TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 I stop to get gas this morning, because my light always comes on on the coldest day of the year, and as I'm pumping gas a lady pulls up on the other side of the pump. She stops her SUV and exits her vehicle. Because of where we both are, I can only see her as she steps out of the car, but I see her look to the back of her car, stop, half heartedly throw her hands up slightly and get back in the car. Even without seeing the rest of her car, I can tell that her gas tank is on the other side of her car. We've all done it at some point. Maybe in a rental car or borrowing a friend's car. And forgetting that you're not in the friendly confines of your own vehicle. So no judgement here. Yet. (Crazy obvious foreshadowing) She then gets back in her car and starts it. The SUV lurches forward quickly as the car's movements give away the driver's panic and frustration. She quickly does a small, loop around the parking lot as if she had the steering wheel pegged as far to the right as it could go her entire short trip, only to end up in the exact same position she was 5 seconds ago. The SUV engine shuts off again and she exits her car, only to look back and see the exact same vision she just saw no more than a minute ago. This time she throws her hands up wholeheartedly and lets out a groan of frustration as she leans her head back to look skyward. She hops back in her car and slams the door, firing the engine back up to a scary rev. By now, I'm finishing up filling my tank. As I begin the process of replacing the nozzle and completing my transaction, she quickly speeds to another fuel pump island leaving the obviously defective one behind. As I get in my car, I can see her exit her vehicle only to realize that pump also doesn't line up with her gas tank on the passenger side. Sometimes I wonder how, we as a species, can have both the most information readily available to us than ever before in the history of mankind, and also be the dumbest we've ever been as a whole. 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BeTheMatch 516 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 It's my experience that the pump hoses at most gas stations are long enough to reach the other side of your vehicle anyway, so.... 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ditkaless Wonders 16,252 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Should have said "I've got your hose right here!" 3 2 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 minutes ago, BeTheMatch said: It's my experience that the pump hoses at most gas stations are long enough to reach the other side of your vehicle anyway, so.... This is the oddest response to this post. Not sure what exactly to do with this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 Just now, Ditkaless Wonders said: Should have said "I've got your hose right here!" #metoo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
offdee 1,472 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 For any stupid people reading this thread that can relate.... your gas gauge on your dashboard has an arrow on it...that’s pointing to the side of your car the gas tank is on. 10 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 15 minutes ago, offdee said: For any stupid people reading this thread that can relate.... your gas gauge on your dashboard has an arrow on it...that’s pointing to the side of your car the gas tank is on. Most cars have this. I noticed my rental car I had recently did not have this. It was a Nissan Altima. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan Lambskin 13,615 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 22 minutes ago, offdee said: For any stupid people reading this thread that can relate.... your gas gauge on your dashboard has an arrow on it...that’s pointing to the side of your car the gas tank is on. I found this out a few years ago one of the most valuable things I ever learned Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Getzlaf15 10,902 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) 1. I have never once done this, even in a rental car in the wild. 2. I thing she was hangry Edited November 8, 2019 by Getzlaf15 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MAC_32 12,496 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 We're developing into a society consumed with distraction in which we need to specifically be told what to do. We don't look at a map to figure out how to get from point A to point B anymore. We just plug the location into the gps and let the robots tell us how to get there. She's not thinking about which side of the car the gas tank is located. She's distracted with something else and expecting the robots to tell her where to park. We may have more information now than ever before, but our ability to retain and utilize it is a bell curve - and each of ours is different. Some people are on the wrong side of it and experience the law of diminishing returns. More information is not a good thing in their case, it's the opposite. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JaxBill 6,833 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 41 minutes ago, TheIronSheik said: Most cars have this. I noticed my rental car I had recently did not have this. It was a Nissan Altima. THE GAS WAS COMING FROM INSIDE THE CAR!!?! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parasaurolophus 7,215 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 33 minutes ago, Getzlaf15 said: 1. I have never once done this, even in a rental car in the wild. 2. I thing she was hangry I just did it. My car of 12 years had it on passenger side. We just got a new car and it is on driver side. