Unattended Pumps and Gas Spills

[DrFaroohk]

At your station, when the customer locks the nozzle on (either by flipping the tab, or if the tab was removed, wedging something in there) and then leaves the pump alone to go take a shit or something, and they wind up spilling a hundred gallons of gas all over the ground because the automatic shutoff didn't work....

Who's fault is it? I know in some places its actually state law that you stay with the pump, but nonetheless its still a defect on our part if the auto-shutoff doesn't work...

[draggar]

Customer pays for the gas from their own stupididty, station cleans up the spill and checks the nozzle. Sometimes people don't put the nozzle in right allowing it to stop properly.

[myswtghst]

I would say the customer is responsible for paying. They walked away and left it unattended, which they really shouldn't do. Although, IMO, the employee should shut the pump off if they can when someone walks away from the vehicle and leaves it unattended.

I never understand people who walk away while fueling. It may be boring, but I'd rather stand at the pump, watch my tank fill, and be aware. This way, it doesn't overflow/spill, no one can "borrow" the pump to fill their car, and I can decide if I don't want a full tank and stop before the auto-shutoff most pumps have. Even when it's freezing out, I suck it up, bounce up and down if I have to, and stay next to the pump. Why is that so hard?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Most of the time I do not lock the nozzle on. When I do, I stay by my car.

Knowing my luck, if I were to leave the pump unattended the gas would keep pouring out onto the ground and get ignited somehow. Fire very bad.

[powerboy]

I always stay by the vehicle.

[protege]

Since I always stay by the vehicle, I sometimes do lock the pump. However, that's because I'm cleaning the windshield or headlights.

Locally though, quite a few stations have either disabled or removed the locking mechanism...too many idiots leaving pumps unattended, I guess.

[Becks]

I would say the customer is responsible for paying. They walked away and left it unattended, which they really shouldn't do.

Yeppers.

Although, IMO, the employee should shut the pump off if they can when someone walks away from the vehicle and leaves it unattended.

Hmmmmmmmmmm...I never thought of doing that when I worked at the gas station, but then I don't think I had many people walking away while gassing up.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My solution? I live in New Jersey

[draggar]

My solution? I live in New Jersey

Yeah, I remember living there. I usually had to WAIT several minutes for someone to get to me, even when the station was empty (of customers).

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yeah, I remember living there. I usually had to WAIT several minutes for someone to get to me, even when the station was empty (of customers).

I don't usually have a problem with that. One station near me, though, they seem to like making you move up - after you already turned off the engine. So you start the car again, move about 2 inches, and they say "OK"

[tollbaby]

I'm *almost* ashamed to admit this, but I didn't even know you COULD lock the nozzle on.... I always pump the gas myself and hold the handle through the entire filling. (and I don't try to squeeze "just a little more" into the tank when the auto-stop pops)

[Tigress]

One day when I was filling my car up, a guy was standing by his car totally oblivious to the fact that gas was overflowing out of his tank. He had the tab flipped out on it and the gas just did not shut off. I was standing there, both horrified and fascinated, wondering if this guy would notice that gas was trickling out of his tank. Finally, I took pity on him and pointed this out. He sheepishly shut off the pump, cleaned up the side of his car and told the guy on staff that he spilled some gas.

The guy on staff and I are on good terms, so we spent my time filling up cracking jokes about the guy while he ferried water back and forth to dilute the gas and get it going down the storm drain.

[Becks]

I'm *almost* ashamed to admit this, but I didn't even know you COULD lock the nozzle on.... I always pump the gas myself and hold the handle through the entire filling.

I know how to do it in theory, but it never works for me. Oh, well. As long as I'm in NJ, I don't have to worry about it.

[Andara Bledin]

With the pumps in California, most of them have a little latch on the end that will clip onto the trigger and hold it while the gas is pumping. Then, when the tank is full and the automatic shutoff kicks in, the shock will usually cause the clip to unclip, but since no gas is pumping any longer, it usually doesn't matter. You can also easily disengage the clip by squeezing the trigger, since the clip itself has a spring in it.

I don't really them, though, because it's more trouble to clip it than it is to just hold the handle while pumping.

^-.-^

[Kilamon]

When I was in Arizona or some place (I don't recall exactly) that did have full serve, I pulled in with my motorcycle and the guy gave me the pump to do it myself while he watched me. I wish I could remember where that was. :/

In any case, I'm all for self-serve. This is because I was driving through Oregon and the only gas station in town did not have anyone there to turn on the pumps overnight even though the pumps were made with the individual card readers. Complete crap. I spent 3 hours waiting, though I sort of needed a nap anyways. I could have driven the 3 hours to the hotel that was my destination instead.