A mystery of the modern world

[azekeil]

Petrol (fuel) stations. I just went to a petrol station during my lunch break and a number of the pumps were 'out' of diesel. It's just occurred to me that presumably for the pump to be 'out' of diesel it must have run out on someone at some point. Has it happened to you? Do you know anyone it's happened to? I certainly don't.

A mystery huh? Can anyone give me a better explanation than the one I thought of below?

My only explanation is that they must put the pump out of action notices on when it gets low rather than completely empty.

Comments

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

I'd guess that they must know how much goes into each one and they must know how much goes out too so I'd agree with your explanation.
It does make you think tho.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

*shrug*. It did make me think for a while though.

I'm going to have to hold another party soon so loads of people can meet each other (again). This includes you :)

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

Yay! That would be very cool.
You knew my friend Arabella too didn't you? She's living in Cheltenham too.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

:)

I was meaning to ask you about Arabella. She's in Cheltenham? Well well. Does she have an LJ as well? When I hold the party (announcement on LJ at some point) you'll have to mention it to all and sundry (but let me know if you intend to bring a metric sh.. lot of people) and of course she (and friends?) will be included :)

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

There aren't many people from back then that I am stil in touch with really.
Ara went to Chetenham for uni 4 years ago and stayed there, she doesn't have an lj tho.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Me neither funnily enough. New friends are good though, as is getting back in touch with good old friends :)

[sepheri.livejournal.com]

Indeed.
And so very much has happened since I last spoke to you that I wouldn't even know where to start. I expect it the same for you too.

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Yes. Should be interesting :)

[racinghippo.livejournal.com]

Well, if they were to let it get completely drained then there'd be nowt but air in the pipes. Can you imagine trying to suck one of those to get the feed flowing again?!

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Hand that man a round of applause. How obvious it is when one applies some brains :)

[serena-lesley.livejournal.com]

Hand that man a round of applause

Yes. But, how does one go about doing that, exactly? ;)

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Aha! Another mystery of the modern world..

[stuartl.livejournal.com]

Well dur! The same way you get any large round in. You borrow a tray from the bar, of course.

[sebastian-lux.livejournal.com]

Sorry to be a party pooper here, but I have had it happen to me before and have been told that it never runs dry exactly, but they do have a minimum level at which the pumps automatically shut off (for presisely the reasons stated above by racinghippo. What that means is that basically if you desperately need fuel at the moment you might be able to get enough to take you to another station if your lucky!

[ninneviane.livejournal.com]

Yes, I had it happen to me to, and like the nosey personage I am, I asked what happens...surely an air bubble gets in the pipe and blah, blah, blah.
I was told exactly the same thing :)
The annoying thing about this incident, was I only totalled about 3.90 in fuel...expecting to pay for a full tank on my debit card, having not a bean on me, it's then I discover they wouldn't accept payment by card for anything less than a fiver, which meant I had to use one of those petrol station atm machines, being charged 1.60 for taking a tenner out! **huff**

I was NOT a happy bunny that day!

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Hmph. I would have refused on the grounds that it wasn't my fault the pump ran out. If they'd pushed the matter I would have written them an I.O.U. and then next refilled at the same station the next time and repaid the I.O.U.

I'm not sure what the legalities surrounding all that are but I doubt they'd prosecute for £3.90 that you intended to repay ;)

[ninneviane.livejournal.com]

These days, I probably would have done...but this was back while I was still with M and dreadfully avoidant in times of conflict. I had a rant, started to get really angry, started feeling tearful...went the atm, threw the tenner at him, snatched my change...stomped off, sped off the forecourt, parked up round the corner, and cried like the great big tit I was :D

[azekeil.livejournal.com]

Aaah. :)

[purrthecat.livejournal.com]

I've had one run out too. But the attendent told me to wait a moment while he just 'flipped a switch' and changed it to a different tank?! Bizarre, but that's what happened. And I carried on pumping the petrol.