Petrol stations and queues...

[DanAbnormal]

So I rode down to my local petrol station this morning for the usual fill up. As I arrive I notice that they have closed 4 out of the 8 pumps for some reason.This means a small queue is forming and I would have to wait. As I sit there I notice a pump at the very front where a woman in a 4x4 has parked across 2 pumps to use the pump behind her. So I nip in (as no one else can get in to use the pump) and start to fill up. Then two blokes get out of there cars and start hurling abuse at me for not being patient enough...... I was somewhat bemused by this. It wasn't a case of being impatient but rather utilisation of resources. No one else could get to that pump but I could. Does that mean I should still have waited in the queue? I'm sure this is typical 'cage' thinking that if they can't get to it, no one else should. Would I do it again? Yes. Did it bother me? A little, only as I am very curteous on the road and these guys now will think all bikers are the same. I politely explained that the benefit of having a bike is to nip through where others can't, they didn't seem to see this point of view though. So iff I rode full of fuel with a smile on my face. The funny thing is that when I left the 4x4 was still in the same spot so my actions actuallys ped up the process as I was no longer in the queue. Ah well, I'm sure many will say I was in the wrong but I don't see it.:rolleyes:

[tigersaw]

I also hate the *******s who insist on queuing for a pump on the same side as their filler cap. They also get stroppy if you jump them and stretch the filler over your car to the other side - which they are long enough to do.

[K]

Slowly the irresistable genetic impulse to que is being bred out of the British. ;)

[Smudge]

K i was gonna say that wait your turn

[fizzwheel]

If theres a spare pump and a big queue, I give it a few minutes and then if nobody decides to use the spare pump then I jump the queue.

So I'd have done the same as you Dan

If its really busy I fill up and then push my bike off the pump whilst i put my lid and stuff back on. It helps things flow a little quicker.

[skint]

I always 'filter' through in the same circumstances i.e. if there is a queue and no one goes for the vacant pump. That's there problem and if they approached me I would gladly invite them to use it. I do the same in the car too and will stretch the hose over if need be.

A garage I visited a couple of days ago (in the car) actually told you to use both sides of the pump because the hoses were long enough - thats good enough vindication for me. :cool:

[skint]

K i was gonna say that wait your turn
... queue jumpers!:rolleyes:

[K]

Slowly the irresistable genetic impulse to que is being bred out of the British. ;)

K i was gonna say that wait your turn

... queue jumpers!:rolleyes:

Hey, I'm going to be student scum in September so I can already feel my respect for societies rules draining away. ;)

[rigor]

Last year, heading to WSB at Brands, pulled into the petrol station at the bottom of Death Hill (On the roundabout) Ahead of me was a 7.5 tonne van who decided that he was going to block the road to wait to see which pump was going to free up first. Being the WSB day there were loads of bikes all over the place and I saw a spot where I could work my way through to a pump, so went for it. Stopped the bike to here the lorry driver shouting "Oi you!, Wait your f***ing turn!" Walked over to his window and shouted (I still had my earplugs in :p) "If you think you can get your f***ing van through all these bikes, then good luck! I bet your still here by the time I'm finished!" And sure enough he was :D

[Daimo]

I'd have done the same.

But hurled abuse back at the van drivers. I'd have also given them a friendly wave as I pulled out of the petrol station, while they were still queuing.

*Note wave MAY turn into the middle finger as I leave... :lol:

[glsuk1970]

You're right and they're wrong and I'd have done exactly the same in that situation. Like skint said, if they could have fitted through the gap to use the vacant pump then I'm sure nobody would stand in their way. Typical cage driver's jealous attitude. I hope the dozy mare who occupied 2 of the 4 available pumps also came in for verbal abuse? I'm guessing probably not.

[DanAbnormal]

I'd have done the same.

But hurled abuse back at the van drivers. I'd have also given them a friendly wave as I pulled out of the petrol station, while they were still queuing.

