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Crowded Brain Syndrome Causes Pain At The Pump
Aug 08 2007 by Sara Lacey
8/8/2007
Icon Means We've Got One Less Thing to Remember
I have an issue: I can't remember what side of the car my gas tank door is on. I blame this on the fact that I drive lots of cars, so I can't possibly be expected to recall my own vehicle's important features. Maybe you're like me, or maybe your confusion happens because you travel a lot and frequently rent cars. Or maybe you have a car but don't drive a lot, so when you do, you forget this little detail. Or maybe your brain is just too full of your kids' schedules, things you need at the grocery store, bills to be paid, menu planning, dry-cleaning pickup, important phone numbers, important dates, school meetings ...
The last thing you need is some ridiculous mnemonic device that will get stuck in your head in order to remember your car's nuances (like singing "The door is on the driver's side, the driver's side, the driver's side" to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush"). Or a tattoo. Whatever the case, I take comfort in the fact that I'm not the only one with this problem. How do I know? Because car manufacturers actually place little indicators on the instrument panel of new cars to help guide you at the gas station.
On my car, this indicator is a little arrow that points to the left. I always thought the arrow was illustrating the fact that the gas gauge was to the left. Not so! After a conversation with some coworkers (and reading the manual to verify, mind you) I learned that this arrow is in fact a friendly reminder that the fuel-filler door is on the driver's side of the car. Now I don't have to come up with some acronym or song, nor do I have to lean out the car door and bonk it on the gas pump when looking to see if the door is on my side. Sweet relief! Now if only I could get "The Door is on the Driver's Side" out of my head.
I just don’t understand why can’t the manufacturers have it on a fixed side for all of their vehicles?
I mean, one side for left hand drives and the other side for right hand drives.