Drivers left mindblown after learning pressing petrol pump doesn't actually make fuel come out

Drivers' minds have been blown after learning that pressing the petrol pump doesn't actually make the fuel come out. One of those drivers is Amelia Gartner – take a look:

Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking... you already knew this, it's old news, etc.

But the fact of the matter is there are just as many people, car owners or not, who weren't aware that fuel doesn't come out of the pumps at the press of a button.

We know this now thanks to a TikTok post from @ameliagartner, who expressed her surprise at finding out how the fuel is really administered.

As she explains in her video: "I'm sorry, am I the only person in the world who did not know that when you put this petrol thing in your car and press down the button that doesn't make the petrol come out?

"It sends an alarm to the person inside the petrol station and they have to push a button to make the petrol flow out. Like, what?!"

Amelia captioned the post: "Why was this never taught in school? Mind blown…"

The clip has since gone viral, amassing a whopping 2.4 million views at the time of writing.

TikTok/@ameliagartner

Thousands of people have taken to the comments section to share their shock, with one writing: "Omf I had no idea!!! Is that why sometimes the petrol doesn’t come."

Another said: "I did know this but... I don't think I've ever heard an alarm going off while inside paying???? looks like I'm hanging out in BP tomorrow."

"Oh… I push it over and over until it starts," added a third. Bet their local petrol station loves them.

Just as many people were already aware of the fact, including this person who quipped, "You’re one of the very few who didn’t know this lol."

Another (who was a little less brutal in their response) explained: "It actually does... that ‘alarm’ is so the person working can activate the pump so that it actually works."

If you're wondering why petrol stations follow this system, thankfully motoring journalist Maria McCarthy was on hand to explain.

In an article for Saga Magazine, she wrote: "Some motorists are confused when they unhook the hose but the pump doesn't reset.

"This is because they are authorised by the attendant in the shop and if they're busy there could be a slight delay. 

Andrew Michael/Alamy Stock Photo

"All the pumps have to be visible to them so they can check the person isn't under age, filling up canisters or likely to behave in an unsafe manner. 

"The attendant is only meant to open up the pump once the hose is in the tank."

So the next time you're at a petrol pump wondering why nothing's happening, maybe refrain from hitting the button over and over again – unless you want to seriously annoy the cashier.

Topics: Cars, UK News, TikTok, Viral

Daisy Phillipson

Daisy graduated from Kingston University with a degree in Magazine Journalism, writing a thesis on the move from print to digital publishing. Continuing this theme, she has written for a range of online publications including Digital Spy and Little White Lies, with a particular passion for TV and film. Contact her on [email protected]

@DaisyWebb77