I know, this has been bitched about before, but today's episode was particularly egregious.

I was in a pissy mood anyway, having just dropped the Cabota off at the dealer for repairs. Not getting fuel and he'll "try to slip it in" but it could be up to 3 weeks before they can get to it. Did NOT put me in my Happy Place.

So I pull into the Irving Quik Stop or whatever the hell they call it and all the islands are occupied. Fine, I'll pull over here (with my 18 foot trailer) and wait.

Eventually, two...uh...ladies wander out of the store and head for their Chevy Shitbox. Cool, as soon as they pull out I can sneak in without having to jockey the trailer around.

Yeah...no. Driver lady has to open the fambly-size bag of chips and the 2 liter coke and paw around in the back for the Ho-ho she dropped. After a bit of fine dining (while I was gripping the steering wheel hard enough to leave prints) she reached for the seat belt and I think...oooookay, annnnny time now...Nope. False alarm.

Grabs her phone and SITS THERE AT THE PUMP MAKING A GOD DAMN PHONE CALL! I (barely) retained my shit but climbed out of the truck and started walking over to ask her politely (assuming I could unclench my teeth far enough) to move her fine automobile and charming companion so I could fuel up and get on with my life.

Fortunately (probably for both of us and certainly for me...) she looked up, started the car and went on her way. I suspect, had I actually spoken to her, and she gave me ANY shit, it would have ended badly for me. Very, very badly.

This crap seems to happen more frequently at stations closer to major highways. Why anyone treats a gas pump like a parking space is beyond me.

My favorite trick is gas up, stroll inside and ponder the choices of Lotto scratchers. Then start scratching off all the tickets they bought.
While their ride blocks the pump.

Happened to me a car wash. Dude pulled into a bay, wandered around, fumbled with the change machine, then stood behind his car and made a phone call. People think they are the only ones in the world.

Also seen as gas stations, fill the car then leave it by the pump while they go into the store to shop.

And to top it all off, the person fucking around instead of moving is usually in a gas car blocking the sole pump that also has diesel.

That's one of the few things I don't miss about my old diesel truck... Watching some numbnuts pull in right in front of me to drive their shitbox car past 6 empty gas-only pumps and park it at the lone diesel pump before waddling off inside to take their sweet time picking their nose and contemplating the hot dogs.

Very few stations will do anything about people camping out at the pump. If you follow the money, you'll see why.

The super majority of gas stations is the US are franchisees who makes a penny or two a gallon selling gasoline. They hope to sell enough gallons to pay the electric bill.

Meanwhile, they make their real money in the convenience store where every bottle of water, Coke, Dorito, Ho-Ho, etc. has a monster mark-up. They want people to walk away from the pump and buy stuff in the c-store. Even better if they walk out the c-store with a bag full of stuff.

You’ve encountered what I call “the lack of situational awareness” or the “deal with it” attitude. It’s a combo meal of either lack of intellect, narcissism, or both. These people have bird sized brains and cannot process that the pumps are full, and they need to expedite. They aren’t concerned with holding anyone up because everything rotates around them, they are the sun!!! They do not care or their brains cannot process that it’s busy and they need to move along.

This happens everywhere. The idiot couple, ladies, or men at a busy stand in line eatery. 15, 20, 30 people standing in line. I see the huge menu on the wall, decide, and am ready for the cashier. It never fails a couple, a group, and you’ll hear it. “Oh we’re next, oh I don’t know what I want. Do you know what you want? Know what you are getting? No, we’ve been chatting tee hee hee. What are you going to have?”
Then they start asking the fucking cashier about what kind of buns Or bread on this or that. I mean real stupid shit. Lady it’s lunch during a work day. How hard is it to decide on a got damn chicken sandwich or hamburger? Nothing is rocket science here. You indecisive ass hole. I’ve even said some things when I was younger “Hurry up, people are waiting, and they need to get back to work” but it would always be met with hostility. People do not like being called on their poor society behavior at all. So good for you, you didn’t engage. You won’t win.

I see the same shit at Costco. There is most usually people waiting for the pumps. I marvel at how stupid they are. They’ll wait in line for the pump next to their fuel door behind 3 cars. Me, always wanting to expedite where feasible, I don’t care. My truck has the fuel fill on the left, but all the left hand side pumps are full but the right hand side pumps, are free, open. Well me being, not a special human, just someone who thinks, I’ll pull into the opposing side and use the hose and extend it over. It’s rubber coated, the hose, so it won’t scratch anything. I’m filling up and someone will look at me like I’m an astronaut or like I’m breaking the rules or I cut or something. No I saw lines on all the left hand side pumps and there were none on the right hand side pumps.

People out there are just getting dumber by the year and I don’t know if it’s the phones, apps, or what, but any sort of decency or etiquette is leaving in spades. I don’t think it’s coming back either. Want to see a real shit show? Try lifting in a commercial gym every night with this same behavior you experienced but it’s a whole gym full of people.

It's funny, I have done a lot of interstate travel in the past 5-6 years (40K this year alone). I play the beat google maps game, whatever the time says when I start I try and beat it by at least 30 minutes (this is on a 5+ hour trip).

I can get gas and take a leak in less than 10 minutes, often do it around 5 minutes.

If I need to get lunch or shop I will pull into a parking lot.

Now traveling with my wife and MIL.....that's a different story

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Very few stations will do anything about people camping out at the pump. If you follow the money, you'll see why.

