12V Air Pump run from battery terminals

G'day,

I have a 12V air pump that I used to run from my 2003 Echo's 12V battery to pump up bike tyres as well as the car tyres. I'd simply open the bonnet (hood?) and connect to the + and - terminals of the battery.

I now have a 2016 Prius c and would like to know if I can use the 12V battery access points as per its manual for 'jump starting' the Prius should its 12V battery be flat.
The positive terminal for this procedure is in the fuse box and the negative is a connection to the car's 'earth', that is, to the chassis or similar conductive location.

The alternative seems to be to remove the 12V battery cover under the rear seat and do the connections to the battery terminals. Are these readily reachable (I haven't looked yet )?
This looks a little more cumbersome than the under-bonnet connection but I would welcome advice on how simple this is if someone has tried this (or both ways) for 12V accessories like a pump/compressor.
I also have a 150W inverter (12V DC to 240V AC) which I could run through the 'cigarette lighter' socket under the dash but the possibility of a more direct connection to the 12V battery would be nice to know.

Thanks,
David S.
Chatswood, NSW.

 

G'day,
Thanks for all your helpful replies.
I'll feel confident next time the grandkids invade with their bikes with often flat tyres, to do an inflation or three.
I take your general warnings to do this in 'Ready' mode.
Looks like the jumper-lead method will be simpler for starters, as the air pump didn't come with a 'cigarette lighter socket' plug (a bit unusual for an Aldi offering) and I think the direct battery connection does seem a bit more 'fiddly'.
David S.