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Artificial hearts, great. Particle accelerator, fantastic. Silicon wafer deposition, outstanding. Brilliant people and groups uraveling the secrets of the universe, moving humanity forward in great leaps.
But let us not go without celebrating the inventors out there, toiling away in anonymity, making large numbers of people's lives just a little bit better or easier everyday.
Jim Moylan is the legend that came up with the little arrow that tells you which side your gas cap is on. Those of us that drove cars without them back in the day, can fully appreciate his idea. Anyone who's pulled a rental car into a gas station on a cold, rainy night, tired, hungry, and homesick, got out to fuel up, only find out you need to get back in, do a 13 point turn in the tiny lot so the gas cap is facing the pump, and then get back out into the howling wind to get gas, owes you a debt of gratitude for saving us just that little bit of hassle that ads to the list of small indignities that compound into miserable day.
Who among us can know how many "straw that broke the camel's back" moments were prevented by Jim. No doubt, many underpaid hotel desk clerks, fast food workers and gas station attendants didn't get snapped at because the driver wasn't finally pushed over the edge by "one more goddammed thing". Fewer fingers given and spouses barked at. Thank you Jim.
Hall of Legends:
Jim Moylan
Whoever said "hey, lets print the tag in a t-shirt" instead of sewing an itchy one in.
Dr. Spencer Silver and Art Fry, without whom we would have to find a piece of paper AND tape to put a note.
Daniel F. Cudzik, the patent holder for the "stay on tab" that replaced the pull tabs on beverage cans responsible for countless chokings, maimed animals, litter and Jimmy Buffets injured foot.
etc. etc. etc.
AlmostClever
https://www.theautopian.com/rip-the-guy-who-put-the-little-arrow-on-your-fuel-gauge-though-i-think-there-was-an-earlier-one/
mikeatike
I would be down for an entire series of small but meaningful inventions and their inventors.
LurkSidewalker
Romie and Michelle for inventing the Post-It note
PurifiedInTheWatersOfLakeMinnetonka
This was something I didn’t know until my mid-20’s, when I made my first dealership car purchase.
Whoisthisdoctorwho2000
I literally only learned about the arrow a couple years ago
FlyingDestinyTitan
Those of us that drove ... back in the day....
My 2012 sports car doesn´t have the arrow but that´s also probably because I can easily drawg it across the car from wherever
Kevinbfree
Respect.
MrFancyPanzer
A primce among men.
cre8majic
OOhhhh how I remember stepping barefoot on pulltabs hidden in the sand...
arumunus
Folks with a uterus-
Earl Richardson invented the heating pad. Also the electric point-tipped iron, purportedly the toaster, an electric coffee pot, hotplate, egg fryer, ect.
He named them: El Warmo, Hotpoint, El Toasto, El Perco, El Stovo, El Eggo.
He also looked like a neutralized Bond villain.
Jaqdakloun
Tank you Jim
TanithRosenbaum
On the subject of the stay-on tab, one of the most userful inventions, since this year, stay-on bottle caps are mandatory in the EU for soda and water bottles. And people keep ranting about them. I don't understand why. I've lost so many of these bleeping caps while opening or closing a bottle, I'm happy they stay on now...
TerribleAwful
sadly, they buried him sideways ⚰️→
Jimthebutler
If only there was an arrow to tell them which side of the coffin goes toward the ground
fknbastard
The funny part about this invention is that it’s such a subtle design element in cars that I didn’t see it until someone told me what it meant-then I saw it. That occurred 40 years after learning to drive.
Great concept but it should probably be more obvious
PickleRiiiiiiiiiiiiick
Press ◀️ to pay respects.
ThailandExpress
Omicron416
Ah, Margaritaville.
ToasterDent
That little arrow is so useful when in a rental car, and you're rushing to the gas station so you can return the car full and still make your flight.
MajorNikon
Not the hero we deserved, but the hero we needed
anegativecreep
Me who actually looks at a vehicle before driving it.
Trimule
I'm damn near 100 years old and I have NEVER known about this! (happened to me last week - driving an unfamiliar car and had to pull over and get out to look for the cap before I pulled in for gas)
Evi1Gav
On older cars, the side of the pump that had the handle on told you which side the gas cap was on. But apparently that wasn't literal enough.