*Note wave MAY turn into the middle finger as I leave... :lol:

I actually politely invited them to 'chat' about it off the forecourt. I was in a bad enough mood this morning already. :smt068

[arenalife]

I do a brief assesment, if a space becomes available and no one ahead of me goes for it within 15 secs or so, I nip round. Never had any abuse, mostly people come to talk about the bike anyway! I find people in South Wales very bike aware, they're always moving over for me, getting out of the way and waving me on. I always go straight to the front at lane closures etc and never had a bad word.

I did have a full on argument with a chav woman in a fuel station when they pulled in front of my bike stopping me leaving. We had a full on screaming match while her boyfriend waited in the car outside lol

[Ceri JC]

I don't even wait: If none of the other vehicles are visibly moving for an empty pump, I'll go for it. I do it in my car too, if someone is being dim and waiting for a pump on their filler cap's side. As tigersaw says, it's wholely uneccessary.

No one has ever said anything to me about it, either in a car, or on a bike.

[MeridiaNx]

I head straight for it to, never had a word said yet but they'd get a talking to if they tried to...makes perfect sense, if no-one else can get to it you might as well nip in and reduce the queue time for everyone.

Few weeks back there was a massive queue at a station and I could see one pump was free so I went all the way around to get to it. I had noticed that cars further up the queue had caps on the same side and could have got to this pump but weren't paying attention as usual. I filled up and when I left no cars made the move to it, even though 10 were queuing :rolleyes:

[Steve_God]

I don't even wait: If none of the other vehicles are visibly moving for an empty pump, I'll go for it. I do it in my car too, if someone is being dim and waiting for a pump on their filler cap's side. As tigersaw says, it's wholely uneccessary.

No one has ever said anything to me about it, either in a car, or on a bike.
Same here!

If it's empty, and no-one else has spotted it - it's mine! :smt036

[Stu]

Always filter to the front, even use a pump with a car still parked at it while they pay (hey free fuel! :lol:)
But always push my bike away before paying if the place has a queue. (like fizz)
Swings & roundabouts

[DanAbnormal]

This is why I really don't understand these two moron's reactions to me doign it. It's not like anyone else could use it. I mean they actually epected me to sit there and not use an empty pump. I so wanted to hurt them both.:rant:

[MiniMatt]

Chuckle, absolute best way to wind someone up when they're having a stroppy fit is to pretend you can't hear them, give them a big cheesy smile and wave politely. At this stage the throbbing vein on their temple generally explodes, followed shortly by their head. This is exactly why there are buckets of sand on forecourts to clear this sort of mess up.

As for the original fury, god only knows, if you'd have stayed in the queue it would have meant longer queue times for everyone, you've actually done them a favour. Have noticed in London lately that queuing is becoming less and less the norm, public transport is more a free for all than an orderly queue. Doubtles this'll eventually spread to the rest of the country :D

[gettin2dizzy]

It's like when cars deliberatly move in the way to stop you filtering. Just jealousy gone mad!

[Pedro68]

Have noticed in London lately that queuing is becoming less and less the norm, public transport is more a free for all than an orderly queue. Doubtles this'll eventually spread to the rest of the country :D
I remember "queueing" for the school bus ... that was about 25 years ago now :tongue: ... now THAT was a free-for-all :smt068

It's like when cars deliberatly move in the way to stop you filtering. Just jealousy gone mad!
I've actually waited and then pulled around the back, and down the RHS of them :toss:

Pete

[ArtyLady]

Chuckle, absolute best way to wind someone up when they're having a stroppy fit is to pretend you can't hear them, give them a big cheesy smile and wave politely.

This hasn't happened to me yet but if does I have practised the British Sign Language for "sorry cant hear you Im deaf" :lol: :lol:

[RhythmJunkie]

It helps if you are 6ft 4" and a bloke....also give the dog-stare as you filter through to the pump....body language, get off the bike like you are muscle-bound I find it works wonders....if they see a weakness they will pounce....if they think you are strong they will cower! ;) Muppets the lot of 'em!! :)

[Ceri JC]

But always push my bike away before paying if the place has a queue. (like fizz)
Swings & roundabouts

Yeah, me too. I'll even direct traffic to the (now available) pump whilst I go to pay, if they haven't seen me move the bike (if it's obscured by a van/whatever).

