On what side do you enter the petrol station?

Mint Sauce

Now I dont mean what side of the pumps, dedending on where your filler gap is, but what side of the forecourt.

Growing up in london, most forecourts I remember had an entry and an exit. Most here dont seem to do, so most drivers seem to head for which ever is nearest on approach. Personally, always head for the left, we drive on the left, shop will always be to the left of you, or directly in front of you, traffic will flow through easier as all going same direction, etc, etc, etc.

Your thoughts.

Export

I always approach from the rear. With caution.

corktina

any which way I can

Grolschevik

If the station is on the left as I approach, I go in the first entrance. If I'm turning into it from the other side of the road, I'll go for that same entrance. I really do think that the forecourt of petrol stations should be treated as if they are one-way systems. It'd make it easier for everyone.

BaronVon

Always on the left side, the correct side!

Export

Ah no, in reality, I'm an approach from the left person. That said, I will also survey the pumps as I approach, for the best position for me to approach from! (If I have time)

djimi

Assuming there is not marked entrance, I will go in whichever side allows me to drive up to a pump with the petrol cap on the correct side. If its an empty station or it makes no difference then I will enter from the left hand entrance.

ironclaw

Your assuming the station is parallel to the road. There are plenty of examples in Ireland where this isn't the case:

Hills in Bray: https://goo.gl/maps/bFTQd

Apple Green in Ballybrack: https://goo.gl/maps/kqfgg

Unless you are on a one way road, for example the N11 beyond Stillorgan with Esso and Apple Green, entry or exit doesn't matter as you may be continuing your journey in either direction necessitating crossing the road.

Charlie19

The pump hose is long enough to reach the far side of your car if need be, you don't always have to drive in with the tank cap facing the pump.

Mint Sauce

Charlie19 wrote: »

The pump hose is long enough to reach the far side of your car if need be, you don't always have to drive in with the tank cap facing the pump.

As said in my OP, I'm not referring to the position of your filler/tank cap.

keithclancy

The side with the sign that has the prices on it.

Charlie19

Mint Sauce wrote: »

As said in my OP, I'm not referring to the position of your filler/tank cap.

I see now...

In the case of the three stations I would use on regular basis, I drive in from the left.

wonski

Charlie19 wrote: »

The pump hose is long enough to reach the far side of your car if need be, you don't always have to drive in with the tank cap facing the pump.

Except the Apple Green in Naas - shorter than anywhere else. You have to be in perfect position to do it there;)

Del2005

Charlie19 wrote: »

The pump hose is long enough to reach the far side of your car if need be, you don't always have to drive in with the tank cap facing the pump.

They you've a hose covered in solvents and debris sitting on the paint of your car.

The few stations I use regularly I enter from the left as that's the way I approach them. Otherwise I just go in the nearest entrance, it's private property so anything goes once you miss the other cars, pedestrians and pumps.

Charlie19

Del2005 wrote: »

They you've a hose covered in solvents and debris sitting on the paint of your car.

The few stations I use regularly I enter from the left as that's the way I approach them. Otherwise I just go in the nearest entrance, it's private property so anything goes once you miss the other cars, pedestrians and pumps.

I get ya but that doesn't concern me with my old rust bucket.

keithclancy

Del2005 wrote: »

They you've a hose covered in solvents and debris sitting on the paint of your car.

The few stations I use regularly I enter from the left as that's the way I approach them. Otherwise I just go in the nearest entrance, it's private property so anything goes once you miss the other cars, pedestrians and pumps.

I'm fine, I have this special protective coating on the roof called dirt.

woppi

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Now I dont mean what side of the pumps, dedending on where your filler gap is, but what side of the forecourt.

Growing up in london, most forecourts I remember had an entry and an exit. Most here dont seem to do, so most drivers seem to head for which ever is nearest on approach. Personally, always head for the left, we drive on the left, shop will always be to the left of you, or directly in front of you, traffic will flow through easier as all going same direction, etc, etc, etc.

Your thoughts.

Generally the left, I can't say emphatically that I always do because there may have been some times in the past when I didn't for whatever reason. However, even if the petrol station is on the right, I will generally drive past the first entrance (assuming it is an entrance) so that technically I'm approaching from the left. It's based on my own rule in my own head that petrol stations work better as one way systems.

Charlie19

Left when driving left. That same entrance when approaching from the right

Charlie19 wrote: »

The pump hose is long enough to reach the far side of your car if need be, you don't always have to drive in with the tank cap facing the pump.

No... I tried that once
looked like a plank

djimi

Charlie19 wrote: »

I get ya but that doesn't concern me with my old rust bucket.

Its a concern for my white paintwork. The one and only time I tried this left a black mark on my boot as a reminder not to try it again...

Charlie19

bluewolf wrote: »

Left when driving left. That same entrance when approaching from the right




No... I tried that once
looked like a plank

Is not at all difficult.. One hand to fill and the other to hold the hose away from the boot.

Drives me nuts on a busy morning watching people holding out for the pump matching their cap side. Get a move on people:)

Mint Sauce

Charlie19 wrote: »

Is not at all difficult.. One hand to fill and the other to hold the hose away from the boot.

Drives me nuts on a busy morning watching people holding out for the pump matching their cap side. Get a move on people:)

Yeah, but I also brim my tank from near empty. I'm generally relaxing leaning against my car, gazing up at the numbers whirling, trying not to get shocked at the cost going up and up.

dgt

I go for the side my filler is on. Merc it's drivers side, Daily van it's passengers side. The 574 is behind the drivers seat.....

We have stations that don't go parallel to the road in Navan.... Plus I used to fill up in fuel depots where there was only one pump. But seeing as my preferred station is Maxol on the Dublin road, with entering and exiting from the Dublin road, and it's called Riverside as it's beside the Boyne I can only enter it from..... Terrible pun time

Popoutman

I usually enter petrol stations in a clockwise direction, with a few exception where there's a large carpark on either side of the station (cf. Chawkes on the old Dublin road in Castletroy).

I wonder sometimes when someone exits the petrol station trying to cross the road and head to the right, when there's a perfectly good roundabout 50 metres to the left. I have ended up waiting behind an overly-hesitant driver for longer than I'm happy with while they wait for two gaps in traffic. They'd have been out and on the way long ago if they went left and around the roundabout..

Del2005

Popoutman wrote: »

I wonder sometimes when someone exits the petrol station trying to cross the road and head to the right, when there's a perfectly good roundabout 50 metres to the left. I have ended up waiting behind an overly-hesitant driver for longer than I'm happy with while they wait for two gaps in traffic. They'd have been out and on the way long ago if they went left and around the roundabout..

I've noticed some places putting barriers in the middle of the road to force drivers left, still see people waiting to go right!

OldMrBrennan83

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Fred Swanson

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alias no.9

Slight OT but had an incident on a forecourt a few weeks back, two islands of pumps with pumps each side, all occupied.

One car waiting ahead of me seemingly hedging his bets between the two middle pumps as to which would be free first, hanging back a little to allow him maneuver.

If I stayed behind him, one more car behind me would have been enough to block the entrance so I pulled in behind a car on one of the outside pumps. As it happened, the driver of that car returned first.

Then the guy who had seemingly been hedging between the middle two pumps starts beeping and gesticulating, put down his window and shouted 'theres a queue' or something to that effect. I responded calmly, there's four queues and you're hogging two of them, what more do you want?

One queue or four?

OldMrBrennan83

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