Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

AMMOENDI · Jan 5, 2007

BioThomas said:
Not a peep here either. I've had the Jetta for almost a year, now. Before that I had an MB 200D for more than one year and no peep there, either.

I have owned my 2001 Jetta going on 7 years now and I still have not had anyone yell at me that I am putting the wrong fuel in. I am hoping that one day it will happen.

TDIdenver · Jan 5, 2007

Funny enough, I got it last night. Filling up in Tarrytown, NY I pull up to the diesel pump (doesnt allow you to pay there however) and so it has to be authorized from inside still. I stick the nozzle in and pull the handle. Nothing. I wait a few more seconds and watch the numbers waiting for them to zero out. Nothing. So I look over towards the attendant and she's staring at me and then says over the intercom, "Sir, you on pump 12! That is a DIESEL pump! Move forward for the gas!" I said, "It's a diesel car!" She then proceeded to wait a few more seconds and just assuming that I knew what was going on allowed me to pump. When I got inside she was amazed that it was a diesel "car". I said, "Yes ma'am. And I'd be expecting a lot more in the coming years."

Still happening....

ButtUglyJeff · Jan 6, 2007

AMMOENDI said:
I have owned my 2001 Jetta going on 7 years now and I still have not had anyone yell at me that I am putting the wrong fuel in. I am hoping that one day it will happen.

Don't be so anxious for it to happen. I always get it at the most inconvenient times, or when I'm running late............

dlai · Jan 6, 2007

I don't understand people like this either. The pumps were painted a different color, had the ULSD sticker on them, and were clearly marked "Diesel". Why would everyone one else be in the long gas lines if these pumps were gas pumps as well? Oh well, if it were not for people like the Sienna owner, there would a lot less stories to tell...

Tom Servo said:
I mean, really. I've been keeping up with this thread for a long time. It never ceases to amaze me that people report others trying to swoop over to the diesel pumps, all the sudden assuming they're gaseous because a darn car is there.

Call me stupid (everyone else does) but even I knew as a kid that the lonely, neglected, uncovered and messy pumps weren't for "normal" cars.

This saddens me. Are people really this crazy? Sure I've seen some uncovered gas pumps at the Flying J plazas, for big vehicles. But in general... Isn't it uncommon to find orphaned gas pumps seperate from the herd?

seftonm · Jan 6, 2007

I've got a variation on the "gasser coming over to the diesel pump" theme. I was filling up at one of my usual stations which has gas pumps in front of the building and a diesel pump at the side. An old guy in a Chevy Duramax pulled up at the other side of the pump I was using, which has two nozzles that can be used at the same time. He sits there for a few seconds looking at my car and the pump with a puzzled look on his face. After that, he leaves and drives around front to where the gas pumps are. I watch him pull up beside a gas pump and look at it carefully, then move on to the next one and do it again. He moves on and disappears to the other side of the building. I go in to pay, get back in my car to start writing mileage down when the guy returns. He does the same look at my car and look at the pump routine and finally gets out after 20 seconds. I start my car hoping he'll hear it and realize what's going on. I don't think he even noticed, he just continued on with his business so I drove off.

That's the only strange story I have, I think people here are more aware of TDI's than in the USA. I've had a few people people ask if I can really get 1000 km per tank and once when I was pulling into a gas station, a person filling his F-150 looked at my car and pointed out the diesel pumps for me.

There was also one Kodak moment. Flying J had just opened here and they had very low diesel prices for a while so I decided to try them out. As I turned onto the access road, I saw a Jetta leaving but couldn't make out if it was a TDI. I had never seen a TDI at the same station as me before so I thought that was kind of interesting. As I got closer to the pumps, I saw a Passat, Jetta, and Jetta wagon filling. They're all on the gas/diesel hybrid pumps and I take the last remaining hybrid pump. I walk around and notice that they are all TDI's. The Passat leaves shortly after and within a minute, another Jetta TDI pulls up and starts to fill. That makes 5 confirmed (possibly 6) TDI's within a 5 minute span. Certainly broke my previous record of 1 TDI filling.

moogleslam · Jan 7, 2007

not a gas station story, but i was pulling into work on friday morning and a friend noted that "your car sounds funny". I said with a smile "maybe that's because it's a diesel!"

naturist · Jan 7, 2007

not a gas station story, and happened in my Jeep CRD rather than my VW TDI, but I was taking a group of college students on a field trip, and when I started the Jeep, one of them remarked "damn this thing sounds like a diesel." It should be noted here that it does, but only to folks sitting inside it; it is quieter and more gas-like sounding to folks standing next to it.

