Black Country Living Museum - Broome’s Garage ...
Black Country Living Museum - Broome’s Garage - old Petrol pumps (Photo credit: ell brown)
YOU know when you see something so mind boggling you sort of have to rub your eyes and look again? I've had a couple of those moments recently- both in petrol stations!

The first one I would class as, let me think of the right word, not just dumb but WTF stupid!
We pulled into a supermarket filling station and as DH started to get out of the car we heard shrieking.
The employee who normally lurks behind glass had thrown caution to the wings and was practically pushing people out of the way as she hurtled across the forecourt yelling:"STOP!!!!!"

Our eyes followed her trajectory to see two cars parked nose to nose at the pumps and a man clutching jump leads. One end was already attached to one car and he was about to clamp the other end to the battery of the other car! LIke I said WTF!

What could possibly go wrong? Spark-petrol station-quillions of gallons of ignited fuel........
You could hear the mass intake of breath as everyone simultaneously realised what could have happened. Thankfully the eagle eyed cashier had got there in time and proceeded to give the bewildered bloke who obviously still didn't get what he was doing wrong a well-deserved flammable fuels science lesson and a good telling off!

Then last week at a different petrol station I saw something else stupid, in a different arena of dumbness.

This particular petrol station is always mad-busy. It's always a few pence cheaper than anywhere else and so is constantly rammed. I hate it because it's on a narrow corner plot with little room to manoeuvre.

But we were passing it and in need of fuel the other day so we drove in. DH chose the shortest queue on the far left hand side. There were already cars at the pumps, and a car in front of us waiting.
Coffee cup
Coffee cup (Photo credit: @Doug88888)
The car furthest away was fuelled, guy went in, paid, came out , drove off. Car at pump nearest was empty and still there. The car waiting in front of us just about managed to squeeze past the empty car and started fuelling. Lady went in, paid, came out....

DH said he thought maybe the empty car's driver was getting coffee, hence the delay. I wondered if she'd walked into town to get coffee because she'd been gone quite a while by now.

DH squeezed our car past to get to the front pump. I went in, paid then saw two women and a small boy sitting in the cafe area enjoying coffee, sandwiches and there were cakes on the table presumably waiting to be eaten as dessert. They were chatting and relaxed.

Now there is something you need to know about me. I am not the sort of person who walks on by. This can work to your advantage if you are in distress, in need of help etc. I am the woman that will stop and help you pick up your dropped shopping, offer a plaster out of my handbag if your little one has scraped a knee or offer to help you carry your pram up the stairs at the Tube.

Equally though if you are being a F*ckwit I will happily stop and share my opinion. (ask DS about the time I sorted out the queue jumpers in a Ryanair queue)

So I couldn't help myself. With a friendly non-threatening smile I enquired if it was their car at the pumps and when they happily confirmed that I pointed out that it was not good etiquette at the busiest petrol station in Watford to abandon your car rendering one pump unusable while you enjoyed a leisurely lunch. I pointed towards the empty parking spaces right in front of the damn petrol station and asked why they hadn't moved the car after fuelling? I got blank stares of incomprehension.

I mean - isn't it blitheringly obvious that it was a stupid thing to do. I mean I know I get petrol station rage at the people who pay, get into their car then faff for five minutes with handbag, lipstick, radio, chewing gum whatever which I understand is slightly unreasonable. (though why can't people just drive off and park away from the pumps to do that!)

But do you think the cafe-woman was wrong or right? Answers on a postcard.... No I'm kidding.
My DH is used to me interacting with strangers and normally he kinda sighs in a resigned way but this time even he agreed they needed telling.

Rant over- but beware - think twice before doing something stupid or selfish at the pumps - someone is always watching!
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