When shopping becomes annoying (From Bucks Free Press)
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When shopping becomes annoying
7:44pm Thursday 8th December 2011
A few days ago I noticed the fuel gauge on my trusty motor had crept down to the red line.
Being an extremely low mileage driver a visit to the petrol station is a rare occurrence for yours truly indeed a full tank will often last several months.
After work this evening it seemed like a good idea to put my trusty car out of its misery and fill it up so I headed off to a local garage to purchase some high-octane super unleaded fuel.
Thankfully the queues weren’t too long and there was just one car in front of me.
The other driver finished filling up and went into the little shop at the filling station to pay.
To my horror instead of going straight up to the cash desk they started availing themselves of items from the shop that nowadays is an integral part of any filling station.
There was yours truly sitting in my trusty motor, engine still running, waiting while they choose their items from the shelf.
As I sat there in my car my only company was the sound of the magnificent historic engine turning over.
I happened to think of all those mechanical parts working together in perfect harmony, the tappets were tapping, the distributor was distributing and the pistons were doing a good job too.
What must have been a good five minutes went by before the driver in front finished shopping and joined the queue to pay.
You know it’s most annoying having to wait patiently out on the forecourt while a fellow motorist does their weekly shop indeed I would say it’s bordering on rudeness making others wait in this manner.
When the other motorist did eventually return to their car laden down with shopping I had a good mind to let them have a piece of mind indeed I even rolled the window down but thought better of it.
The linking of a small convenience shop to almost every petrol station is one more example of how retailers are trading on each others toes.
If the petrol stations kept to selling just petrol, the bakers sold just bread and the newsagent sold just newspapers maybe the retailers would make more profit rather than trying to do each other out of business.
All too often every shop is trying to sell a wider range of goods in a desperate attempt to make a profit.
In actual fact, as with the case of the petrol station they are actually upsetting customers by making them wait.
What do you think?
*Don't forget to read my regular column in this Friday's edition of the printed version of the Bucks Free Press!
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Comments(27)
mumbles26
says...
10:03pm Thu 8 Dec 11
It infuriates me when people do their weeks shop in the petrol station.
I find getting petrol irksome as it is let alone having to prolong the agony whilst the person in front deliberates over Mars bar or a kit Kat
ivor
says...
10:09pm Thu 8 Dec 11
~
Indeed, as you say, it is most annoying having to wait and watch someone waste time when you are waiting to fill up.
~
I wonder it the petrol stations have ever realised how many customers they are actually losing through the addition of convenience stores to their forecourts?
Trip
says...
11:52am Fri 9 Dec 11
Trip
says...
11:54am Fri 9 Dec 11
7:13pm Tue 25 Oct 11
Re the comments of A VOTER at 1:33pm
~
I can assure you that everything that appears on this blog is fact.
~
Actually I find it hard not to talk about my lovely petrol powered historic motors but so far I have managed to restrain myself. You would never how much pride I have in lifting the bonnet to look in the engine bay and see the name of one of the most famous world championship winning teams ever who not only revolutionised F1 but the Indianapolis 500 as well. Now perhaps you know why I have to use proper leaded 4-star petrol. A few years ago I even had the honour of driving my historic vehicle on Silverstone circuit – you would not believe how nice it was coming down the Hangar Straight on the rev limit and turning into Stowe with the sound of the historic engine popping and banging on the over-run.
~
It's a particularly rare vehicle and I do not like to talk too much about it as I am not one to boast of what I have. I will just add that the last time I took it on the road numerous passers by and drivers waved at me as I trundled by.
~
As for my other every-day vehicle, well, I don't really want to say too much about that apart from pointing out that I don't use high-octane petrol in it for nothing indeed the engine was designed to run on such high-performance fuels. Maybe next time when you are waiting at the traffic lights and they turn green and the car beside you out accelerates your vehicle then I could well be me however I really don't like the speed, actually I find the speed and power of both my cars a little scary now I have got older....
~
I know you will probably not believe me but what I have written is fact.
Trip
says...
11:55am Fri 9 Dec 11
Trip
says...
11:57am Fri 9 Dec 11
Slimster
says...
2:27pm Fri 9 Dec 11
+
I use the local Shell garage, because 1. This means an Anglo-Dutch company gets the profit, not an American company (although I have not checked who actually owns Esso UK, it may not be Exxon), and 2. because they have good high-octane petrol and 3. because they don't have grocery stores attached. I even avoid Tesco express for grocery shopping when not buying fuel.