Matt-98AHU · Jan 7, 2007

naturist said:
not a gas station story, and happened in my Jeep CRD rather than my VW TDI, but I was taking a group of college students on a field trip, and when I started the Jeep, one of them remarked "damn this thing sounds like a diesel." It should be noted here that it does, but only to folks sitting inside it; it is quieter and more gas-like sounding to folks standing next to it.

I've seen/heard them in person. From 30 feet away I remarked "Man, that sounds like my TDI!" As it drove by, yessir, CRD badge! At idle it sounded very TDI-like.

Kier · Jan 7, 2007

I often have owners of Diesel Pickup Trucks ask me what kind of mileage I get out of a tankful. When I mention I get consistantly over 700 miles per tank they almost faint. After talking a bit about maintance I typically show them the spare 1L Bottle of Motul or ELF 506.01 oil and Stanadyne. Before I pull away they always ask for the websites where I purchase my oil and additives and mention that they now want to look into purchasing a TDI for the family car. Most never knew passenger cars were sold with an advanced TDI diesel engine option.

SyNtAxx · Jan 8, 2007

I have a story...

I was driving to Kansas City Ks from Philadelphia this past summer to vist the other side of the family :-/. Anyhow after joining the 800 mile club and after passing through 3.5 states I decided to fuel up in Illinois. While seemingly running on vapors...I saw out of the corner of my eye a sign that said "BioDiesel sold here" problem was I didnt see where "here" was since I was concerned I would be pushing my ride to the pumps.

Anyhow I finally make it to this BP station which was right off the Interstate, yet in the middle of nowhere. It was a very old station with a very old attendant and a very sign. Corn Silos could be seen all around me.....

I lift the handle to start the pump and to my amazement I found BioDiesel 11%.....I start fueling....and the seeminly 80 year old man comes hobling out and yells in an old man voice..."Hey that thar pump is for tractors....."

I replied....."thats a good thing since this car has a tractor engine in it" he waddled back into the shop and him and his friend both stared at me very confused.

I still dont think they belived me when I told them the car was a diesel vehicle.

owr084 · Jan 8, 2007

SyNtAxx said:
I lift the handle to start the pump and to my amazement I found BioDiesel 11%.....I start fueling....and the seeminly 80 year old man comes hobling out and yells in an old man voice..."Hey that thar pump is for tractors....."

I replied....."thats a good thing since this car has a tractor engine in it" he waddled back into the shop and him and his friend both stared at me very confused.

I still dont think they belived me when I told them the car was a diesel vehicle.

What he might have meant is that the pump was diesel for off-road vehicles only and therefore did not have any road taxes included. Are your fuel lines now a nice shade of red?

SyNtAxx · Jan 8, 2007

owr084 said:
What he might have meant is that the pump was diesel for off-road vehicles only and therefore did not have any road taxes included. Are your fuel lines now a nice shade of red?

No red....it was road taxed fuel.

where2 · Jan 8, 2007

A few tanks ago, I'm filling up at the station that my employer uses for all their gasser pickup trucks. It's an older layout station with a nasty-gooey double sided diesel pump nestled between the pay-at-the-pump gas pumps. It's 8:15AM, and the place is always jumping as the work day is getting started. I manage to back into the diesel pump, close enough to get the nozzle to the tank. There's a Yukon filling up behind me at the gasser pump, and a lawn maintenance truck filling at the opposite gas pump. I go inside to hand them my card (because diesel can't be Pay-at-the-pump). I come back out, there's a F-350 econoline giving me the evil eye (sounds like a diesel, and he probably thought I just couldn't park). I grab a nitrile glove out of the rear door pocket and stuff the diesel nozzle into the tank. Meanwhile, the guys filling everything around me start the "You do know you're pumping diesel into that car??" To which I responded, "Thanks, it's got a diesel engine under the hood and get's 40mpg!" The guy behind me says he didn't know that anyone made a diesel passenger car (as he's filling the Yukon). I responded "Yeah, this VW is awesome, I've put 500 miles on this tank of diesel and it's still at 1/4 tank!". One guy asks "So how much does the tank hold?" Another asks "Does the diesel option cost a bunch more than the gas engine?" Then the ultimate question: "Is it noisy on the highway?" to which I responded: "Its as quiet as a gas engine running on the highway..."

