I am wondering if I am missing something....

I see (certainly on TV) and I think I have seen it before, where someone just plunks the fuel pump into their car and wander away for a breather and it seems to fill itself? is this something that can be done, or am I missing something as I have never figured it out myself stood at a pump!

Some fuel nozzles let you lock the trigger closed as if you were holding it yourself. Expect the pump then either fills a set amount of fuel or automatically clicks out on the vapour detection when level starts rising up the filler neck once the tank is full.

That's what I was thinking... I just can't seem to fathom how to set it...

Needs a specific type of nozzle to be able to latch the trigger, probably not safe to have these on public forecourts as there'd bound to be drivers pulling the nozzle out before the fill finishes and spewing fuel everywhere

True that lol that explains it.

:-)

Standard pretty much everywhere in the US, some modern BP pumps do this, have a red button / trigger thing, fill with fuel and depress red thing whilst squeezing and it'll stay filling when you let go.

I've never seen it on a pump in England myself.

On a lot of the daft clip shows ('Britains Craziest Fools' for one) I've seen several clips of people driving off with the nozzle still stuck in the car! Probably why they don't do it over here much lol.

So true, some people are born idiots!

So true, some people are born idiots!

In theory there's one for every village ;)

In theory yes, in reality, it's more like 1 percent who aren't lol

they have it here in Ireland i seen someone do it whilst i filled my car up (i did it the usual way) I know if i ever managed to engage the automatic mode on one id most likely fail at disengaging it. In the US they have to pay before filling it up thats why its everywhere over there. It is better to pre pay for your fuel so you dont get a reading like this 50.03euros and then have to go fishing in your pocket for 3 cent either that or fill it to 55 euros so its easier to go into the shop tell them what pump u are at and how much u are putting in then go out and put the nozzle in and try to engage the automatic mode :P

I've seen all sorts of people jam things like rags and balls in the pump to get it to stay on - definite contenders for the Darwin awards IMO

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They have them on HGV pumps, well, used to anyway, as one's hand would get cramps putting a couple of hundred quids worth in the tank

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It's a slight convenience but a shame really.

All pumps used to be able to provide hands free filling. ( hands free? Way ahead of it's time :-) )

When you depressed the 'trigger' there was a small clip you pulled across and it held the trigger in place. The pump would cut out as usual rather than over fill.