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foosball God 2,932 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 hours ago, TheIronSheik said: I stop to get gas this morning, because my light always comes on on the coldest day of the year, and as I'm pumping gas a lady pulls up on the other side of the pump. She stops her SUV and exits her vehicle. Because of where we both are, I can only see her as she steps out of the car, but I see her look to the back of her car, stop, half heartedly throw her hands up slightly and get back in the car. Even without seeing the rest of her car, I can tell that her gas tank is on the other side of her car. We've all done it at some point. Maybe in a rental car or borrowing a friend's car. And forgetting that you're not in the friendly confines of your own vehicle. So no judgement here. Yet. (Crazy obvious foreshadowing) She then gets back in her car and starts it. The SUV lurches forward quickly as the car's movements give away the driver's panic and frustration. She quickly does a small, loop around the parking lot as if she had the steering wheel pegged as far to the right as it could go her entire short trip, only to end up in the exact same position she was 5 seconds ago. The SUV engine shuts off again and she exits her car, only to look back and see the exact same vision she just saw no more than a minute ago. This time she throws her hands up wholeheartedly and lets out a groan of frustration as she leans her head back to look skyward. She hops back in her car and slams the door, firing the engine back up to a scary rev. By now, I'm finishing up filling my tank. As I begin the process of replacing the nozzle and completing my transaction, she quickly speeds to another fuel pump island leaving the obviously defective one behind. As I get in my car, I can see her exit her vehicle only to realize that pump also doesn't line up with her gas tank on the passenger side. Sometimes I wonder how, we as a species, can have both the most information readily available to us than ever before in the history of mankind, and also be the dumbest we've ever been as a whole. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vupgBykQnko 2 1 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 30 minutes ago, Foosball God said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vupgBykQnko OMG! That's almost exactly what I saw. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zamboni 6,954 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 hours ago, TheIronSheik said: I stop to get gas this morning, because my light always comes on on the coldest day of the year, and as I'm pumping gas a lady pulls up on the other side of the pump. This so had the making of a great Penthouse Forum article right here... 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BeTheMatch 516 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 hours ago, TheIronSheik said: This is the oddest response to this post. Not sure what exactly to do with this. Just pointing out that there really is no wrong side. So as dumb as she is for being unable to maneuver her car to the "right" side, the whole exercise was unnecessary. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ron Swanson 2,905 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 She might have been checking out your ill-fitting Polo shirt. 5 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gally 4,824 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 3 hours ago, offdee said: For any stupid people reading this thread that can relate.... your gas gauge on your dashboard has an arrow on it...that’s pointing to the side of your car the gas tank is on. I don't think that knowing this would have helped this particular individual..... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MAC_32 12,496 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 hours ago, Foosball God said: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vupgBykQnko When I clicked I thought it was going to be this video. Yours is more relevant though. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Leroy Hoard 13,689 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 3 hours ago, MAC_32 said: We're developing into a society consumed with distraction in which we need to specifically be told what to do. We don't look at a map to figure out how to get from point A to point B anymore. We just plug the location into the gps and let the robots tell us how to get there. She's not thinking about which side of the car the gas tank is located. She's distracted with something else and expecting the robots to tell her where to park. We may have more information now than ever before, but our ability to retain and utilize it is a bell curve - and each of ours is different. Some people are on the wrong side of it and experience the law of diminishing returns. More information is not a good thing in their case, it's the opposite. In other words, smarter technology is making us dumber. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nirad3 2,687 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 26 minutes ago, Leroy Hoard said: In other words, smarter technology is making us dumber. Mike Judge is a genius..... