Minor rant

We’re on a cross country trip towing an rv. An average mpg of 12-13 means I stop frequently. I have yet to find a station where at least one vehicle, and often several, is parked at the pumps with no one around. Today a guy pulled in wth an F150 towing a ski boat. He block both pumps while he and his wife got out, locked the truck, and meandered into the store. They were still there when I left 15 minutes later. People were waiting in lines for available pumps. Colossal a’holes.

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Originally posted by Tn226:
Colossal a’holes.

You're being generous.

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Originally posted by DennisM:
You're being generous.

Indeed, and a rant I had been thinking about posting myself.

when I was a Store Manager for Kroger, ran several fuel station stores,

hard to regulate parking , to be honest,

threatened a couple people with a tow, but honestly by the time the contracted tow company showed, they were gone and knew it,


sometimes fuckers cause fuckery and there is nothing anyone can do,

even calling out the fuckers for their fuckery is a wasted effort,

Big reason I use Costco for fuel whenever I can.

I had the misfortune of being at the gas station where a few landscaping crews pulled up to gas up. Trucks, trailers, gerry cans...

Learned from my dad well before I started driving, you’re either there to get gas or to buy something in the store, don’t park to do both.

Even Bucees, which has eleventybillion pumps, I'll still move to a parking spot before going inside.

Though, the surplus of pumps available makes the amount of cars parked there even more...

My favorites are the Teslas blocking the pumps. I had a bunch of pictures, but decided life’s short and deleted them.

Buc-ee's is a conundrum. They don't have parking for those of us towing a trailer. Everytime I've tried, someone in a red shirt driving a golf cart has shoed me away. The plan I've adopted is to use the outermost pumps, go inside, do what needs doing, come back out, and pump the fuel while eating my brisket sandwich. It's the least amount of time spent at the pump that way.

Where in the hell are you supposed to park when you get your lottery tickets.

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it,

Not to mention the ones that stop at the first pump they come to (does not matter that there are three open pumps in front of them).

I'll often start the gas flowing and head inside to grab something if I need to. By the time I get back out it's either done or close to it.

I'd never fill up and then go inside. That's just rude.

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Originally posted by trapper189:
My favorites are the Teslas blocking the pumps. I had a bunch of pictures, but decided life’s short and deleted them…..

Unfortunately the opposite is also true, particularly in smaller gas stations or convenience stores…

We do what we want or can get away with, but the pumps I’m familiar with specifically tell users to stay present and not wander off. I have had some fail to stop pumping when the tank was full, leading to an overflow that I was able to quickly catch and stop—mechanical devices and all that. If a fire started when that happened it would be a bad thing in many ways.

I have even seen warning signs that the customer was responsible for any spills. Although I don’t know if that’s criminal liability or just civil, it’s not something I would care to find out.

I find that super annoying as well. That is why I prefer to fill up at the truck island. )Well, my trailer is 40' long and have a diesel). Like the big trucks, I'll pull forward to get out of the pump lane before I head into the store so another person pull up and pump.

If I may, another rant: The people that park in the mobile app pic up stalls that go inside to shop at Sams Club. The ass hats I see do this are healthy and physically able to walk an extra 50 yards to the back of lot parking stalls. Wish there was a way for Sams Clubs to enforce the parking rules...

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Originally posted by smlsig:

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Originally posted by trapper189:
My favorites are the Teslas blocking the pumps.

Unfortunately the opposite is also true, particularly in smaller gas stations or convenience stores…

Somewhere along my NC/VA travels last summer I stopped at a Sheetz (not for gas, haha) and noticed the line of Tesla chargers. Each one had a Firebird of some vintage parked in front of it -- the local club was having a get-together.

To be fair, there wasn't a Tesla in sight. But it was still a little rude, I thought.

This is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially when I'm traveling. Pull off the highway and into a gas station, and all the pumps are blocked with everybody inside. Now I'm either sitting and burning travel time for no reason, or have to get back on the highway and go find another gas station.

We have a routine. It's efficient and considerate. I pump gas, wife takes most of the kids inside and one walks the dog. When I'm done pumping, I move the vehicle and park it somewhere else, either in a stall or out of the way on the perimeter if we've got the trailer. Wife comes out and makes sandwiches, another kid takes the dog while the one who walked it first and I go inside and pee. By the time we get out lunch is ready and we're back on the road.

Somebody asked me once why I was moving the truck, and I told them, "because I'm not a worthless piece of shit." I can't stand those people.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
My favorites are the Teslas blocking the pumps. I had a bunch of pictures, but decided life’s short and deleted them…..

Unfortunately the opposite is also true, particularly in smaller gas stations or convenience stores…

That's just dumb around here because the EV chargers are at the far end of the lot with zero shade. Getting in the shade is why the EV people take up pump spaces here. I mentioned Tesla because they were the obvious offenders at the time being the predominant manufacturer. For example, everyone would notice a Cyber Truck at a pump, but an F-150 Lightning, not so much.

Very few stations will do anything about people camping out at the pump or Teslas parking at the pump. If you follow the money, you'll see why.

The super majority of gas stations in the US are franchisees who makes a penny or two a gallon selling gasoline. They hope to sell enough gallons to pay the electric bill.

Meanwhile, they make their real money in the convenience store where every bottle of water, Coke, Dorito, Ho-Ho, etc. has a monster mark-up. They want people to walk away from the pump and buy stuff in the c-store. Even better if they walk out the c-store with a bag full of stuff.

Been paying cash inside for gas lately. Sometimes theres a line of 5-6 people before I can get my pump paid for.