Wrong Side Fueling

you

Right, Right, Left, Left. The three Fords I own all have little arrows on the dash to remind you. The Saturn doesn't. And yes I approach the gas pumps correctly (at least most of the time). Yesterday, when I pulled into the station, the left side lane was full, so I tired filling it over the vehicle, but I just couldn't (a landscaping rig was blocking my way and keeping me from pulling far enough forward). I had to wait for the landscaping guy to unblock the lot so I could turn around and approach the pump properly. This station has the pumps with the hoses hanging from above with no retractors. I was driving the Saturn, and it's gas door is near the rear. For a pump with the more traditional lower mounted hoses, going around the rear is the easiest way if you have to try an off side fill. The same is true for my enormous momma-mobile Expedition.

No I don't see very many people who have this problem. Occasionally, like in my case yesterday, the preferred lane is taken, so people try to reach across. Some can and some can't. It doesn't appear to me to matter what they are driving. If the gas filler is near the rear, going around the rear works for most pumps (buttuming you pull far enough forward). Usually I just see people waiting for the preferred lane to clear.

don't

Maybe they are trying to enter the fastest lane and think they can get away with going over the top or around the back with the hose? Impatient people often do stupid things in the hope that they will save 2.3 seconds.

this

At least when I took driver's training, gas stations weren't part of the course or driving test. Maybe the SUV drivers usually have the vehicles filled by their spouses. Or maybe they are driving an unfamiliar vehicle. Of course in the case of my "huge" SUV (really about the size of a mid-70's station wagon), the fuel filler is on the left, so I don't have to worry about blocking the drivers door if I need to do an off side fill. I do have to wonder about the truth of your story. All of the "huge"SUVs from Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, Dodge, and even Toyota have the filler doors on the left side (by "huge" I mean Sequoia and larger SUVs). So exactly which huge SUV did you see blocking the drivers door because they parked so close? The only sort of large SUVs with the door on the right are from Mitsubishi. I suppose you might have seen an Explorer doing this (they have the filler on the right), but since they are almost the same width and length as a Camry, I can't see you calling them huge.

What part of California do you live in?

Ed