‘You’re not special’: Petrol pump etiquette divides Reddit

Waiting patiently in the queue for the petrol bowser can be exhausting after a long day, often tempting some drivers to take shortcuts to get to the nearest available pump.

It might be convenient, but is it socially acceptable?

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A photo of a Toyota LandCruiser skipping waiting queues at a service station by going around the long way and nosing into an empty bowser spot has ignited a Reddit debate over petrol station etiquette.

While most people on the Reddit thread were in favour of the time-saving act, others condemned the LandCruiser driver and preached patience when waiting for your turn to refuel.

“I’ll absolutely back into a pump on the ‘wrong’ side if everyone else has decided to queue for the other side pumps … it’s not really jumping the queue [and] every once in a while, someone will watch me do it and copy me afterwards,” one Reddit user wrote.

Another remarked, “You’re not slick, you’re not special. Just wait like everyone else”.

It’s not just consumers who are divided over the issue, but service station workers too.

“[I] had a guy have a whinge to me when I did this one time. [The] attendant apologised to me at the counter,” one user recalled.

Another user added, “I’ve had the attendant not turn on the pump and speak to me over the speaker system [and say] that I’m not allowed to face the wrong way”.

So, what do the official rules say about this divisive act?

A 7-Eleven spokesperson told Drive, “We encourage our customers to be respectful of others who might be waiting to access a pump before them.

"If another customer is not waiting for a specific pump, and it is safe to do so, customers can access pumps from whichever direction is practical for them."