Gas station pet peeves

[Hammerboy]

I was at the car wash/gas station today and coming out of the car wash I was going to fuel up my truck. As I'm rolling out of the car wash I am aiming for the only pump that has diesel, as I'm heading that direction some young kid pulls up to the pump to get gas. Now I understand he can use any of pumps that he chooses to use, however if there are six other open pumps available why can't that person who has gas powered vehicle choose those and leave the diesel pumps open for those who need it? Of course as I am parked behind him with my motor running he's just looking at me like " why are you behind me with all these open pumps?"

That is why I prefer gas stations that have dedicated diesel pumps versus the combination units.

Rant over

Dan

[down_home]

I let mine idle 5 minutes. I'm not going to cook the turbo bearings, an coke the oil passages for some political agenda.
The new diesels are supposedly so clean you can breathe the exhaust also.
If it is cold or thee air is running because it is ungodly hot I'm not shutting off the gen either.
Diesel does not explode or vaporize easily, and there are no sparks if someone is spewing gas all over the ground. In that case we will move fast.
Stores with fuel pumps, got a better insurance rate than other businesses, because of the safety hardware etc and their record of fewer fires. And people idled their cars and trucks all the time at the pumps. In the sixties and seventies when air conditioning became more wide spread in vehicles no one cut them off while the Attendant filled the tank, washed the windshield. They wanted the oil checked they did.
This whole thing is about establishing control over society.
Smoking a cigarette over a gas tank is stupid though running or not.

[aguablanco]

So, how rude is it for a fuel station to only have 1 diesel pump? Silly question, right? Since most people's vehicles burn gas, why would they even look at what the other pumps/hoses dispense? Seems as though the complainers feel entitled to use that pump or lane to the exclusion of others. Since this is related to RVing, and most RV'ers would be on vacation or retired, what, exactly, is the hurry in most cases? I generally pull up to the first pump/lane that is available and meets the needs of my TV and rig. If that lane has a diesel pump, so be it, even if it is the only diesel pump. When did waiting one's turn, for anything, become "Other people are rude!"? This thread has turned into a river of tears for poor little me.
RichH

[CavemanCharlie]

As to the argument about idling diesels . In the old days it was always considered best to let diesels run. But, with modern diesels with there modern fuel injection systems it makes no difference. In fact it is best to shut them down.

So it depends on which diesel engine you have and how old it is.

Same way with cold starts. I have a 1983 farm tractor at my place for snow removal and to run the emergency generator if needed. ( I had to run the generator for 3 days straight a couple of year ago after a big ice storm) If it is below 40 degrees outside it will not start without hitting the ether button once. Below 30 you have to hit the button several times. Below 10 it is simply not going to start without the block heater being plugged in ahead of time.

Our new tractors will start up in any weather without any of the above. It's not good for them so we plug them in, but they will start. (They do have glow plugs but, the glow plug light only stays on for a few seconds if it comes on at all)

My brother starts his 2015 f-350 all winter long without plugging it in. And, he has never even seen the glow plug light come on. Heck, I don't even know if it has them. It just fires right up like a gas motor.

[atwowheelguy]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I guess that I never even thought about something like this. I will try to think about it more in the future but, I will probably forget.

As for the kid,,, my friends have a 15 year old son. He will be getting his DL instruction permit soon. He was asking me about the different labels on fuel pumps the other day. He has no idea of the difference between gasoline and diesel fuel. I think he will now know enough to put the right fuel in his car. But still, he didn't seem to understand the part about gasoline fumes being explosive and diesel fuel just burning. I admit that I did not explain it very well. It is just so second nature to me I was not prepared for the question.

I wonder if there is booklet I can get from somewhere to explain it. Fueling For Dummies, or something like that.

