How can you forget that the hose is still connected to your car when you drive off?

I think the key step here is to not remember it.

Thanks for the responses.

TIL: Americans pay first, then fill. Now I can understand how you could easily get distracted once it is in and locked.

To clarify : this is absolutely impossible to accidentally happen in the EU, because the payment transaction isn't completed until the nozzle is placed back onto its support (that's when the pump shuts off).

Your not thinking about it. Muscle memory.

Something distracts you, a phone call, a loud sound, kids, suddenly remembering a urgent matter. You forgot where you were in the process and just skip a step.

Human nature. The same reason drivers can just run into a wall, car and train! Routine becomes ignore and you just forget / zone it out

This is why almost self driving cars are so dangerous. They will throw people into responsible driving mode and they won't have been paying attention.

I don't know. In my country no gas can be paid unless the nozzle has been placed back. The machine registers as "still pumping", and the gas station attendant sees this and cannot process the payment. Why you would do this any other way baffles my mind.

Super tired and defeated from your daily grind

I did it once. You pay first at pump, I went into store to get snacks, came back kids melting down in back seat, dealt with that, got in and forgot all about it. Remembered just as I pulled about 6 inches too far away. Oops.

Never did manage to do that, but was close twice (none of my car would let you drive with a open fuel tank cover).

First was babybrain. Extended periods of not sleeping more than 1.5h in a row and not more than 4h a day in total because your kid is sick/toothing are doing weird things in your brain.

The second time was during COVID. I work as a paramedic part time and we did change our shift model to 24h shifts due to so many sick colleagues. Was the second shift "in a row" (24h on, 24h off, 24h on). Well..None of those shifts were 24h, most were 25-26h. Because we got hammered by calls. Literally no downtime, one critical patient after another. When driving home I had to get gas. Forgot to pay (we post pay here), forgot to take the god damn hose out. Nearly cried when the fucking car didn't start (due to the hose being in).

So TLDR: Not enough sleep is the answer for me here.

Imagine you get back after a long, hectic, infuriating day. You hear your car beep for fuel so you pull into a gas station.

You get out and you go through the motions of filling up your car. It is such a usual procedure you don't have to think any more. Which is good because you're using that time to think of choice words to describe your asshole boss.

You go into the station, pay and come back, still very much on autopilot while you think about your boss.

Except there's one motion you didn't go through. And now it haunts your gas tank forever. Until you take it off.

I was drunk and couldn't drive, so my wife took me to get more beer. She asked me to put gas in our vehicle so I did because it was cold out. I noticed the pump behind me had the nozzle sitting on the ground which was hilarious to me. I took a snapchat picture and posted it saying "what a dumbass!" then I went inside to get my beer.

I get back in the truck and I'm having a grand old time showing my wife what the idiot behind us must have done when I hear the "CLUNK". I was told I turned as white as a ghost. I'd done it. It was my fault.

I went inside, the cashier knew I was drunk (I was being obnoxious). I was profusely apologized and admitted it was all my fault. She went outside with me, explained it didn't break and that they can reattach it, BUT there's a charge.

The cashier then said to me "get in your truck and get as far away as possible immediately. I didn't see you, this didn't happen, and I don't know what happened to the camera footage. Have a nice night."

I hopped in the truck and just told my wife DRIVE. Security came rolling up as we were leaving (by chance).

Look at this guy with his functioning brain that never forgets something just by walking 10 feet

So... OP....

I gotta ask... why this question? I feel like there's a story here.

In the US and other countries you can lock the noozle and fill up without holding the hoze. In EU you need to hold the hoze to fill up or press a button when you need LPG. It's pretty hard to forget something when you're standing next to it. (And still some people manage to do just that)

It has nothing to do with when or how you pay.

It's all about the lock that lets you leave the nozzle pumping while you go do something else. That's what makes it easy to forget you have the nozzle in your car, since you're not holding it for the entire filling process.

Coworker did it three times. Autopay by the nozzle, fuel cap on other side of the car, not looking at side mirrors, Bingo!

Do some countries or areas have gas pumps that you just insert and then they pump without you constantly squeezing the handle? The ones I'm used to feel kinda impossible to forget because there is no reason to ever let go of the hose handle until it's back in place.

I have never heard of it happen locally, but seen countless posts from US with hoses sticking out of cars. For the longest time I had no clue how they manage to do it, surely they aren't so much dumber than us?

Then I learned that american pumps are different to ours. Here you have to hold the trigger the entire time to pump, while there one can just leave it in and wander off.

My FIL did it three times and his answer was "lol" so iono

Follow-up question for Americans : what happens if you pay for, say 50$ and end up only filling up 40$? Can you go back to the cashdesk and ask for a refund on the difference?

Because even though you shouldn't leave the thing unattended in case it slips out while on auto mode people do, and then just forget about it because they are distracted.