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doowain 823 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 You do know that the current youngest generation is going to say this same thing in about 20 years about all of us. I realized that when my then 3 year old son knew how to turn on the TV, switch the smart TV to Netflix and scroll to what he wanted to watch. And then a couple weeks later when he said he wanted to call mommy and I dismissed him with an "ok buddy, in a bit". Only to hear the soft tone of an outgoing call, I turn around to see that he had unlocked my phone (wtf - when did he figure that out -- better hide my pr0n), opened up my favorites contacts, found mommy in there and dialed. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wlwiles 994 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 Was at a gas station yesterday and a woman pulls up in a F-350 dually truck on the other side of the pump I'm using. She got out, swiped her card, and started pumping away. I couldn't see what she was doing, and wasn't really paying attention, I just noticed that it was a relatively small woman in this giant truck. I was done filling mine, but was cleaning the windshield and gathering some trash out of the inside to throw away, and I hear her say to herself "oh nononononononono please oh God nononono..." I poked my head around the side and asked her if she was ok and she's just standing there frozen with the pump nozzle in her hand, halfway back into the slot/hanger where it goes. I quickly realized (about 5 seconds slower than she did) that she was holding the black gas pump handle in her hand, and the green diesel pump handle was resting in its slot to the side. Yup, she'd pumped a whole tank full of gas into a diesel truck. I told her to call her husband/family/brother/whoever and get a tow truck and whatever she did, not to crank it. Felt bad for her. She had explained that she normally only drove her BMW or her daughter's Maxima, and that this was her husband's truck she had borrowed to go pick up a piece of furniture she'd bought, and she was trying to do him a favor and fill it up before returning it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Walking Boot 8,296 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 The worst people in the world are those that park at a gas station pump but are not actively pumping gas. Especially when it's busy and the backup goes into the street. Pull up, stop, go in to the convenience store, shop around, walk the aisles, browse the magazines, decide what junk food to buy, get in line, "oh yeah, I need gas too", forget what pump they're at, walk out, look at the number, walk back in, "number six", pay, then, finally, pump gas. Dude, we're waiting out here. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bull Dozier 3,585 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 1 hour ago, doowain said: You do know that the current youngest generation is going to say this same thing in about 20 years about all of us. I realized that when my then 3 year old son knew how to turn on the TV, switch the smart TV to Netflix and scroll to what he wanted to watch. And then a couple weeks later when he said he wanted to call mommy and I dismissed him with an "ok buddy, in a bit". Only to hear the soft tone of an outgoing call, I turn around to see that he had unlocked my phone (wtf - when did he figure that out -- better hide my pr0n), opened up my favorites contacts, found mommy in there and dialed. Obviously the younger generations are better at using technology. However, what I've noticed is that it appears to be at the expense of the ability to think critically and solve problems that technology cannot solve for them. Those are skills I see lacking in "kids these days." Oh, and get off my lawn. 3 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scoresman 6,603 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 I bet the lady in the OP also backs into parking spaces. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MAC_32 12,496 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 8 minutes ago, Bull Dozier said: Obviously the younger generations are better at using technology. However, what I've noticed is that it appears to be at the expense of the ability to think critically and solve problems that technology cannot solve for them. Those are skills I see lacking in "kids these days." Oh, and get off my lawn. Tech's played a role, but I think it's more a result of changes in the education system and what's happening at home. Kids now are smarter than ever before, but they need to be put in an environment in which that's fostered and not stunted - it's on adults to adapt. Otherwise those skills won't ever develop for most. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
General Malaise 27,173 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 wish i could pump my own gas.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 17 minutes ago, Bull Dozier said: Obviously the younger generations are better at using technology. However, what I've noticed is that it appears to be at the expense of the ability to think critically and solve problems that technology cannot solve for them. Those are skills I see lacking in "kids these days." Oh, and get off my lawn. Also, I can't count how many times my daughter, her friends or my nieces/nephews will ask me a question and I'll say, "Google it." And they'll roll their eyes and act like I just told them to drive 20 miles to the library, search the card catalog for the correct book, find what aisle that book is in, then search through the pages of that book to possibly find the answer you're looking for. I mean, everything you've ever wanted to know is LITERALLY in their hands. And they don't want to bother looking it up. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheIronSheik 8,167 Posted November 8, 2019 Author Share Posted November 8, 2019 4 minutes ago, General Malaise said: wish i could pump my own gas.... I thought Oregon could now? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
