Put your hand up if you’ve ever driven your car up to a gas pump only to notice after you’ve parked that your gas cap is on the other side.
My brother, if your hand is up right now, you are not alone.
See, some cars I’ve driven have the ol’ gas hole on the starboard side and some on port. Due to my unfortunate afflication with gasholenorememberititis, I’m always parking the car the wrong way. Sure, I try desperately to notice a little gas-cap bulge in the side mirror when I pull up, craning my head wildly in both directions, and generally pretty sure I caught quick glimpse of it as I pull in. But then I get out, notice I messed up, pound my fist on the trunk, give a sheepish toothy grin to the attendant, and then have to pull off a quick and awkward seven-point-turn before anyone moves in to steal my spot.
It is a terrible thing.
But guess what? High fives all around the room, because there is hope for People Like Us. Shockingly, I have recently discovered The Gas Arrow! Yes, believe it, driving fans, because it truly exists. The Gas Arrow is a little, tiny arrow right beside the picture of the gas pump, which tells you which side your car’s gas hole is on! I know, it’s crazy. And I guess whoever is responsible for marketing really dropped the ball on this one, because nobody I asked (n=3) has even noticed this before!
Yes, just look at that Gas Arrow, head-nodding casually to the left or the right, a classy pal just trying to tip you off real subtle like. It’s like a flashlight in a storage closet, a lighthouse on a foggy pier, a finger pointing at what you’re supposed to look at. The great, noble Gas Arrow, telling you which way to park your stupid car.
So thanks Gas Arrow, for the big helper. Until car companies start putting gas holes on both sides of the car or they invent a new wireless gas that lets you fill up through your radio, I think I can speak for all of humanity when I say that we love you and everything you stand for.
AWESOME!
33 Comments
July 8, 2008 at 11:46 am
Seriously?? There’s a gas-arrow?? AWESOME! We have the exact same situation in our 2-car family, and despite owning one of the cars for 12 years now, I still sometimes get it wrong at the pump.
To me, this is awesome enough to be higher on the list, but I’m glad it’s not because I would not have wanted to wait all those months to find out about it.
Ha ha, I said “glad it snot”. I suppose that applies more to #989.
July 8, 2008 at 12:13 pm
You’re such a gas hole, Neil!
July 8, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Some cars don’t have a gas arrow. Instead, the picture of the gas pump itself is on the side where the tank is. The more you know.
July 10, 2008 at 4:33 pm
That’s amazing! I so did not know that. Now I can feel somewhat confident in possibly being less awkward next time I drive a car.
July 14, 2008 at 11:11 am
I was aware of this phenomenon, but I would like to suggest a sub-category for 988. How about cars with their gas hole on the pasenger side? This is particularly useful when pulling up to the flying J and massive lines exist (as entrance is only permitted from one side) for cars with driver’s side gas holes (most North American cars, and many imports as well…it’s easier for the driver to get to it when it’s on that side). I only buy cars with pasenger side gas holes in order to avoid this (often the Japanese do this). I also like to fill up in the RV section sometimes. When RVs pull up and honk and curse at me, I like to tell them that I won’t be long. I just need to empty the septic tank on my Impreza.
July 15, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Further proof that no-one reads their user manual. Typical!
July 15, 2008 at 11:19 pm
but this is only true for European models. My friends Toyota begs to differ.
July 15, 2008 at 11:58 pm
“Sorry,”
My toyota says “fuel door” in 14pt font.
My toyota is superior to your friend’s toyota.
July 16, 2008 at 3:41 pm
My husband learned this trick only months ago. If we’re ever driving, it’s in a rented (or borrowed) car, so knowing this is truly an AWESOME thing. God bless you for spreading the word.
July 17, 2008 at 9:52 am
My 1996 Toyota Corolla (made in Ontario) also has no gas arrow. What a let-down. I was so excited earlier… However, my husband’s Mazda comes through for us.
July 18, 2008 at 9:38 am
i travel 50-75% a month for work and am always renting cars. i’ve known about the arrow for a while, and it is one of the greatest things out there.
thanks for letting others in on the secret.