Euchre
Yep, because the pump faces the side of the vehicle, and in real world use could serve a car facing either direction in front of it, regardless of the side the hose is mounted to the pump. The arrow is unequivocal.
ItsaBeemer
Me telling my wife after she laments that she constantly forgets what side the cap is on on her car. "There's a little arrow with the gas pump icon on your gauge" Looks down at her gauge. Motherfu.....
VegaJuniper
But it ruins the experience of stopping at the pump, noticing you parked on the wrong side, doing a u-turn and fucking it up so that it's still on the wrong side, then doing it all over again. All while a bunch of elderly guys on a bench in front of this rural gas station sit and watch in quiet judgement.
FullSpecial
It would have made more sense for the gas pump icon to have the hose on the correct side for your car.
Euchre
That has been used at times, however the nozzle on a pump can work for either side of your car, regardless of which side the hose is actually mounted to the pump. The arrow is unequivocal.
spooktree
remember when it was behind the tags?
MajorNikon
I saw a woman wedge her cap to hold the tag down so it couldn't be read while she drove off stealing gas. The owner came out and smashed the shit out of her windshield with a mop handle. I could tell it wasn't the first time he had done that.
Yasashii93
It’s nice that somebody remembers such people.
I definitely appreciate that little arrow. It may be easy to remember where the filler cap is on your own car but many a time I drove a company car and upon needing to fill up realized that I hadn’t thought to check where the filler cap is.
That little arrow saved me looking like a dumbass at the gas station many times.
I salute the guy and his seemingly small but great invention.
RElGNMAN
Me: Pulls up to gas pump on the wrong side.
MapleSyrupMafia
My Prius cap is on the driver side like most recent Toyota, my '94 Pickup is on the drinker side.
iwenttousersubandalligotwasthislousyusername
90% of my IRL social activity is related to addiction recovery, so when I saw "drinker side" I just thought "oh, so they're both on the driver's side?"
MapleSyrupMafia
Responsible alcoholics rides shotgun!
iwenttousersubandalligotwasthislousyusername
wdr1977
Well, my first car had the gas filler under the license plate. Suck it, Jim.
thricebakedxyz
My folks had a Caprice with under lic plate filler. Dudes at gas stations had to ask where to fill the tank.
Type17
The fillers were moved to the side because the filler neck at the rear would break off in a rear-ender, causing a fire. Later on, the tanks were also moved to under or behind the rear seat for similar reasons, so a side filler was then the only option.
G0MeatCube
91 caprice. Under the plate
silvimancer
Same. Had a 1973 Chevy Nova and the cap was behind the plate. It also had no AC which made summers in Tennessee pleasant.
solrev
Same 1971 C3 Corvette
JohnCImg
It can still work. Doesn't have to be left or right. My car, an EV, has its charge port on the front. It still has the arrow, between the front of the car and an EV charger on the battery gauge.
gobblinal
I am still utterly baffled by the idea that EVs have to mimic gas cars. Just put it at the front and run the wires down to wherever the converter is. Why faff about with it being on the front, the back, the left, the right, the front right, the front left, the f'g roof. Just make it CONSISTENT so that people know where to ALWAYS FIND IT!
TexxasTerror
A guy I went to high school with got crunched between his bumper and that of a rear-ender while gassing up, glad they don't put them there anymore
bikergeek6249
Also the only reason they could do that was that the gas tank was right next to the rear bumper, which made it vulnerable to compromise in a collision. For improved safety most cars now have it ahead of the rear axle and outside the rear-impact crumple zone.
Euchre
They could've gone with the Ford GT40 and Jaguar XJ series solution - filler caps on both sides, able to feed all tank capacity from either.
glenlochie
What was the car with it behind the left taillight?
bikergeek6249
'57 Chevy Bel Air. Not "behind the left taillight" but pretty close: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMLNl0dwdCc
Euchre
The '55 and '56 have the filler behind a tip away tail light assembly.
C0ZM0
echonite
Arrow should be pointing down.
vicvalour
C0ZM0
I missed this opportunity!! Hahahaha... funny.
mikeatike
vicvalour
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1NDNjeGdyc3VzbDR0YjNxYnBwcnYxNnYxNDB3MnFjYWg2a29zamNpaSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/hkik4ac9sSqaY/200w.webp