I thought in the chicago area there had been a bad explosion due to a trigger lock malfunctioning (20 yrs ago?). the gas spilled over and ran down into a nearby sewer drain then exploded. fire marshall then had all trigger locks removed for safety.
time delay/… dont forget sometimes the clerk inside still has to authorize the pump from inside the strore. Your delay could be related to them authorizing the pump
You could get one of those “handyclamps” for a buck at Home Depot, Big Lots, Lowe’s etc. If you keep it behind the seat it can be handy for keeping the trigger valve open.
The Air force has film of aircraft that it has lost due to static while refueling.
So can anybody explain to me why the hose is too short? If your tank opening is on the opposite side of the car from the pump, you may, or may not , be able to get the nozzle into the tank–its usually a mere 5 inches too short.
WHY???
Surely the gas company wants to make a profit, and move as many cars as possible through the station. So why limit access to the pumps? It would be much more efficient if the hose was long enough that any vehicle could approach any pump island. Why should I have to wait, and to line up behind others, just because my gas cap is on the left side of the car, but the only available pump is right sided. Doesnt the station owner want my business?If I’m in a hurry, I wont wait in line–I’ll go to another station.
Without a whole lot of quoting, here’s a few answers;
Whe remove the trigger locks?
Some people drive off with the nozzle still in the tank opening.
The nozzle can fall out of the opening and pump gas onto the ground if the jarring upon impact is not sufficient to release the lock.
Static electricity issues.
If the topoff mechanism malfunctions while you’re holding the trigger you’ve ruined your own paintjob and wasted the gas yourself, the station owner did neither.
Insurance companies likely offer incentives to station owners that remove the locks. (Just guessing here)
And why not have the hose long enough to reach the opposite side of the car?
Some station do but, with extra length of hose required comes the added risk of people running over the loops of hose on the ground, catching the hose on their car as they drive off and some folks, like me, don’t like having the hoses rubbing all over my car as I pull up or drive away.
I can only imagine that it also helps identify people who drive off without paying. If the hose will only reach a few feet to the car then you know that the gas being pumped is going into the car directly in front of the pump, if that car drives off without paying it’s obvious. But, if the hose will reach 8 feet away you can position your car on the other side of the pump, fill up and as you’re inside paying for your smokes the cashier sees the readout near the register but assumes that the gas will be paid for by the other car. It sounds flaky, I know, but I’ve got the conman cousin that doesn’t like paying for gas…
At the gas station I frequent, the attendant has to press “authorize” on the cash register after you’ve selected the payment type before the pump will engage. If said attendant is on the ball, there is no delay from the time you select the grade to the time you start pumping. If he’s yapping away with friends who have come to visit, it can take a trip inside before the dispenser kicks on.
Gilbarco makes the pumps at every modern gas station I’ve bothered to look for a manufacturer at…perhaps they could answer the question better than I?