For the 873rd time in the last ten years, this morning I waited in line at Sam’s Club to fuel up. The fellow in front of me, as it turned out, was a dreaded Gas Pump Dope. A “GPD” is the one who, in spite of a line of waiting cars, feels a need to squeeze and click, squeeze and click, squeeze and click the fuel fill handle until the last possible atom of fuel is deposited in his tank. He obviously does not care about his own time, and for sure, none of our time.
How much fuel was wasted by thos waiting cars?
What goes on in the mind of a Gas Pump Dope? How do we make sure they don’t procreate?
signed, “waiting in the heat for # 874, who I’m sure is coming”
If that’s the worst thing that happens to you today, it’s a petty good day. I know that little things can add up over time, but this is a really small faux pas.
While I feel your pain, in those situations I just turn off the car and try to think of something to pass the time so my temper doesn’t start to flare…
What really gets me, when there’s a lineup, is the guy (or girl) that is totally clueless of the long line and not only does the click & squeeze routine but also proceeds to use the squeegee to basically give his/her car a “car wash”, and does a number of other things before paying and getting back into his/her car…THEN takes time to adjust the seat, check makeup, or whatever else…taking their time before the vehicle starts to move…
Anyway, as jtsanders wisely put it…if that’s the worst thing in my day, it’s a pretty darn good day.
If you are buying gas at a 'convienence store" do yal consider it rude to leave your car at the pump while you go in to pay?Me I move the car,the next guy may pay at the pump. Its just the way I do it,Iam not trying to tell others how to live. And I dont get mad if someone leaves their car at the pump to go inside,no biggie
“but this is a really small faux pas.” Yes, a micro-err in the whole scheme of things, but is it really? I view it as a small but very blatant disregard for the diginity of the the human race
that should be easily recognized by the GPD, and never done again by the GPD.
Three decades ago in Abnormal Psychology class, we spent some time on derivitives of GPD-esque behavior. Much of it is small stuff. Much of it comes from the GPD’s feelings of powerlessness in all ascpects of their career and home life, and they therefore they leap at the chance to “control” others, by delaying them in an openly defiant way. I’m sure it happens once in a while, but few people will jump out of their waiting cars to confront the miscreant, and so they “get away” with this powerful and controlling behavior. Most know this as the Napoleanic Complex.
So yes, it is a minor “slap in the face,” if a slap in the face could be minor.
I very rarely buy gas anywhere other than Sam’s Club, but the situation you describe is different in that at most newer stations there is room to drive around the unattended car. If it were the case where I could not reverse out or otherwise had to wait while someone shopped, then I would see it as disrespectful of my time and would likely view their behavior as poor.
I figure that every time I fill up it will be cheaper than the next time. I do try to get a really full tank for that reason. I am very conscientious about not making other people wait. I pull away from the pump and then write down the gallons, miles etc. If I am paying by check for an item I always fill out all the information except for the amount so I won’t slow the line down. I think simply waiting in line and then reading the sticker shock off the pump makes most people edgy .
The Dopes I can’t stand are the gasoline cars that pull into the pumps with the diesel hose on them when there’s 4 or 5 gas only pumps open. Then they fill up, go in and take a dump, buy a burger at the Wendys, look over the tourist items in the store and finally come out and move.
Skipper
A motorist is definitely entitled to fill his fuel tank to the brim. It may take all of 20 seconds beyond the first automatic shutoff to finish the job. It is not as if this guy walked away from his car to buy a snack or use the can. Just let him fuel up and move on.
If I had to choose sides, which person to send to the gallows, it wouldn’t take me more than a microsecond to condemn the impatient, anal retentive, name-calling, self-centered fool who insists everyone else must use his own inferior filling method.
And if I had to describe the cause of OP thechums’ incredibly weak judgement and raging attitude, I’d say that “Much of it comes from that fool’s feelings of powerlessness in all ascpects (sic) of their career and home life.”
and when YOU’RE the dope at the pump , don’t YOU fully expect YOUR turn ??? check the oil, air in the tires, wash the windows etc. ? I want to see you hurry next time !!!
While I tend to agree that waiting in line is just part of life and getting upset over it only hurts you. Find a less busy time, or take the time to just relax and chill out.
Just remember that the GPD may well be punished in the end as topping off one's tank can damage the vent system of the car and repairs can be expensive.Dear Stevef: If you’re trying to hurt my feelings or appear to be a balanced and reasonable person, you missed on all counts.
You are all CRAZY!!! “Waiting on line at Sams Club”??? What for?? To “save” maybe 5 or 8 cents a gallon?? If you are going to by 15 gallons at $4, that’s $60 to fill up. At Sams Club or Cosco, it will be $59.25. You will have "saved " .75 cents on a $60 dollar purchase. You wait on line for THAT??? Put up with “special” membership cards and pump morons for .75 cents??
Nope, I succeeded. You responded, didn’t you? Gotcha again!
I fill my car as full as I can get it every single time I get gas. It takes maybe 45 seconds longer. It also gets about another gallon or so in my tank, which means I have to do about 20 or so fill-ups instead of 21. Saves ME some time. If that’s your complaint, then the “Gas Pump Dope” was in the car behind the car you’re complaining about.
As for damaging my vent / charcoal canister / yada, yada, yada, I think it’s so extremely unlikely I don’t even give it a thought. Picture this: your car is sitting facing uphill and you fill it until the pump automatically clicks off. Once the car moves to level ground, or is facing downhill the fuel level has changed dramatically in the tank. Howcome doing THAT doesn’t damage the charcoal canister?
I’ve filled my tank this way every time for more than twenty five years now, no charcoal canister problems yet. While I would never use this as anecdotal evidence that overfilling the tank could never damage the canister, it does indicate that the problem isn’t as common as some here would have us believe, and logic dictates that this isn’t much of a problem at all.
Here, the Sam’s Club price averages about a dime a gallon better than other choices, at least for premium fuel. For me that’s about $1.90 per fill up, and the Sam’s line isn’t any worse than at the other choices. Further, I rarely make a special trip or go out of my way to gas up at Sam’s since, in my case, it is on the way to many places I’m often on the way to.
So, if the cost savings on a full up are as little as $.75, and there are no other reasons not to use Sam’s, then Tonto, this Lone Ranger is saving the .75 cents.
Getting back to the OP, it has been revealing in a way that there are people out there DEFENDING bad behavior. I would have thought they’d be ashamed.
Why don’t you do what I do - never wait in line at all. Bypass them and stop at another place less crowded or get gasoline another time.
I never wait in line unless I’m coerced into going into the Earth’s cesspool; McDonalds.
What’'s amazing is that you’ve gone through this 873 times. Along about No. 4 I would have learned a lesson in time management.
There will be lines, long, serious, wait half a day lines, soon enough…
Yup, and maybe when they DO make it to the pump there won’t be any gas to pump.
case in point,you truley belive we are running out of gas(fuel)
damn marketing.
B/S