When I am at the gas station I sometimes see people holding the hose up to get the last few drops of gas out of the hose - at least that is what I assume people are doing. What are they doing? Does it work? Do you get more gas out of the hose this way? Is this gas that they have paid for? Where did these people get the idea from?
The hose has a loop it in that would prevent the gas from flowing out if the nozzle is kept above the loop, but if you raise loop above the nozzle, will gas flow out? You would have to be squeezing the trigger. I guess this boils down to a more fundamental question: Where is the mechanism that stops the flow of gasoline whne the trigger is released. Is it at the nozzle end of the hose or at the pump end?
Without actually seeing what you’re describing, I think people are trying to vent the gas flow so the automatic shut-off won’t trigger, so they can “round off” to exactly 10 gallons or $20 or whatever.
In the mid-late 70s I worked at a self serve gas station while in high school. Gas was 52.9/gallon.
When I worked 11pm to 7am I would drain the little bit of gas in the hose after each customer. Raise the loop, open the handle, and get ? 1/8 - 1/4 cup of gas. Over my 8 hour shift I would get enough of a 5 gallon can filled to make it worthwhile.
I assume it would still work nowadays. Shut off pump, raise loop, pull trigger.
In our part of the world, most pumps now drop the hose down from the overhead, so there is no loop hanging down. The gas pretty much drains out by gravity.
As described in the OP, customers are taking the residue left by the last user but leaving none for the next person to come along. This practice doesn’t rip off the service station, just the next poor schmuck to use the pump. While it’s not theft, it’s hardly admirable either.
It’s not like they’re “creating” gas. Someone is taking more than they paid for.
Come on, they’re wasting their time more than their ripping anyone off. As vetbridge pointed out, a single hose-full isn’t much. I make it worth about 10p, at sky-high British prices.
Where I worked just a few years ago, you wouldn’t get “the hosefull”, you might see “a couple tablespoons” depending on the nozzle they used. The nozzle is not just a straight-through valve, and holding it open when the pump is turned off did not allow all the gas in the hose to run out.
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Thing is, I worry that other people look at me making sure at least the drips from the nozzle make it into the tank and thing I’m the one being foolish.
But it’s only because I’ve splashed them all over my trousers more than once. :smack:
I do it, but not to get all the gas I can, but because if I don’t, as soon as I remove the nozzle it will dribble down the side of the car. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want gasoline ruining my paint job.
I’ve spilled a lot of gas down the side of my truck over the years. Granted, the paint on my 14 year old truck isn’t in the greatest shape, but the paint under the gas cap isn’t any worse than the paint elsewhere.
Agreed. All I care about is smelling of petrol all day. There’s no way the paint is affected by it. (Wouldn’t that perhaps possibly have been something paint manufacturers would have worked out by now?)
I do it. In fact, I’ll spit into the wind and admit that it’s to get that last teaspoonful of gas, yep. I pick pennies up off the sidewalk, too, and I wash and re-use resealable food bags.
But for my own ego’s sake, I’ll add that I tip well in restaurants, give loose change to charity, and bum cigarettes to people on the street. I’m no miser, just thrifty in little ways.
Did you ever pick up a 1974 penny, not too discolored, but not bright either, I think the letter on it was D, and on the other side it had a little bit of old gum?
The fact that at current local gas prices it would cost me over $60 fill my tank up (I drive a Ford E-150 cargo van), I am happy to attempt to get any remaining drops from the hose out of any local gas station. I used to drive a Honda. The fact that I can put in $20 and get LESS than half a tank is fucking ludicrous. But that’s what I pay for being able to fit a 14 person party on my van at will.
Me, too … I’m very protective of my car’s paint job. (Here in L.A. the thrifty among us keep our cars for > 10 years at a time, so the cumulative effect of the gas droplets adds up to a ratty looking paint job.)
I don’t understand this - round these parts, pulling the trigger is what, er, triggers the pump… If you did this you’d start pumping gas over your shoes, or wherever. Do you have a separate switch for the pump, or something?
Huh. It costs me £51 to fill up if I let the tank run down to fumes. That’s 93 of your dollars, and I have a 2 plus 2 seat coupé. Don’t bitch about petrol prices when there’s a Brit in the room - it’s just rude
