h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Your Post 87 in the Retail Rant thread talks about a self-serve gas station, more specifically "occasionally someone would wedge the nozzle open with their gas tank cap, which is against the law. The maximum fines ...."

It's driving me mad...
As I was putting petrol in my car today (in Europe), I was STILL trying to figure out what part of the nozzle you could wedge and indeed why you would want to do it anyway. As it involves fines, it must be a tempting trick so why and how is it done exactly?

I've even started a thread on the subject (which doesn't seem to have attracted any Canadians).

I hope you have time to answer this before leaving for Europe because I'd really like to know the answer.

Deni

In Canada, fuel pump nozzles use a lever inside a guard that you squeeze to open -- similar to the trigger on a gun, except in a slightly different orientation. Most gas tank caps can fit inside the guard and wedge the nozzle open.

Nozzles are designed to shut themselves off when they sense gas in a small hole on the underside of the filling tip. When this hole is covered, the valve clicks shut and you have to release the handle to reset it. Full-service nozzles (where an attendant fills the tank for you) are designed with special bits to hold the nozzle open for the attendant. Self-service nozzles are missing these bits. If you wedge a self-service nozzle open, it may not always shut itself automatically when the tank is full.

I once had a customer who wedged the nozzle open. I couldn't tell this from my position so I didn't shut the pump off. (He didn't walk away from the hose, which is a sign that the nozzle's probably wedged open.) I suddenly noticed a pool of gas under his vehicle and hit the Big Red Button to kill all the pumps. He was hopping mad that the nozzle had malfunctioned and ruined his boots because he didn't notice the tank overflowing until it started soaking into his boots. I asked him "where was the gas cap?". He said it was wedged in the nozzle and I said "that's illegal. It's clearly posted on the pump." He tried to get us to replace his boots, but that didn't work. blah blah blah

I made him push his car out of the lane and then spread spill absorbant all over the place. If he had started his car, it could have sparked and then there would have been a crater in place of the gas station. (That would have ruined my day.)

Thank you for the answer, it was really irritating not to know. In Europe, all petrol pump nozzles have a locking device on the trigger.

Hope you enjoy your trip

Regards