I’ve blogged about this before, but I am always apprehensive when I go to the petrol station to fill up the car.   On more than one occasion I have been either stopped or had an issue with pressing the pump.    Thankfully it doesn’t happen so often these days, but if you are like me – proportionally short and often get mistaken for being the age of your height then the tips below might help take away some of the anxiety as you drive up to the forecourt.

1.  Go to the same station to fill up

I know this one is not always possible, but filling up regularly at the same garage means that staff are aware of you and I have found less likely to make a fuss.

2. Place your blue badge in the window after driving up to the pump

I started doing this when I got one too many comments or apologises for cutting off the pump as I started filling up.  If you’ve got a blue badge, placing it in the front window of your car, upright, sends a signal to station’s staff that may not be familiar with you, that you are a disabled driver.  That yes, they can serve you, and you’re not some 11 year-old child who has decided to take Daddy’s car for a drive.

3. Get family or friends to put the petrol in the car for you

Again, not always possible if you are on your own, but if you are in an unfamiliar garage, getting the person you are with to help you fill-up means that they’ll be no questions in using the pumps… only raised eyebrows when you get out of the driver’s side and go to pay 😉

In some cases I know all 3 of these options will not be handy if you cannot reach the pumps. Even I’m beginning to struggle as the supermarkets bring in taller pumps (was the DDA considered in the design of those things?!?), there is usually a disabled petrol pump button that you can push to ask for help.  Whether that works or not is another story all together.

Happy driving!

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