Petrol stations and queues...

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.

[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.

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

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.

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.

Originally Posted by SmudgeK3

K i was gonna say that wait your turn

... queue jumpers!

Originally Posted by K

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

Originally Posted by SmudgeK3

K i was gonna say that wait your turn

Originally Posted by skint

... queue jumpers!

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

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 ) "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

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...