soberups · Jan 9, 2007

I feel left out because I run biodiesel and my only sources for it are two local cardlock stations which I joined and which are usually empty when I get there. The funniest thing that has happened to me is that I pulled in the other day to fill up and there was an old long-haired hippie type guy filling up an 80's-vintage Mercedes with bio. We eyeballed each other's cars, started chatting, and before we knew it we had spent 45 minutes rewriting US energy policy, solving the worlds problems and otherwise indulging in our mutual biodiesel obsession. Finally my cellphone rings...OOOPs its my wife, wanting to know where the hell I was (with our take-out dinner that I had picked up getting colder by the minute.)

nicklockard · Jan 9, 2007

Soberups,

One of the best stories yet!

rngr633 · Jan 9, 2007

I guess diesel cargo vans are not that common either, at least not in Bullhead City Arizona. Shortly after the Oklahoma City Bombing, I pulled into a station there to fill up. Some Redneck comes flying out, & starts writing down my plate #. Demands "Just what do you think you're gonna do with all that Diesel"? Thought for sure he had 'em one of those Terro-ists. Was very disappointed when he saw the "Diesel Fuel Only" tag by my tank cap!

DrewD · Jan 9, 2007

rngr633 said:
.... Demands "Just what do you think you're gonna do with all that Diesel"? Thought for sure he had 'em one of those Terro-ists. Was very disappointed when he saw the "Diesel Fuel Only" tag by my tank cap!

I would have replied, "Mix it with ammonium nitrate fertilizer, of course!" Follwed by "Fi Amanullah" (may Allah protect you) - by way of saying good-bye. Nothing worse than an overzealous citizen.

vwestlife · Jan 9, 2007

OK, might as well tell my story... yesterday I pulled into my favorite Gulf station to fill up. This station used to have two diesel pumps, with low- and high-flow nozzles on opposite sides of each pump, but a few weeks ago a truck hit one of the pumps and knocked it out of commission.

So now they just have one diesel pump, and this time a big truck was filling up on the high-flow side, and the low-flow side was blocked by a Chevy Astro van using the adjacent gas pump. Since my filler is on the "wrong" side, I pulled around, facing the Astro head-on and waiting to take its spot. I give it enough room to pull out without backing up... but there was a Nissan Pathfinder right behind it, and she pulls up to that same gas pump!

So in typical New Jersey fashion, I pull up, lay on the horn, and gesture for her to move to another pump (there were at least four or five open). Eventually she got the point and moved, probably thinking I was just being a jacka$$. I realize I should've gotten out and asked her to move because she was blocking the diesel pump, but I admit I have not much patience for women driving SUVs.

Then the attendant comes up and asks why I was honking -- he probably didn't see what was going on, so I explained the situation to him. Next time I'm going to get on their case to get that second diesel pump replaced, if they don't do so by then. It really sucks for them to have only one non-exclusive diesel pump, because they're convenient to my daily commute and sell ULSD "Premium Diesel" at a price lower than what other nearby stations charge for awful 40-cetane LSD.

On the upside, when I got back to work I bragged to my coworkers that I travelled 785 miles on my last tank and got 44 MPG (not bad for winterized fuel).