General Malaise 27,173 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 1 hour ago, TheIronSheik said: I thought Oregon could now? other people can, just not me. I'm literally too stupid now to do this. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lod001 5,406 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 9 hours ago, TheIronSheik said: I stop to get gas this morning, because my light always comes on on the coldest day of the year, and as I'm pumping gas a lady pulls up on the other side of the pump. She stops her SUV and exits her vehicle. Because of where we both are, I can only see her as she steps out of the car, but I see her look to the back of her car, stop, half heartedly throw her hands up slightly and get back in the car. Even without seeing the rest of her car, I can tell that her gas tank is on the other side of her car. We've all done it at some point. Maybe in a rental car or borrowing a friend's car. And forgetting that you're not in the friendly confines of your own vehicle. So no judgement here. Yet. (Crazy obvious foreshadowing) She then gets back in her car and starts it. The SUV lurches forward quickly as the car's movements give away the driver's panic and frustration. She quickly does a small, loop around the parking lot as if she had the steering wheel pegged as far to the right as it could go her entire short trip, only to end up in the exact same position she was 5 seconds ago. The SUV engine shuts off again and she exits her car, only to look back and see the exact same vision she just saw no more than a minute ago. This time she throws her hands up wholeheartedly and lets out a groan of frustration as she leans her head back to look skyward. She hops back in her car and slams the door, firing the engine back up to a scary rev. By now, I'm finishing up filling my tank. As I begin the process of replacing the nozzle and completing my transaction, she quickly speeds to another fuel pump island leaving the obviously defective one behind. As I get in my car, I can see her exit her vehicle only to realize that pump also doesn't line up with her gas tank on the passenger side. Sometimes I wonder how, we as a species, can have both the most information readily available to us than ever before in the history of mankind, and also be the dumbest we've ever been as a whole. That's a gem. The human race is getting dumber. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lod001 5,406 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 4 hours ago, MAC_32 said: When I clicked I thought it was going to be this video. Yours is more relevant though. That was painful to watch. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lod001 5,406 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 4 hours ago, Leroy Hoard said: In other words, smarter technology is making us dumber. It is 100%. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AAABatteries 24,741 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 5 hours ago, MAC_32 said: When I clicked I thought it was going to be this video. Yours is more relevant though. OH COME ON! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gally 4,824 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 3 hours ago, MAC_32 said: Tech's played a role, but I think it's more a result of changes in the education system and what's happening at home. Kids now are smarter than ever before, but they need to be put in an environment in which that's fostered and not stunted - it's on adults to adapt. Otherwise those skills won't ever develop for most. It depends on how you define this. I think they may be "book" smarter now but they are losing common sense and aren't learning "street" smarts. Drop them somewhere where they have to fend for themselves and actually think and there are big problems. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MAC_32 12,496 Posted November 8, 2019 Share Posted November 8, 2019 2 minutes ago, Gally said: It depends on how you define this. I think they may be "book" smarter now but they are losing common sense and aren't learning "street" smarts. Drop them somewhere where they have to fend for themselves and actually think and there are big problems. Agreed, hence the line I added immediately after what you bolded. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gally 4,824 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 4 minutes ago, MAC_32 said: Agreed, hence the line I added immediately after what you bolded. I took that to mean you need to keep them away from the things they don't know and foster them to maximize book smart and not stunt that. I would go the opposite and say they need to be put in the real world to fend for themselves. Maybe that is what you meant but it didn't come off like that to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MAC_32 12,496 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, Gally said: I took that to mean you need to keep them away from the things they don't know and foster them to maximize book smart and not stunt that. I would go the opposite and say they need to be put in the real world to fend for themselves. Maybe that is what you meant but it didn't come off like that to me. Yep, that's what I meant, we're on the same page. I love putting my kids in uncomfortable situations. But not in the back of a Volkswagen. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
