Do You Have This In Common With Other Minnesotans?

Sometimes I feel like I notice the most trivial things and then spend time thinking about them. I’ve been on the radio for 37 years, and I’ve learned that sometimes what I call trivial can make good content on the air. 

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I’ve discovered other folks sometimes have the same thoughts that I do. 

Recently, I’ve been mulling something over and I finally decided to dive into it to see if I am making something out of nothing, or if there actually is something to it. 

My wife and I have been Costco members for nearly a decade, and one of the main advantages for us is their gas is normally a lot cheaper than other places. So that’s where I gas up our vehicles each week. 

Nearly every time I go there, there’s always a line of vehicles backed up but I’m able to drive right up to the pump. Why is that I asked myself? Turns out, there’s some data to back that up. 

The vehicles we drive are from 2015 and 2017, and both have gas doors on the right side of the car. The line that is backed up at Costco’s gas pumps is for cars, trucks and SUVs with the gas door on the left. 

Are there really more vehicles with the gas door on the left? According to several reports online, since 2020, 78% of vehicles have the gas tank and door on the left side. 

There are certain brands that exclusively put their gas door on the same side for all of their cars, but for the most part where they go depends on the size of the tank, and how the underbody of the vehicle is shaped.  

So, my mind can rest easy now knowing I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing, at least at the Costco pumps.  

BTW, in case you didn’t know, there is an arrow near the gas hand in your car that lets you know which side your gas door is on. That way you don’t have to keep moving the car around at the pumps.  

I apologize if you start spending more time than you would like on where people’s gas doors are on their cars. Although this could give you something else to think about other than how much gas prices are right now.