Explain to the youngster that liquid petroleum does not burn. Petroleum vapors mixed with oxygen will burn. Gasoline has a higher vapor pressure and therefore more readily vaporizes.

https://youtu.be/Zph5usgWkN0

https://youtu.be/7nL10C7FSbE

[Sport45]

Keep in mind that to the rest of the world you are just driving a pickup truck. Nobody's going to know it requires diesel unless they look at the badges and know what they mean or open the fuel filler door to read the cap. As far as they're concerned you're just looking for an open pump, same as they are.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Hammerboy wrote:
I was at the car wash/gas station today and coming out of the car wash I was going to fuel up my truck. As I'm rolling out of the car wash I am aiming for the only pump that has diesel, as I'm heading that direction some young kid pulls up to the pump to get gas. Now I understand he can use any of pumps that he chooses to use, however if there are six other open pumps available why can't that person who has gas powered vehicle choose those and leave the diesel pumps open for those who need it? Of course as I am parked behind him with my motor running he's just looking at me like " why are you behind me with all these open pumps?"

That is why I prefer gas stations that have dedicated diesel pumps versus the combination units.

Rant over

Dan

IMO - you might consider a career in gas station design!

Your rant is nothing new - sounds like something for the old ladies sewing circle - but....it is what it is!

Guess you'll just have to tough it out - or go electric or hydrogen.

Rant reply over..:W

~

[shelbyfv]

fj12ryder wrote:
^^^^^^And I assume that you feel that you are the one qualified to determine what is "reasonably necessary"? 🙂 No matter what you do, someone's toes are going to be trod upon. Maybe the pollution controls are a bit strict, but the other extreme can be seen in Mumbai or Delhi or Peking. Literally.

Yep. Fortunately there are people qualified to make these decisions. They are known as "scientists." When legitimate scientists agree on something, we ignore them at our peril.

[Sport45]

I don't recommend idling anything at a gas station. I'd possibly consider it okay at diesel only lanes but it's not a habit I'd get into.

The biggest fire I've personally witnessed was caused when a diesel engine ran away on gas fumes and blew. We were cleaning sludge out of a tank when the engine on the vac truck ran away. When it was all said and done about 30,000 barrels of crude had burnt destroying the whole facility. Talk about emissions...

I can picture the same thing happening with an idling diesel and a gasoline spill when the yoyo on the other side of the pump jams a coke bottle in the handle and walks away trusting the automatic shutoff to always work...

[Mr_Mark1]

fj12ryder wrote:
^^^^^^And I assume that you feel that you are the one qualified to determine what is "reasonably necessary"? 🙂 No matter what you do, someone's toes are going to be trod upon. Maybe the pollution controls are a bit strict, but the other extreme can be seen in Mumbai or Delhi or Peking. Literally.

X2

[fj12ryder]

^^^^^^And I assume that you feel that you are the one qualified to determine what is "reasonably necessary"? 🙂 No matter what you do, someone's toes are going to be trod upon. Maybe the pollution controls are a bit strict, but the other extreme can be seen in Mumbai or Delhi or Peking. Literally.

[wing_zealot]

shelbyfv wrote:
Hard to figure what kind of person would think breathing is a left or right issue....

Breathing is not a right or left issue. Regulation that goes over and above what is reasonably necessary is.

[SwanInWA]

fla-gypsy wrote:
Based on some of the comments here I have to wonder who the jerks really are.

This!

[shelbyfv]

Hard to figure what kind of person would think breathing is a left or right issue....

[martipr]

Oasisbob wrote:
Sounds negative but I see folks often who are only thinking of themselves. Not a care for others. Some are just not thinking. Others simply do not care. I would have nicely pointed out the situation and let him play his hand.

Seems to me that the one thinking only of themselves is the one who expects everyone else to go out out of their way be sure he has open access to the diesel pump.

[TragedyTrousers]

Oasisbob wrote:
Sounds negative but I see folks often who are only thinking of themselves. Not a care for others. Some are just not thinking. Others simply do not care. I would have nicely pointed out the situation and let him play his hand.

Oh I can tell you how that would play out, You would get a middle finger and a FU in return.