A woman has expressed her fury on social media after a heated altercation with a cashier at a Tesco filling station, but many people believe she was in the wrong. Chelsie Botting took to TikTok to protest her innocence following what she described as a 'stand-off' with the cashier, only to be met with a wave of replies informing her that she was at fault.
The Incident
Chelsie explained in a video: 'The only reason I lost is because I needed fuel and I had to hurry up because I was on my way to work.' She elaborated: 'She [cashier] was making all these hand gestures to me through the window and wouldn't authorise my pump... I was thinking, 'What are you doing? What do you want?' - and then she came out and was being really aggressive and shouty.'
Chelsie revealed that the forecourt was 'packed' at the time, and she learned that her offence was that she was holding her mobile phone. 'I don't know about you, but I pay with Apple Pay and my [Tesco] Clubcard is on my phone,' she told her followers. 'So I get my phone out and put fuel in my car in the same way that I would get my purse out and stand there and put the fuel in the car.'
On this occasion, however, Chelsie said she was made to put her phone back in her car. 'Am I wrong in thinking that this rule is so outdated?' she pondered. 'Okay, don't stand there on the phone while you are putting fuel in... but f*** me even my parents pay on their phones!'
Public Reaction
Chelsie closed by alleging the cashier was 'either in a bad mood or on a f***ing power-trip'. She added: 'She was so rude. I'm just really, really cross and actually I would have driven off but I really needed the fuel. Everyone was looking at me and I felt really embarrassed. But I also felt like, 'You're wrong here'.'
So who was wrong? According to many of her video's 56,000 viewers, Chelsie was. 'It's a common danger,' one of them pointed out. 'There is a risk of ignition from your phone, so she was doing her job to keep everyone safe. I think you should apologise to her.' A second person noted: 'You aren't meant to take your phone out. There are rules for safety.' A third commented: 'It's not an outdated rule - it has never been in place for safety reasons, it's because it can interfere with the data related to each transaction.' While a fourth TikTok user said: 'I used to manage a petrol station. The no mobile phone rule is not about risk of ignition, but more around distraction. When fuelling you need to be concentrating on fuelling and not risk being distracted by your phone as this can lead to spillages both small or significant.'
There was some support for Chelsie, however, including one individual who argued: 'I don't know if I'm being thick or not, but is there much difference between having your phone in your hand/pocket/bag to having your phone less than a meter away from you in your car?'
Official Guidance
According to Fuels Industry UK, mobile phone usage in petrol station forecourts is actively discouraged for two reasons. These are distraction and the risk of incendive sparking. Using mobile phones can create a serious distraction for people dispensing fuel or crossing the forecourt due to the number of vehicles moving. Traffic movements will always present a risk for customers, and therefore remaining vigilant and minimising distractions is central to forecourt safety. Mobile phones are not designed and certified for use in explosive atmospheres which exist temporarily around the pump and nozzle during refuelling as well as around the fill and vent pipes during petrol deliveries. Whilst the risk of incendive sparking from mobile phones is low, they are not intrinsically safe devices and should not be used in those hazardous areas that exist on a forecourt.
Where is mobile phone use prohibited?
- In the area of the vehicle filler point when filling a vehicle.
- In the immediate vicinity of a fuel dispenser, except in clearly identified non-hazardous areas specifically intended for portable device use.
- In the immediate vicinity of tank fill points, tank and separator vents.
- In the vicinity of a tanker when unloading.
Generally, there is no need to restrict the use of mobile telephones in other areas of the forecourt, such as in the shop, in parked motor vehicles or in other traffic-free, non-hazardous areas. Tesco has been contacted for comment.