joffer 12,396 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 I’ve mastered getting the side right on rental cars, still struggling with how to open the gas cap door. I swear they hide that thing in a different place every time. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WDIK2 1,003 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 On 11/8/2019 at 8:41 AM, TheIronSheik said: Most cars have this. I noticed my rental car I had recently did not have this. It was a Nissan Altima. Had a Kia Optima rental car with a display like this. Gas pump with an arrow must mean to fill on that side. Nope, it's the miles remaining. It took a bit to find the other arrow. Long day of work, sleeting, in a not-so-nice area of KC, MO at a busy gas station. I wasn't happy. I think I even pulled around to the other side of the pumps still on the wrong side. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The General 24,535 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 Once she finally got it there's a 30% chance she drove off with the hose attached. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kal El 3,815 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 Technology is making us dumber by the minute. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Leroy Hoard 13,689 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 hour ago, bradyfan said: They keep adding new technology inside the car but what would be really nice is auto-fueling, especially in the winter. How about a robot that looks like Tom Brady filling your gas tank? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Walking Boot 8,296 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) 20 minutes ago, bradyfan said: Tom Brady in person would be best. Random anecdote, but, I knew a guy who worked in the GHW Bush White House in the early 90s. After Bush lost to Clinton, this guy got set up with a job as a lobbyist with Shell. So he shows up for his first day to lobby Congress in his expensive as hell suit, cufflinks, and perfect hair and everything, and the guys say it's corporate policy at Shell everyone in the company has to pump gas at least once. So they drive him to the dirtiest, grimiest Shell station in Washington DC and make him wait for the next car to pull up so he can fill 'er up. They took a photo of him out there in his suit, putting the nozzle in the car, and sent it to Bush with the note "This is what happens when you lose elections! Your poor friend had to get himself a job pumping gas!" Edited November 9, 2019 by Walking Boot 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parasaurolophus 7,215 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 On 11/8/2019 at 7:34 AM, BeTheMatch said: It's my experience that the pump hoses at most gas stations are long enough to reach the other side of your vehicle anyway, so.... This is definitely true. Costco, sure. Other gas stations no way is this even close to the norm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brunell4MVP 844 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, The General said: Once she finally got it there's a 30% chance she drove off with the hose attached. Sadly I did this about 15 years ago. Started the pump, went in to get a Diet Mountain Dew, came back and got in car, drove 10 feet and heard a thumping noise. Immediately realized I'm a dumb ###. Gas spewing everywhere. Packed gas station. Ran in to get the attendant and he shut it down. Nice guy. Told me it was fine and started cleanup. And I sheepishly drove off under the glaring looks of judgmental people. Edited November 9, 2019 by Brunell4MVP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The General 24,535 Posted November 9, 2019 Share Posted November 9, 2019 1 minute ago, Brunell4MVP said: Sadly I did this about 15 years ago. Started the pump, went in to get a Diet Mountain Dew, came back and got in car, drove 10 feet and heard a thumping noise. Immediately realized I'm a dumb ###. Gas spewing everywhere. Packed gas station. Ran in to get the attendant and he shut it down. Nice guy. Told me it was fine and started cleanup. And I sheepishly drive off under the glaring looks or judgmental people. Have a buddy who has done this twice at the same gas station I tell him two more times and he can make a coffee table. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
McJose 9,396 Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 On 11/8/2019 at 11:56 AM, Walking Boot said: The worst people in the world are those that park at a gas station pump but are not actively pumping gas. Especially when it's busy and the backup goes into the street. Pull up, stop, go in to the convenience store, shop around, walk the aisles, browse the magazines, decide what junk food to buy, get in line, "oh yeah, I need gas too", forget what pump they're at, walk out, look at the number, walk back in, "number six", pay, then, finally, pump gas. Dude, we're waiting out here. I get this but the mini mart near my house has 12 gas pumps and exactly FOUR parking spaces. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
McJose 9,396 Posted November 10, 2019 Share Posted November 10, 2019 On 11/8/2019 at 3:53 PM, Gally said: It depends on how you define this. I think they may be "book" smarter now but they are losing common sense and aren't learning "street" smarts. Drop them somewhere where they have to fend for themselves and actually think and there are big problems. I’ve been teaching kids for 25 years now. They are the same now as they were back when I was a kid and when I first started teaching. Kids are dumb. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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