without a problem" would be a pretty poor rant.

grievoustim – Member

re mobile phones

it was on mythbusters – they couldn't cause an explosion (and they tried really, really hard)

Darnit, Tim has revealed the source of all my knowledge! 😳

It's amazing how many people don't realise that the hose will reach the fuel tank regardless of which side it's on.

not a large mpv – some might but are so few and far between it ain't worth the hassle

and as to the car that is unaccountably stationary look closely and you will find it has a "i like tuggin' truck drivers" sticker on it – fact!

In a taxi, a couple of months ago in Sharm el Sheik, Egypt. We pulled onto the forecourt and up to the petrol pump – none of which had those plastic things round the pump unit so we could see all the pipes, cogs, levers and hamsters etc. and the whole mechanism was covered in dust. Driver gets out the car, lights up a cigarette, hands some cash to the pump master who duly fills up the car while we're sitting in it, and the engine is ticking over (although we then got out cos we got the fear at that point). Driver is wandering around the forecourt, smoking a fag and chatting on his mobile phone in the 40 deg C heat. We all got back in and drove off. So it kinda makes you wonder what all the fuss is about.

It's the Egyptian ahmsters wot make it safe over there: they're trained firefighters so everyone using filling stations is like "yeah, no worries, the hamsters will see us clear".

It's amazing how many people don't realise that the hose will reach the fuel tank regardless of which side it's on.

Update: I fell for this on Sunday. Smugly ignored the queues and pulled up to the "wrong side" pump, going past it a little to minimise the distance from pump to cap.

Pesky fixed length hose (no pully-out bit) wouldn't quite reach and I had to face the shame of getting back in and moving the car elsewhere. 😳

Ahh the wonderful Forecourt Game!
The times I've just driven round the ditherers, straight up to a pump, without batting an eyelid….. Bliss.

The best EVER was when the fuel protests were on. I decided it would be a good idea to fill up both my and Mrs PPs motorbikes as a precaution so we could get to work. So off to the petrol station I trot, past a line of maybe 50-odd cars waiting on the road, straight up to a pump as the car drove off. Filled the bike before anybody really had time to get angry about my blatent pushing in, and was off down the road.

And again on the other bike 5 mins later…!

I passed the same cars twice….. 🙂

Peter you neglected to mention that you were wearing little more than a bikini made of three minute steaks

I work in O&G and the only explanation I've ever been given is that mobiles casue interferance, which could muck up the pumps, although the more common answer is "everyone else does it". Thus if a mobile ever did cause an explosion, and the signs werent up it would be the oil companies fault as everyone else had taken reasnoble steps to mitigte the risk. Whereas banning polyester jumpers and wellington boots is harder (thus unreasnoble) despite it being more of a potential risk.

Pulled into petrol station with some mates in the car. One of them was smoking a fag. On thinking this wasn't a good idea. He decided to throw it out of the window, onto the forecourt. Genius. Then realising this was an even worse idea got out pretty sharpish and stood on it. Oh how we mocked him.

was told off a mast engineer or whatever there technical name is that some older 1st gen phones had been found to bugger up the flowmeter counts/readouts in certain brands of petrol pumps when being used and so banning phones from filling stations was one way round this.

Check your phones handbook, at the back, for places where you are advised not to or are excluded from using it.
You will likely find the big yelloe EX sign;
Explosive