Ford Falcon Panel Van by the_ferret http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathan_stilts/3243455606/

Somehow I’ve managed to get to the age of 32 only owning one car. It was a 1980s Ford Falcon Panel Van which I bought in Cairns and drove to Brisbane before my fear for my own life and those of other road users resulted in me selling it for scrap.

I now drive Tany’s car which, despite being married and having shared possessions, remains her car because it’s a blue Renault Clio with a Winnie the Poo on the dashboard. One day we will own an executive saloon or a sports car, and it will be mine… but until that day!

For the rest of my life I’ve either driven cars owned by other people or rented some which presents a challenge. When you get to the petrol/gas station and need to refuel, which side does the pump need to be on? I’ve discovered that the fuel tank is nearly always on the other side of the car from the pump you’ve pulled up next to.

Refuel on the right side by exfordy http://www.flickr.com/photos/exfordy/415934482/

Well, yesterday I read how to solve this question without having to open the car door. On every fuel gauge there is a symbol of a petrol pump, the side that the nozzle is on is the side that your filler cap is. In the image here it means that you need to have the pump on the right hand side of the car.

Simple tip that I’m happy to share.

I’d credit the original author of this information but I can’t remember where I read it. I think it was in a motoring magazine that I picked up in the garage yesterday (getting a repair job done on the LPG system we had fitted) but then it could have been in the Times newspaper or on the radio while I was driving around. One of those is probably the original source.