mikeandtim

gas stations

this morning circa 715am i rolled into the gas station to pump some petrol. usually i imagine the gas being liquid dollars flowing into my car for me to burn up, literally. today however, i was reminded of a pita* that i had almost forgotten. i get out of my car and open the gas tank, check out my payment options and decide that i would like to get a juice of some kind and maybe a breakfast bar to eat on my 45min drive to work. a little splurge if you will. so, why bother paying with a credit card out here when i can get the whole transaction with one swipe inside? i review my payment options on the gas pump etch a sketch and they are the following:

pay outside with credit
pay outside with debit
pay inside

i push the button for "pay inside", proceed to lift the gas handle and select my lowest possible octane fuel, then put the gas spout thing in my tank and try to start fueling. now, there is no one else at this gas station anywhere pumping gas. i understand that most of the time you have to give a look back to the dude behind the counter and maybe a p/w**, so he has some form of assurance that you are not going to pump your gas and run without paying, so i do just that. i see him through the automatic sliding double glass doors standing there at the counter watching me, so i start trying to pump that gas thinking that he will permit me to do so. NOT THE CASE. the dude just stands there and looks at me. i know it is beeping like mad in there, sounding off like a damn casino slot room with the beeping from me trying to pump gas and him not letting me, but he does not start the pump. i hate this. i almost left right then, but then i wondered if he would have thought he did the right thing and i left because i didnt have money and was going to pump-and-run. so, without looking away, i hang up the gas spout, take out my wallet, swipe my card, then pump my gas. i did only pump enough to make it to work though and will buy cheaper, more courteous gas from the walmart across the highway from my office. i will probably never go back to that no-pump-authorizing gas station again if i can help it.

another thing about the gas station...why are 90% of gas station attendants from Fujairah? i just dont really get it. i hate to stereotype but when things are that common, you cant help but notice. no really, why are they all from the middle east...i really would like to know. many of them have trouble with the english language, which i assume means they probably have not lived in the states long. i have no issue with these people, i would just like to understand the logic of why this is so common.

--mike

* pita stands for Pain In The Ass
** p/w = point and/or wave, also acceptable is the peace sign but never the thumbs up

posted by mikeandtim @ 6:41:00 AM