Is it unreasonable to think a gas station has a place to dump excess or old gas? (Salt Lake City: home)

[angrivated]

This is sort of a "what is wrong with people" question too.

I have a plastic gas can I used as a backup on a road trip, and even though it was in the trunk, it stunk up the car, and after using it, there was some leftover in the bottom that won't come out due to the shape of the can and angle the nozzle allows it to be poured (it's impossible to get it all out into the gas tank without another funnel which I didn't care to try), so instead of dumping maybe the few tablespoons' full worth left in my parking space or somewhere else in the complex or my own home (it still stunk up the car even with that little in it), when I went to the gas station to fill the rest of my tank, I asked the attendant if they had a place I could dump the excess gas in my can that I couldn't put in my tank easily.

He froze and his head lowered and he gave me this strange look like I was about to pull a knife on him or something, and slowly says "no, we don't have that here" (I think his freezing was more just me asking a question outside of his normal range of robotic attendant procedures), and I said "well what do you do if there's a spill, don't you have something you put on it to prevent it from being flammable?", and he squints and starts talking like he's talking to a mentally deficient 12-year-old and says almost angrily "well I just put kitty litter on it".

I was a little stunned by this answer (who knows if that's good enough), but I smirked and thought "well why didn't you just say that to begin with?" but to not be rude I just said "ok, well there's something" and picked up the coffee can I'd already put on the counter that he didn't notice and placed it further forward so he could actually acknowledge I was a customer and not a freakin' terrorist.

He seemed to lighten up when he realized he already had the answer and I just wanted to buy a coffee too, but I just don't get his bizarre answer or reaction... acting like it's abnormal for a gas station to have a place to empty excess (or old for that matter) gas... where do gas station attendants think is a better place? I also don't get his seemingly paranoid reaction to me asking, he looked like he was bracing himself for a berating or something and just didn't want to have anything to do with it.

Anyways, it wasn't the only bizarre person I saw in those few minutes, some normal-looking lady at the counter just stared and started scowling when she saw me walking up in my horrifying baseball cap and glasses and T-shirt and shorts and sandals... I like to think it's just Salt Lake City herd schizophrenia, but there's a lot of weird behavior where people act like it's normalized, so I'm not sure if all this weird paranoid behavior is just beaten into us by TV and talk show hosts and just people being jerks about every tiny little minute thing they're not 100% used to.

[kletter1mann]

How often do you suppose gas stations get requests to return gas? Especially a few tablespoons? doesn't seem like that great a challenge. And, in any case, what do your closing remarks have to do with it? A truly bizarre post, but I did enjoy it.

[BuenoQueHacemohAhora]

yes

[Geo-Aggie]

I'd check with an auto parts store or auto repair shop. Maybe give a couple a call, if none of these are willing to accept it I'd be pretty certain to bet that your waste services have a hazardous waste program. You probably have to take it in, but in a city you have to pretty much 100% expect that they have a haz. waste program for you to dump stuff like old fuel.

Whatever you do, please don't dump it down the drain or in your backyard. The BTEX compounds will stay in your soil and/or groundwater for decades, or more and they are carcinogens.

[SWFL_Native]

Would you expect to take your old furniture back to RC Willey's? The gas is environmental waste and should be disposed as such.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by Geo-Aggie

I'd check with an auto parts store or auto repair shop. Maybe give a couple a call, if none of these are willing to accept it I'd be pretty certain to bet that your waste services have a hazardous waste program. You probably have to take it in, but in a city you have to pretty much 100% expect that they have a haz. waste program for you to dump stuff like old fuel.

Whatever you do, please don't dump it down the drain or in your backyard. The BTEX compounds will stay in your soil and/or groundwater for decades, or more and they are carcinogens.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that conversation with hazmat people. OP is talking about a few tablespoons of gas in container cause he/she couldn't be bothered to use a funnel.

[slomofo]

I feel your pain, OP. Just the other day, I walked into the grocery store with a gallon of used frying oil asking where to drop it off. The look on the cashier's face was blank and puzzled. Now I don't know if it had something to do with the fact that I was wearing a penguin costume or that I had a live parrot standing on my shoulder, but she looked at me like I was a crazy person and even had the audacity to say that my request was unusual. Like seriously lady? You're calling me weird? I'm not weird, you are!!!!

But yeah, I feel ya, these crazy Utahns are so out of touch with reality, it's unreal.

[f5fstop]

Buy a funnel at Walmart for a buck, and empty the fuel into your vehicle after filling it up. Believe me, you vehicle will not care, you won't notice any difference in the engine running and you can get back to doing whatever you do.

[TCHP]

Gas stations have never planned for returned product, because it is a consumable, so no, IMO, its unreasonable to expect them to deal with a return. Spills are a separate issue and they do have process for dealing with the clean up of that. If they fail to instruct front line hourly employees in the procedure, then that is another issue.

Gasoline is a hazardous waste. Most counties or metro areas tend to have a set up for collection of these wastes to include gasoline, oils, paints, batteries, lights, etc. Check with your local government about where these collection points may be located.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by angrivated

I like to think it's just Salt Lake City herd schizophrenia

Grow up.