Submitted 9 months ago by sonovebitch@lemmy.world to [deleted]
You drove and pulled up to the gas station to fill your gas tank. You exited your vehicle, opened your gas tank cover, grabbed and put the dispenser nozzle in. You also had to pay at some point.
How can you forget that the hose is still connected to your car when you drive off?
Look at this guy with his functioning brain that never forgets something just by walking 10 feet
Yeah I read it and was like “is this guy asking how you can forget something?”
Good 30% change I forget what I was in the process of doing if I have to walk through a door to get it done.
Never did manage to do that, but was close twice (none of my car would let you drive with a open fuel tank cover).
First was babybrain. Extended periods of not sleeping more than 1.5h in a row and not more than 4h a day in total because your kid is sick/toothing are doing weird things in your brain.
The second time was during COVID. I work as a paramedic part time and we did change our shift model to 24h shifts due to so many sick colleagues. Was the second shift “in a row” (24h on, 24h off, 24h on). Well…None of those shifts were 24h, most were 25-26h. Because we got hammered by calls. Literally no downtime, one critical patient after another. When driving home I had to get gas. Forgot to pay (we post pay here), forgot to take the god damn hose out. Nearly cried when the fucking car didn’t start (due to the hose being in).
So TLDR: Not enough sleep is the answer for me here.
Imagine you get back after a long, hectic, infuriating day. You hear your car beep for fuel so you pull into a gas station.
You get out and you go through the motions of filling up your car. It is such a usual procedure you don't have to think any more. Which is good because you're using that time to think of choice words to describe your asshole boss.
You go into the station, pay and come back, still very much on autopilot while you think about your boss.
Except there's one motion you didn't get through. And now it haunts your gas tank forever. Until you take it off.
I was drunk and couldn’t drive, so my wife took me to get more beer. She asked me to put gas in our vehicle so I did because it was cold out. I noticed the pump behind me had the nozzle sitting on the ground which was hilarious to me. I took a snapchat picture and posted it saying “what a dumbass!” then I went inside to get my beer.
I get back in the truck and I’m having a grand old time showing my wife what the idiot behind us must have done when I hear the “CLUNK”. I was told I turned as white as a ghost. I’d done it. It was my fault.
I went inside, the cashier knew I was drunk (I was being obnoxious). I was profusely apologized and admitted it was all my fault. She went outside with me, explained it didn’t break and that they can reattach it, BUT there’s a charge.
The cashier then said to me “get in your truck and get as far away as possible immediately. I didn’t see you, this didn’t happen, and I don’t know what happened to the camera footage. Have a nice night.”
I hopped in the truck and just told my wife DRIVE. Security came rolling up as we were leaving (by chance).
Do some countries or areas have gas pumps that you just insert and then they pump without you constantly squeezing the handle? The ones I’m used to feel kinda impossible to forget because there is no reason to ever let go of the hose handle until it’s back in place.
The USA is weird… You’re in one State and you aren’t allowed to put fuel in your car by yourself then you cross the border to the next State and you can put fuel by yourself AND you can do it without having to hold the nozzle while it’s pumping…
and you can't even pay until it's back in place
Follow-up question for American# : when happens of you pay for, say 50$ and end up only filling up 40$. Can you go back to the cashdesk and ask for a refund on the difference?
Because even though you shouldn’t leave the thing unattended in case it slips out while on auto mode people do, and then just forget about it because they are distracted.
I’m paranoid I’m going to do this one day from lack of sleep.
sonovebitch@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Thanks for the responses.
TIL: Americans pay first, then fill. Now I can understand how you could easily get distracted once it is in and locked.
To clarify : this is absolutely impossible to accidentally happen in the EU, because the payment transaction isn’t completed until the nozzle is placed back onto its support (that’s when the pump shuts off).
kreynen@kbin.social 9 months ago
So are Europeans just more honest and ethical than Americans? Or do all gas stations have better theft prevention systems? In the US, there is often 1 cashier managing 12 pumps AND ringing up vice sales (cigarettes, lottery tickets, junk food). In some states there a pumps with no human on site at all.
What's to stop someone from driving off after filling up in the EU?
sanguinepar@lemmy.world 9 months ago
In the UK, petrol stations almost always have CCTV monitoring pumps, and can use number plates to identify anyone who leaves without paying. Probably similar in the EU I would think.
That said, it’s also increasingly common to have a pay at the pump system, where you have to use your credit/debit card before you can fill up, with the amount being taken off automatically based on how much fuel you used.
sonovebitch@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The pump doesn’t auto-start when you unhook the nozzle from the pump. I think the cashier has to manually allow it to start, from their control system/computer.
So I suspect they wouldn’t let it start if you look shady (hooded, no plates) and they suspect you may run it off.
For example if you ride a motorbike, the cashier sometimes doesn’t start the pump until you uncover your face (allowing cameras to see your face).
But otherwise, we either pay at the fill-up then go pay at the desk (yes they can be a waiting line if there are more pumps than open cashdesks) or pay directly at the pump by card/contactless (modern pumps). It locks a sum on your card, say 200EUR, and when you hook the nozzle back it adjusts the payment transaction to only the amount consumed and debits you.
son_named_bort@lemmy.world 9 months ago
A lot of pumps in the US don’t shut off until the nozzle is placed back on the hook, at least if you pay at the pump. It’s possible that the pump could shut off if you prepay with cash and it hits the amount that you paid, but that’s not as common these days. It used to be possible to pay with cash after pumping, but that’s basically been phased out.
fidodo@lemmy.world 9 months ago
What do you mean by the transaction isn’t complete? Does it hold your card until the nozzle is put back, or do you pump then pay after?