Chapter 4 Gas Stations and filling up
“It puzzles me how they know what corners are good for filling stations. Just how do they know gas and oil are under there ?” Dizzy Dean
Recently, I stopped off at a gas station and was headed inside to get a hot coffee. I nearly got run over by someone backing up and talking on their cell phones. I think that’s the most dangerous time to be using a cell phone while driving. Luckily, I was nimble enough to jump out of the way. Clearly, the driver had not seen me and she only missed me by a couple of inches.
She was backing up because she didn’t have a pump available on the “right” side for her car so she had to drive around. I’m sure everyone knows what I’m talking about. Some vehicles have their gas tank caps on the passenger side of the vehicle, while others have them on the driver side.
This leads to a lot of chaos, especially at the smaller gas stations. Although the large ones are not immune either. There are cars parked facing in opposite directions, some cars just wait for a “good” facing pump to avoid any backing maneuvers, and others just leave looking for another gas station.
My thought is that this problem is easily resolvable with little cost. The car companies should just place gas tank caps on both sides. Imagine how easy life would be then. The traffic flow at gas stations would improve substantially. If you see how snarled even the large stations get during rush hour, you can appreciate the benefit of this idea. The gas stations would get increased revenue (more cars processed per hour with fewer traffic snags), the drivers would have a much easier time because they would just drive up to the nearest available pump.
It should also be noted that by reducing the number of idling cars waiting for pumps, there is a positive impact in terms of the environment. Not a big deal, but every little bit helps . Cars that only have a gas tank cap on the passenger side, for example, sit idle and run waiting even though there’s a potential spot open. The potential spot is not oriented in the correct direction for them. I see this all the time at gas stations.
To do this physically I think is quite easy. It’s just a matter of putting another entry into the gas tank. The question is what’s the incentive for the automaker to put the extra cost into this operation?
I don’t think there is much. To begin with, this would have to be an option offered to the consumer for what I would think would be a very modest cost. Consumers like me who find it an irritation would pony up the extra cash and be happier at the pump. If there are enough consumers like me, the option would justify itself. If not, then it will die out like the dinosaur. If it catches on with sufficient vigor, eventually it might become just a standard feature. So to put the option out there doesn’t really impact the car manufacturer much.
Discuss and enjoy!
Notes to the 3rd edition for Chapter 4
This idea was one that most people viewed as just simple to implement and imbued with common sense. I think it received nearly universal support from critics and readers.