July 18, 2008 at 10:27 am
I mentioned the Gas Arrow on the air this morning, crediting your website of course, and got huge response from my listeners. Everybody had one, no one knew what it was or ever really thought about. You made me a freakin hero today…
July 18, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Seriously, you just found this?
I hope you haven’t been driving too long. If you (GASP!) read the owners manual it clearly states the location or lack of the gas arrow.
My Jeep doesn’t have one, but my Ford did. Not all cars have one. If your truly tank-side challenged, put a small piece of tape on the side of your gauge display that has the tank.
Come on people.
July 18, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Wow.
I’ve read every post from 1000 to this post, and this is the first post that I’ve learned something rather than remembered something.
To quote Tim and Eric, great job!
July 19, 2008 at 4:37 am
Omg – I have to run outside and check my car for this right now!
Thankyouthankyouthankyou!
July 19, 2008 at 1:20 pm
I guess I’m rather unique in having an old American sedan with the gas cap behind the license plate… means I can pull up to either side! Now that’s useful…
July 21, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Um… not true?
http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/icon.asp
May 6, 2009 at 4:29 pm
That is not what he’s talking about. It’s a gas ARROW.
July 22, 2008 at 5:07 pm
John-
Next time try reading the article before you post. The snopes article is talking about something completely different. The myth was that whatever way the gas handle points, that’s which side the fuel door is on. This article is talking about a little arrow that points to the correct side. These are completely different things. So this post is still true.
July 29, 2008 at 11:06 am
I wish my husbands car had this. Maybe I’ll print my own and tape it to the dashboard.
August 4, 2008 at 5:21 pm
My mom used to have a an old Chevy where the gas hole was in the rear. Haha, no joke meant there. It was behind the license plate.
August 12, 2008 at 10:41 pm
n=3
AMAZING!
September 1, 2008 at 8:47 pm
pontiac grand prix!
September 28, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Sorry HF: The picture of the gas tank is NOT ALWAYS on the side of the gas hole. Just ask my buddy Adam who was sure of the same thing. He’s now out $50.00 and I’m off to fill up my tank!
October 1, 2008 at 12:27 pm
The cars in the 50’s & 60’s also had the filltube under a tail light.
It was always on the left side in American cars.
The early 50’s Chevy has one in the rear fender which would ALWAYS stop the automatic nozzle because it wouldn’t accept fuel faster than a guy could pee who had a big prostate and small weiner.
I worked in a gas station then and, I HATED these cars in winter.
October 22, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Yeah I just had the arrow pointed out to me about a month ago. I’ve been driving for 20+ years and never noticed that stupid arrow. Geesh!
November 22, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Normally, there’s no arrow, and it’s the side of the pump that the nozzle is on that indicates which side the fuel cap sits on.
December 15, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Sad to break the news to you, but I’ve known about this for a while. Not to diminish its awesomeness or anything, because it’s still pretty baller.
January 2, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I am half tempted to go out and look and see if my car has an arrow or not, even though I know which side the fuel hole is on. But this could be very useful knowledge in the future.
January 27, 2009 at 6:26 pm
‘a finger pointing at what you’re supposed to look at’
I never see these. Ever.
“Look, It’s there.”
-”Where?”
“Right there!”
-”Where? I can’t see anything.”
“You’re looking right at it!”
-”There’s nothing there!”
“Yeah, that’s ’cause it’s gone now, Mr. Magoo!”
May 9, 2009 at 10:33 pm
If it makes the rest of you feel a bit smarter…I only drive two cars, mine and my mom’s. They both have the gas hole on the passenger side. But I still pull up on the wrong side when driving mom’s car about half the time. Some kind of mental disability evidently.
June 19, 2009 at 3:23 pm
No way!! I never noticed this. I don’t have a hard time with my gas pump, I just remember. But it is pretty awsome that they have the gas arrow!! I’m going to check tonight when I get in my car to see if I have it!!! AWSOME!
June 22, 2009 at 11:14 pm
I thought for sure it was going to be a new iPhone app.