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Proper Pump Etiquette

Keeping cool and courteous at the gas station

It's 5:40 p.m. and you desperately need to get gas before you get onto the freeway. And you're apparently not alone. Pulling into a crowded station and finding a place in line requires quick thinking and a cool temperament.

Mind Your Manners

The price of gasoline alone creates a hostile environment at the local filling station. In some parallel universe, you may be able to take your time and chat with other pumpers, but in this era, time is money and gasoline is even more money. While Emily Post or Miss Manners never reserved a chapter for gas station etiquette, there are a few basic rules that will reduce the possibility of pump rage.

The busiest stations are the ones with the lowest prices and the longest lines. When space allows and there's no one revving their motor behind you, it's fine to hover and wait to see which line moves fastest. But as soon as a new customer pulls onto the lot, you've got to cast your lot with one line—no more hovering.

The corollary: If a gap appears in a line, but there are obvious waiters (probably being polite enough to allow some maneuvering room for those at the pump), do not whip into that gap no matter how agile your vehicle. If you think this is an unnecessary bit of minutia, one Internet forum spent all of 12 pages discussing just such an atrocity. Judging from some of the responses, this kind of agility could be fatal.

Avoiding a Fire

Also, while this tip might sound obvious, don't pull out of the station with the nozzle still attached to your vehicle. Pumps have some form of quick release on the nozzles, apparently because this rule has been broken with some regularity, but still, schlepping up to the attendant with the nozzle in your hand is definitely a filling-station faux pas.

Not observing simple gas-station etiquette could escalate into violence, but there are real perils lurking behind the pumps. According to the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), Americans gas up around 11 to 12 billion times a year and during that year, approximately 100 accidents occur. The odds may be on your side, but losing this bet could be fatal.

Everyone knows you need to shut off your engine—completely off, with no juice going to the radio—and stub out your cigarette. The obvious danger is fire, but the most common cause is static spark. PEI studied 150 of these fires and came up with some commonalties that serve as warnings. Cold, dry weather generates static electricity, but safety measures should be taken year-round. Most of the 150 fires involved people getting back into their cars while the nozzle was still pumping. As they went back to remove the nozzle, a spark ignited the fumes.

A few of the fires were started when the gas cap was removed and before fueling even began. The recommendation to avoid static fires is simply touching a metal part of the car before you handle either the gas cap or remove the nozzle. This may sound odd, a little like touching the St. Christopher medal on your dash, but in reality, touching metal discharges the static in your body. Once you've started gassing up, don't get back in the car. If a static spark does cause a flash fire or small, sustained fire, leave the nozzle in the fill pipe and notify the station attendant. He can turn the gas off at the pump and deal with the situation much better than you.

Staying Safe

A few more common-sense safety tips include using only the refueling latch on the gasoline nozzle—never jam the latch open. The unit will shut off when the fuel level reaches a safe limit. If you've jammed it open, you'll end up standing in a puddle of spilled, flammable fuel (we personally know of someone who made this mistake, and it's an alarming experience, to say the least). We should all know by now not to top off the tank. The nozzle knows best—let it decide when your tank is full. It may be counter-intuitive, but one recommendation is to not leave unrestrained children in the vehicle while you're gassing up. The theory is that if a fire does occur, it's easier to get children out of the car if they're not strapped in.

If you need to fill a portable container, make sure the container is approved for the fuel you're pumping. If you have more than one fuel container (kerosene, diesel, etc.) in your garage, never mix fuels. (I've got a bright blue kerosene container and bright red gas can, so it's virtually idiot proof.) Put the container on the ground, not on the tailgate of your pick-up, for instance, to avoid static ignition of vapors. Manually control the nozzle valve and fill slowly to minimize spills and decrease the chance of static build up. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the container.

Fuel expands, so the container should not be filled to the top. Make sure the container cap seals properly. Even if it does, secure the container in your vehicle. Let any spilled gas on the exterior of the container have a chance to evaporate before you put it in your car. If at all possible, drive yourself and your container straight home. If you can't, don't leave the container in direct sunlight or in the enclosed trunk of your car.

While those 100 out of 12,000,000,000 odds seem pretty good, following these simple guidelines will give you an even better chance of avoiding a gas station disaster—not to mention minimizing the risk of personal embarrassment.