[riktherider]

i allways move the bike so a space is free. what a lot of people dont realise is that a lot of petrol stations keep a record of the pumps use, so i think about 3 people can fill up seperatly at one pump and it will hold this info untill you go up and pay. a lot of people dont get this. they should ahve mroe space to park cars as they take up more space. so when youve filled up, you park, then pay. lot less queing. also would be good to have a ticketing system. you get your ticket, park your car, get some other stuff then pay.

[Pedro68]

i allways move the bike so a space is free. what a lot of people dont realise is that a lot of petrol stations keep a record of the pumps use, so i think about 3 people can fill up seperatly at one pump and it will hold this info untill you go up and pay. a lot of people dont get this. they should ahve mroe space to park cars as they take up more space. so when youve filled up, you park, then pay. lot less queing. also would be good to have a ticketing system. you get your ticket, park your car, get some other stuff then pay.
Yeah, that's why I like Asda in Queensferry (North Wales) ... drive to pump, fuel, drive to pay-window. And also the Asda in Aintree which has "pay at pump" (which I think is sooooo much better) ... cos now I can fill up without having to remove my lid (and sometimes both gloves). :D

There's more and more "pay @ pump" places opening all the time :)

[Ceri JC]

i allways move the bike so a space is free. what a lot of people dont realise is that a lot of petrol stations keep a record of the pumps use, so i think about 3 people can fill up seperatly at one pump and it will hold this info untill you go up and pay. a lot of people dont get this. they should ahve mroe space to park cars as they take up more space. so when youve filled up, you park, then pay. lot less queing. also would be good to have a ticketing system. you get your ticket, park your car, get some other stuff then pay.

Yeah, I think the number varies from place to place, but this is true. I actually overheard the cashier explain to one guy who came in that the pump wasn't broken, but as there were 3 people in the (long) queue who hadn't yet paid, she couldn't authorise it until one of them had paid.

[Lozzo]

Same here!

If it's empty, and no-one else has spotted it - it's mine! :smt036

Exactly what I do.

If car drivers are too stupid to do the same then tough.

[tigersaw]

arrrrrrggggg you just reminded me about the t*ssers who park at a pump, and then just go in and buy fags or a weeks shopping arrrggggg

[riktherider]

arrrrrrggggg you just reminded me about the t*ssers who park at a pump, and then just go in and buy fags or a weeks shopping arrrggggg

that is the worst!! espicially at tesco express or other larger petrol stations!! your waiting to pay and the dozey person infront is getting a trolly full of shopping!!! this makes me mad!!

[Pedro68]

Tesco pumps must only allow ONE person to fill and pay at a time too because I've been sat there waiting for what seemed like an age thinking 'dozy staff' but now I know it might not actually be their fault :oops:

[JediGoat]

One day at my local petrol station there was just such a queue of cars, all waiting for an 'offside' pump.

Pfff....I thought.....and drove my car past the lot of them just to demonstrate that the hose *will* actually stretch far enough to reach the other side of the car.

I pulled up at a vacant pump....got out of the car looking all smug with myself....then noticed that all of the apparantly 'vacant' ones had carrier bags on the pumps....and promptly sauntered towards the cash machine trying to look like that was what I'd come in for :oops: :oops:

(I then had to drive off and hope I had enough fuel to reach the next petrol station). :roll:

Jo

[RhythmJunkie]

Been there....done that! 8-[

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

Depends on the situation - I'd probably wait in rder to avoid just that sort of situation, but other times I've gone past queues where people just are queuing for certain pumps/where someone is blocking cars coming in. It's all down to how bad you think it'll look to the people waiting - if there's no way they can get past then it's fair game, if they're likely to move very soon then you can only expect them to get upset.

Now you've experienced it, would you do it again??