A furious driver has blasted a fellow motorist for causing a lengthy queue at a petrol station after she left her car unattended at the fuel pump to enjoy a leisurely coffee.
The Infuriating Wait at the Bowser
Ashlee Day, from Sydney, found herself stuck in a growing line of vehicles waiting to refuel. She watched as the driver in front filled her tank and then walked into the service station shop. Assuming she was simply paying at the counter, Ashlee waited patiently behind the parked car.
After ten minutes had passed with no sign of the woman returning, Ashlee grew suspicious. She decided to investigate, only to make an astonishing discovery. "I can't make this up... She's in the corner sitting down having a coffee with a guy," Ashlee, a makeup content creator, explained in a now-viral video.
A Breach of 'Servo Etiquette'
The incident has ignited a fierce online debate about the unspoken rules of conduct at petrol stations. While it is standard for drivers to briefly leave their cars at the pump to pay, it is widely considered a major breach of etiquette to occupy the space for an extended period, especially when a queue forms.
Ashlee expressed her disbelief in the video, which has been viewed over 120,000 times, asking: "Am I going insane or was this rude? Can someone tell me if this is rude because I'm feeling like this is rude... I just wouldn't do this." She eventually gave up and moved to another pump, passing the woman who merely smiled at her.
Public Backing and Shared Frustration
The online response overwhelmingly sided with Ashlee, with countless commenters condemning the coffee-drinking driver's actions. Many cited a fundamental rule of 'servo etiquette': if you plan to be more than a few minutes, you must move your car to a designated parking bay.
"Oh hell no. If it's busy, you fuel up, move your car, park then go pay," one person stated. Another agreed: "You want a coffee? You move your car! Totally rude." Several shared their own experiences of similar frustrations, with one revealing: "It drives me nuts when people get back to their car after paying, sit there trying all their snacks and drinks, while they can clearly see a HUGE queue waiting."
Even a petrol station employee weighed in, explaining: "I work at a servo. This behaviour is not tolerated at my work. We ask them to move their car if they want to get food and drinks. Because it's not a car park." The consensus was clear: occupying a fuel pump for anything other than refuelling and immediate payment is a serious faux pas that tests the patience of every driver stuck behind.