Slacker
says...
5:23pm Sat 10 Dec 11
Certain shops have to diversify into other goods to survive. It would not be possible to trade otherwise.
ivor
says...
9:26pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
As you know I have two cars, one can only use proper leaded 4-star while the other can run on either fuel which was the one that needed topping up.
~
For quickness and because the tank was so low I decided to fill up on a tank of high octane super unleaded this time however I find that running even that car on 4-star leaded gives superior performance.
ivor
says...
9:26pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
Thank you for re-quoting that comment I made a few weeks ago. As I said one car only uses leaded 4-star and I did indeed drive that car around Silverstone circuit while my other car can run on high-octane unleaded.
~
Thankfully that quoted comment just proves that I am indeed telling the truth.
ivor
says...
9:26pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
I can assure you that I am a man of the highest honesty and integrity.
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
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Indeed I fear you have made a mistake and, on this occasion, I will accept your apology.
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
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Indeed I fear you have made a mistake and, on this occasion, I will accept your apology.
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
Indeed I fear you have made a mistake and, on this occasion, I will accept your apology.
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
Indeed I do own several cars however I do not race them on the public roads in fact as I have got older the power of the car scares me and I have to be careful when putting my right foot down as the feeling of acceleration and being forced back into the drivers seat as the car speeds off has become quite scary.
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
If there is no money selling newspapers why do so many supermarkets consider it essential to have papers for sale?
ivor
says...
9:27pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
If there is no money selling newspapers why do so many supermarkets consider it essential to have papers for sale?
Slacker
says...
9:44pm Sat 10 Dec 11
ivor wrote:Because as you know, the supermarkets make it a habit to step on everybody else's toes and pick away at local shops until they are forced to close and they are the only option.
Re the comments of Slacker at 5:23pm
~
If there is no money selling newspapers why do so many supermarkets consider it essential to have papers for sale?
ivor
says...
9:53pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
Sadly that is all too often the supermarkets forcing the smaller shops to close is the ugly side of the High Street these days.
~
The powers the be could easily refuse the supermarkets planning permission to open new shops but alas that does not seem to happen....
ivor
says...
9:53pm Sat 10 Dec 11
~
Sadly that is all too often the supermarkets forcing the smaller shops to close is the ugly side of the High Street these days.
~
The powers the be could easily refuse the supermarkets planning permission to open new shops but alas that does not seem to happen....
Slacker
says...
12:52am Sun 11 Dec 11
ivor wrote:That is correct and the shops of Flackwell for example will suffer more when that new Sainsbury arrives. The shops are already struggling as it is and despite the vast majority of residents objecting to the plan it was still accepted.
Re the comments of Slacker at 9:44pm
~
Sadly that is all too often the supermarkets forcing the smaller shops to close is the ugly side of the High Street these days.
~
The powers the be could easily refuse the supermarkets planning permission to open new shops but alas that does not seem to happen....
ivor
says...
12:58am Sun 11 Dec 11
~
Why was planning permission granted?
~
Surely the powers the be should be protecting the jobs and livelihoods of the independent traders who are the backbone of the local community.
~
Of course the people of Flackwell Heath could always continue to visit the local shops and avoid the new supermarket....
ivor
says...
12:58am Sun 11 Dec 11
~
Why was planning permission granted?
~
Surely the powers the be should be protecting the jobs and livelihoods of the independent traders who are the backbone of the local community.
~
Of course the people of Flackwell Heath could always continue to visit the local shops and avoid the new supermarket....
usvelt
says...
6:26pm Sun 11 Dec 11
ivor wrote:LIke the day you had to change your peado blog eh igor?
Re the comments of Trip at 11:55am on Fri 9 Dec 11
~
I can assure you that I am a man of the highest honesty and integrity.
ivor
says...
11:02pm Tue 13 Dec 11
~
I have apologised about that. What more do you want?
usvelt
says...
6:09pm Thu 15 Dec 11
If it was true you would not have needed to change the story.
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The perfect wife and mother, Rebecca runs a home, a bad temper and is working on her novel. She enjoys photography, playing the piano and likes almost anything that's out of fashion and uncool. She lives in Amersham with her husband and youngest child (aged ten). Her eldest, now 27, lives and works in Buckinghamshire.
mumbles26 says...
10:03pm Thu 8 Dec 11
It infuriates me when people do their weeks shop in the petrol station.
I find getting petrol irksome as it is let alone having to prolong the agony whilst the person in front deliberates over Mars bar or a kit Kat