(Still, I got asked what the price per gallon for Diesel fuel was... I think some people are so short-sighted that their only concept of how "fuel efficient" a vehicle is, is how much it costs to fill up. So even before they can complain about the higher price for diesel vs. gas, I always mention that I only fill up twice a month, while some of them are filling up twice a week!)

mrGutWrench · Jan 10, 2007

vwestlife said:
(snip) I should've gotten out and asked her to move because she was blocking the diesel pump, (snip)

__. Yeah, I had a very similar at a Flying J in western VA once. It's a "take your card inside because they don't have a slot on the diesel pump" place; then I find the first pump I pull up to is out of order, so I pull around to the other side. The guy with the goose-neck camper on the dually pickup finally moves and before I can get there, the lady (mine was driving a "Trans-Maro") moves in and blocks the diesel pump to get to the gas pump. I just told her that that was the only diesel pump and asked if she minded moving to another gas pump. She looked at the diesel pump, smiled, and said "of course" and moved over to the gas pump in front.

__. Of course, after I filled, I had to go inside and stand in line behind 7 people buying candy bars and cigarettes to get my card and receipt. I really enjoyed that whole experience

. But at least the young lady was nice.

snoopis · Jan 11, 2007

I've never had anything interesting happen while filling my TDI. I think my first "good" story will be if I buy this Jeep Cherokee I'm looking at and fill it with diesel on accident.

DrewD said:
Nothing worse than an overzealous citizen.

Yeah, you'd think he was in the neighborhood watch or something, what an idiot!

There's nothing wrong with being observant, and letting the authorities know when you see something fishy. It's not like he held our diesel friend at gun point or something. I'm glad to know there are people who pay attention to what's going on. Of course, he could have just walked up and said "is that a diesel?"

bikeprof · Jan 17, 2007

Here is a funny one(IMO):

I was at the station putting air in (the tires of)my '74 FIAT 128CP and a VW 2-slow wagon pulls up to the pump.
He starts the process with the nozzle, I start waving my arms and finally get his attention

. He stops and I ask him to make sure if RUG is what it is what he wants IN the fuel tank!
MY

...

THEN, we talked about good food, good driving VW's and maximizing MPG's, and ALSO I tried opening their eyes to the TDI life!

They were from New Mexico(ALBQ), taking a ski trip and on their way back home.

Short of it... IT was a 2-slow being, IT was a WAGON and IT is an AUTOMATIC! I actually felt sort of sad for them

, up here in the mountains with that motor

.

We talked about WHERE to get good food, how to maximize MPG's and how many MPG's mine Variant makes

.
Took about 20 minutes

!

edit: a 2-slow "being", is a 2-liter VW that is only good for the flatlands, like SEA LEVEL

!
I did keep that to myself!

n1das · Jan 22, 2007

n1das said:
I was debating whether to post this here or in my "Helping to Spread the TDI Gospel" thread I started a few months ago. But since it happened earlier tonight while fueling up, it's definitely a fuel up story.

I was fueling up tonight at Haffner's on Route 3A in Hudson NH. I fueled up at the Diesel truck pump like I normally do. I got the usual weird looks from the mob of gassers in line at the gas pumps, who were blocking the other Diesel pumps. The Diesel pumps are located in the middle of each gasser island, so they get blocked frequently.

Anyway, I get done fueling up, go back inside and get my change because you have to pre-pay at this station, get back in my car and pull around to the parking area in front of the convenience store. I get out, pop the hood, and fill up my washer fluid reservoir because it was nearly empty. I left the engine running so everybody can hear the TDI engine idle. I drop the hood, and just as I get back into my car and getting ready to leave, I'm approached by two Hudson police officers on bicycles. They had noticed the lettering on my TDI (see my sig below) and one of them asked me "How do you like your TDI? What's TDIclub all about?" The look on their faces was priceless after I mentioned that the 700 miles on one tank and 50MPG numbers are for real.

One of them mentioned he drives a Toyota Corolla gasser and gets around 31MPG. He was surprised to learn that Toyota has a Diesel version of it in Europe. He asked "Why don't they bring that here?" We chatted for about 10 minutes about TDIs, TDIclub, and the situation with Diesel cars in this country and how things are different in Europe. One of them also said "Wow, it's very quiet too!" Overall, it was a good conversation and some positive TDI publicity!

The officers had parked their patrol car in the gas station's lot and were gearing up to start their evening bicycle patrol in the area while I was fueling up. I kind of had a gut feeling I was being watched by them when I was filling the washer fluid reservoir because my Golf's butt was facing them from across the lot. Anyway it was fun helping to spread the TDI Gospel. They noticed my license plate (N1DAS) because one of them is also a licensed ham radio operator (didn't get his callsign). So we also talked briefly about radio stuff too.

