New rider: filling up when sitting on your bike

Q. Is it against the law to sit on your bike when refuelling? According to a Tesco’s cashier that’s the case.

They wouldn’t start the pump until I got off the bike.
Sam Fletcher, email

A. It’s not against the law, but I’d imagine they might have received an edict from on high after some customers have done a bunk.

More importantly, it is also dodgy from the rider’s point of view as you could easily splash petrol over your crotch, which will give you a nasty rash at best, but could also ignite if you have built up a static charge, say walking across some nylon carpet to pay at the cashier’s desk… 

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