The gas pump was on the wrong side, so I toured the station three times

I pulled into a gas station and stopped beside an open pump.

The fuel door was on the other side of the car.

This is ordinary. Cars even include a small arrow near the fuel gauge to prevent it. I had looked directly at that arrow and somehow interpreted it as decorative.

I drove around the pump and approached from the opposite direction. Another car entered the lane, so I continued forward, circled the station and tried a different row.

I stopped again.

The fuel door was still on the wrong side.

Changing direction twice had returned me to the original geometry with more confidence and no improvement.

A man at the next pump watched me lean across the dashboard to inspect the gauge. He pointed toward the rear of my car and called, “Passenger side.”

I nodded as if this confirmed a theory.

I pulled away for a third loop. This time I repeated “passenger side, passenger side” while driving, which made the task feel like a low-stakes driving exam administered by the fuel cap.

I entered the lane correctly, stopped and found the pump beside the fuel door. Success.

Then I realized the hose was marked out of service.

The man at the next pump looked over again. I held up one finger to indicate that the situation was continuing.

I moved to the next working pump without leaving the correctly oriented lane. When I finally got out, the fuel door opened normally. Nothing about the car had been difficult. The entire event was navigation performed at walking speed in front of a small audience.

I now know the arrow points toward the side with the fuel door. I also know that “drive around” is incomplete advice; the direction of approach matters more than the number of loops.

What mental rule makes pump alignment obvious before entering the lane? Follow the dashboard arrow, picture the fuel door beside the pump or choose an end pump with more room to correct safely?