The super majority of gas stations is the US are franchisees who makes a penny or two a gallon selling gasoline. They hope to sell enough gallons to pay the electric bill.

Meanwhile, they make their real money in the convenience store where every bottle of water, Coke, Dorito, Ho-Ho, etc. has a monster mark-up. They want people to walk away from the pump and buy stuff in the c-store. Even better if they walk out the c-store with a bag full of stuff.

Truth yes, but that's NOT an excuse to allow 'self-absorbed douchebags' to piss off the rest of their customers. They may make the majority of their profit inside the convenience store, but the majority of their customers are there to get gas!

If I were the proprietor of a similar establishment, I would post VERY Conspicuous Signage encouraging the 'self-absorbed' to Be Courteous and pull their vehicle to a parking space after they're done at the pump.

I never move my vehicle until I've paid for the fuel. When I was a teenager the cops were called on me as a drive off because I pulled around to the side of the building to go inside and pay. I was in the store - took a leak , grabbed a pop and went to the counter to pay - the cop was there writing a report and he read me the riot act. Ever since then (nearly 20 years ago) I fill up and leave my rig at the pump until I pay. Of course I don't spend an inordinate amount of time inside either.

quote:

Originally posted by sreding:
I never move my vehicle until I've paid for the fuel. When I was a teenager the cops were called on me as a drive off because I pulled around to the side of the building to go inside and pay. I was in the store - took a leak , grabbed a pop and went to the counter to pay - the cop was there writing a report and he read me the riot act. Ever since then (nearly 20 years ago) I fill up and leave my rig at the pump until I pay. Of course I don't spend an inordinate amount of time inside either.

You don't pay at the pump?

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:

quote:

Originally posted by sreding:
I never move my vehicle until I've paid for the fuel. When I was a teenager the cops were called on me as a drive off because I pulled around to the side of the building to go inside and pay. I was in the store - took a leak , grabbed a pop and went to the counter to pay - the cop was there writing a report and he read me the riot act. Ever since then (nearly 20 years ago) I fill up and leave my rig at the pump until I pay. Of course I don't spend an inordinate amount of time inside either.

You don't pay at the pump?

Also, around here, it's pre-pay or pay at the pump.
Haven't seen a pump then pay in a long time.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Also, around here, it's pre-pay or pay at the pump.
Haven't seen a pump then pay in a long time.

Same.

He did say it was 20 years ago. At that time, I don't think I had a debit/credit card and times were different then. Damn I sound old.

Time fame 1972? at Ft. Sill, Okla at the post gas station for privately owned vehicles were stacked 5 cars deep at 4 lanes (nation wide gas shortage?) when a car jumped ahead of the 3 cars ahead of me. Wasn"t going to let it pass. Upon approaching the the driver who was in full military uniform showing rank of Colonel(full bird) who got upset when I challanged him about breaking in the line he started to say his rank authorized his behavior. Well he wanted my ID so he could report me for disrespect. I was in street clothes and rank was Sgt. E-5. Well his reporting on me backfired and he was the one on the carpet in front of his Commanding Officer. So the old saying that "Rank has its benefits" is not always true to a certain point. ..........................drill sgt.

In my experience nothing works better at dislodging jerks who won’t move than blocking them in while waiting for an imaginary something or someone. They almost always suddenly need me to move so they can get out.

Tonight we had dinner out. This was the third night under evacuation orders and we were tired of take out.

We finish, start up the car, then a Jeep double parks, blocking us in. The driver jumps out and starts walking off.

I honk, the driver is startled and realizes what she’d done. She apologized and moved. However, she was so self absorbed she didn’t even look around.

Before I retired I worked for a snack company. I delivered to alot of gas stations. My peeve (somewhat similar) was the lazy ass people who pull there car up to the door of the store so they don't have to walk very far. I'm talking so close to the door that I would have a tough time getting my handcart of product passed the car and thru the door.

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:

quote:

Originally posted by sreding:
I never move my vehicle until I've paid for the fuel. When I was a teenager the cops were called on me as a drive off because I pulled around to the side of the building to go inside and pay. I was in the store - took a leak , grabbed a pop and went to the counter to pay - the cop was there writing a report and he read me the riot act. Ever since then (nearly 20 years ago) I fill up and leave my rig at the pump until I pay. Of course I don't spend an inordinate amount of time inside either.

You don't pay at the pump?

Not if I'm going in - the retailer usually is charged per swipe - maybe I worked for a real cheap ass when I did retail, but he'd do everything possible to limit the number of swipes to keep his costs down.

Very few pay at the pump up this way. In the past year I've seen maybe one place that was pay-at-the-pump/prepay only (in North Minneapolis before it burned to the ground).

Living in relative outstate MN - 'Pay Inside' is far and away the most common option.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Very few stations will do anything about people camping out at the pump. If you follow the money, you'll see why.

The super majority of gas stations is the US are franchisees who makes a penny or two a gallon selling gasoline. They hope to sell enough gallons to pay the electric bill.

Meanwhile, they make their real money in the convenience store where every bottle of water, Coke, Dorito, Ho-Ho, etc. has a monster mark-up. They want people to walk away from the pump and buy stuff in the c-store. Even better if they walk out the c-store with a bag full of stuff.

You hit the nail on the head. They make their money on coffee, hot dogs and the like. The govt makes more on taxes than the oil company does.