Very nicely written. Usually I pump my diesel at night or at least aside from peak hours.

Had a similar incident recently.

Gas-pumpers were feuling and occupying curb space on any given side of the islands, no way to get in between to the 1 diesel pump.

I wait with distance, almost blocking the drive way, to catch the next possible space.

There it goes. I was ready to go in either direction, but as it happens I had to swivel around and back up into the vacating space, while artistically letting the lady drive off at the same time.

Just as she cleared out and I zeroed in on the pump, a swift little Audi comes around the corner from the other side and seriously wants to jump in.

I do no braking until about a couple of inches away from his abruptly yielding bumper, locking him in at a 45 degree angle toward the pump
I was nicely lined up, but still not close enough to get the nozzle into the filler, as he shouts out his window "can you pull forward?"
I shouted back:"No I need the Diesel pump!"

Oh! So he backs up, pulls forward, but sure enough, stopped his freckin' Audi so far away from the island that he was almost closing the passage between him and the p/u on the island next to it!

I am just so glad I'm not 25 anymore. It would have cost a whole lot of trouble in this gas station, on this particular afternoon.

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