Gas-pumping debacles 37.4 > 13

[Liselle]

Should add, I have no reason to believe that the gas station attendant who told me this is any more authoritative or "correct" than anyone else who's had anything to say about it.

 

[Liselle]

A little corroboration, though:

3. Once you hear the first click of the gas pump, did you know any gas you pump after that isn’t going into your car’s tank? You’re actually paying for gas that is filling up the hose, ready to be pumped into the next customer’s car.

4. It can cause the gas pump to break. Most gas stations have a vapor recovery system. When you top off your gas tank, you can cause it to break or become inoperable. This problem can add to the air pollution problem and cause the gas pump to fail for the next person in line.

(From https://www.automoblog.net/2011/08/15/topping-off-learn-why-you-should-never-top-off-your-gas-tank/)

I think my original Googling miscue was searching for something like "pump overflow" (since that was what I was experiencing) rather than something like "topping off tank." To find the above article I think I typed in something awkward like "when you top off your gas tank, what happens to the next customer". (Did this at work & didn't make exact note of it.)