On Which Side Is My Gas Port? - Random Life Hack, Number Two Hundred Eighty-Four (rlh#284)

in blog •  8 years ago  (edited)

Do you relate to this mental dialogue?

First, let me give you a picture of the situation.

crowded gas station

You're driving, pulling into a crowded gas station in a less-than-familiar car. Maybe it's a rental, or perhaps you borrowed it from a friend or spouse.

The current high-demand for pumps at this particular petrol provider has resulted in there being little room to maneuver. Horns are honking and engines are revving. The tension and frustration is visible on the faces of your fellow patrons.

It's time to commit to a pump, and you won't have a second chance.

But wait- "WHAT SIDE IS THE GAS PORT ON??"

If you're like me, thoughts go something like this:

"Maybe if I position my head and the side-view mirror in JUST the right way, I will be able to see it..."

"Crap! No luck! That never works. Can I reach my head far enough out the window to see?"

[someone honks and makes what you assume to be an unfriendly gesture your direction]

"Come on, you know this... Just THINK. Didn't you notice the presence or absence of a gas door upon entering this car??"

"Hmmm.... My car has a left-side gas port, but this isn't my car, therefore my flawless logic dictates this car's gas port must be on the right!"

"Yes, it's surely on the right side."

"No wait... that's too simple. And if this were so simple, I wouldn't constantly be frustrated by guessing the incorrect location of the gas cap when using my wife's car. So maybe it IS on the same side as my car!"

"Now I've got it. It's definitely on the left..."

"...Or was that the reasoning I used for the rental car last week?"

and on and on and so forth etcetera...

Well, it does not have to be this way!

That's right. Never again must you be confounded by the gas port situation!

The Solution:

Alongside the gas gage icon, there is a very small arrow- sometimes obtuse, other times acute, maybe even equilateral. This tiny arrow indicates which side of your vehicle has the gas port.

For some automobiles, this indicator is always visible. For others, it is only visible as part of the low-fuel warning indicator light. But it IS a standard, and it WILL be there.

Here is a little picture I took special just to share with you, on the way home from the airport last week when I was low on gas:

gas icon and arrow wide

See?

I know it's not the best picture. It was late and I was in a hurry because I was almost out of gas! Here is a closer image:

gas icon and arrow close

Give up?

gas icon and arrow spelled out, can't miss

The gas port on the vehicle represented in the above pictures resides on the RIGHT side of the car.

(because that is the direction the arrow points)

Tell me- was this helpful to you?

I truly hope this will make your life just a tiny bit easier. And if you already knew this one, I'll try to help with something else next time!

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About the last photo: I heard from​ a friend and now that you said that I remembered. I think not so many people know it because their minds are somewhere else. Great post, man!

thanks!