It was fun! More of us should help spread the TDI Gospel whenever the opportunity presents itself.

More Diesel demand --> More Diesel choices!

~ n1das

I have a story today that's an update to this story.

I pulled into Haffner's in Hudson NH today to fill up with some ULSD and a family in a Toyota Sienna minivan pulled up to a gas pump on the same side of the island as me. The diesel pump is in the center of the island and gasser pumps are on the ends. We're essentially moving toward each other and he stops be cause sees me pulling up to the diesel pump. I backed up a little bit to give him some more room. I get out of my car and he gets out and says "David, can I pull up a little farther?" It turns out HE was the same Hudson NH cop that I talked to back in 2004! He's also a fellow ham radio operator and we've chatted on the air several times since 2004. That's how he knew my name. I didn't recognize him at first since this is only the second time we've actually met up in person. I then guided him as he pulled his car up a little closer to the front of my Golf so his would be close enough to the gas pump I was still close enough to the diesel pump.

We chatted for a few minutes about TDIs and ham radio stuff as we filled our cars up. I gave him the scoop on the TDI situation in the USA and to look for them in 2008...about when he'll be in the market for a car again. I have a gut feeling he'll someday be driving a TDI!

scurvy · Jan 23, 2007

I decided to get a few gallons of plain ULSD to get me back to my preferred ULSD-B11 pumps with plenty of range to spare. Unfortunately, a tanker was hooking up to the underground tanks, so I drove over and rolled down my window.

"Hey boss, whatcha delivering?"

"Pretty much everything, but I haven't dumped it yet. You're OK, go ahead and fill up." (pause) "What are you getting?"

"Diesel!"

(big pause as he notices my Golf's idle note) "OH. Right, right. Yeah, go ahead, I won't start for another 10 minutes."

Remember kids, never fill up while the tanks are being filled. "Fresher" fuel is an absurd liberal myth in that case.

jkeller · Jan 23, 2007

scurvy said:
Remember kids, never fill up while the tanks are being filled. "Fresher" fuel is an absurd liberal myth in that case.

What makes this myth "liberal"?

scooperhsd · Jan 23, 2007

You want to give the tanks time to let the "crap" in the tank settle out so it doesn't end up in your fuel tank. This applies to gasoline as well as diesel.

scurvy · Jan 23, 2007

jkeller said:
What makes this myth "liberal"?

"Absurd liberal myth" is just a funny phrase I like to use in inappropriate situations, like when talking about how the moon causes tides or, in this case, that since a tanker is delivering "fresh" fuel from the refinery that the fuel is better.

It has nothing to do with politics. Be cool. Light fuse and get away. Emits showers of sparks.

nicklockard · Jan 23, 2007

Scurvy's signature line

Law of Entropy, FTW!

scurvy · Jan 23, 2007

nicklockard said:
Law of Entropy, FTW!

If anything, it should be "Talking Heads FTW!" but I'm sure David Byrne doesn't like 1337 g4m3rz t41k any more than I do

scurvy

darkscout · Jan 23, 2007

scurvy said:
like when talking about how the moon causes tides

Um... then what does?

-

On topic. Dec 1 we had a MASSIVE snow storm in Central, IL. Everything was shut down for the day. I finally decided I wanted to go out and play so I spent a good hour or so digging out my drive way then I idled it around town. (Passing SUVs and RWD vehicles who think that spinning tires is better.[0]). Finally got to a gas station with all the gas pumps shut off. Pulled right up to the Diesel and filled up. The attendant comes out "Those things take Diesel. I never saw a car that's taken diesel." Mind you I think Peoria has one of the highest per/capita TDIs I've ever seen[1].

[0]. When trying to explain this one to people I use this analogy: When you're walking on slippery ice do you A) Walk slowly. Make sure each foot is planted then pull your self along or B) Run as fast as you can and slip in 1 spot. Usually that makes the light bulb go off.
[1]. Working for a company that makes diesel engines must help

scurvy · Jan 23, 2007

darkscout said:
Um... then what does?

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Stories when filling up at "gasoline station"

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