WHY? or alternate title: Can one of you Brits explain this to me?

[rob love]

So here in the colonies, occasionally it comes time to add fuel to a vehicle and a gas station or a fuel bowser are nowhere to be seen. Much like our British brethren, we will use fuel cans in a convenient 5 gallon size to replenish the fuel. To make it easier to get into the fuel neck, occasionally we may use tools such as these:

1) spout, flexible (aka the horsecock); weight approx 1.5 pounds
2) funnel, steel (also available in lighter plastic); weight approx 2-1/4 pounds