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So you have to wait... so does everyone else at one time or another. I didn't like having to sit in stand-still traffic on the Northway last night at the end of a 150-mile drive (300 miles for the day, actually) because some idiot decided to put their car into the left-hand ditch so at one point we were down to one lane of traffic, but hey... excrement happens.
Not sure about New Jersey, but in Oregon you can pump your own fuel if you have a diesel or if you're riding a motorcycle.
And another myth is busted.
Like gas stations are rolling in so much money, that it's cheaper for them to pay for engine repairs rather than training their employees not to pump gas into a diesel car.
Meh, I'd pay the ten cents difference just to keep from going inside and standing in line.
As for the skimmers, that's why you don't use a debit card... if you use a credit card you have fraud protection, one call and the charges are dismissed.
I don't know what kind of debit card you have, but I have that same protection on my debit card, just like I do with my credit cards. Someone cloned my wife's debit card and went on a buying spree. The money was back in our account the same day.
Every state, every city, every station....handles it all differently. What may be acceptable one place, may be
inconsiderate someplace else. We cannot whitewash the whole country/culture.
I have done both. I used to pump then pull up to the parking spaces by the door. then, one place, don't remember where, the cashier got onto me for doing it. So I stopped. Now I pick my pump, go inside to pay, come back out to pump, sometimes need to go back inside to get change. I have lived all over the south eastern USA, as well as growing up in the Midwest. City, and country. Urban and rural.
I could see how it could be confusing for the cashier if you you filled up after paying in advance with cash, moved your car and then went in to get your change while in the meantime somebody else started using the pump you just left.
I don't know what kind of debit card you have, but I have that same protection on my debit card, just like I do with my credit cards. Someone cloned my wife's debit card and went on a buying spree. The money was back in our account the same day.
It was several years ago, while I was traveling in Texas a waiter at restaurant copied the number from my debit card. I got the money back, but it was a lengthy process while the bank did their "investigation". My debit card never leaves my hands now. Actually, I use my credit card for everything now since I get points.
Soooo, stopped at a gas station with about 16 pumps today at a fairly busy truckstop in the midwest.
Took a couple minutes to finally get an open pump.
About half the pumps were not in use, but had cars parked in front of them.
One couple walked out to their car and then STARTED fueling while I was there and another finished fueling then walked in and left their car sitting in front of the pump.
Anyone else ever notice this? Most of the time it's not a big deal but the place was pretty busy so a lot of us were waiting for a place to open up.
Just kinda bizarre to watch, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that people are either too dumb or self absorbed to know better.
Maybe they had to pay inside? That means walking in, giving your credit card and then walking back in when finished.
I have seen my share of rude people though. Yesterday I was driving on a secondary road, one lane each way with a speed limit of 30, and they were going 20 for about 3/4 of a mile. With no traffic ahead of them.
In June 1974 I was filling up at a Gulf Self Serve in White Plains, then unique or almost unique in the county of Westchester. Two attendants had a fight with rival hoses. Truly gas station idiots.
That's why I only buy gas at Costco, where's there's no mini mart, no bathrooms, no cash....and sometimes people will fiddle around at the pumps there....
You know what helps; buying your petty bullspit at the same time you go inside to pay for gas, then filling up and moving your heap. Besides why use a card at the pump anyway? It's not even so much the skimmers but the fact that the payment might not even go through for a day or so. Even if a station seemingly doesn't have spaces, the pumps are still not a place to park, if you're not getting gas.
Another thing that annoys me is the lack of segregation of pumps. Diesel and E85 should have their own pumps versus being shared with a gas hose.
All of these cash payers are about as annoying as the old ladies at the grocery store still writing a check.
Called a budget, try it sometime
Quote:
Originally Posted by SportyandMisty
I pulled into Sam's Club gasoline line. Finally, I'm next-in-line as the car in front of me pulls up to the pump. Nothing happens. Eventually, the door opens, and the driver (woman) sticks her head out the door, looking backwards. Nothing is happening. Is she looking at me? Eventually, I figured out she was trying to open the door to the fuel cap.
Without much success.
Perhaps this is a rental... it is a white 4 door sedan with California plates (this incident occurs in Las Vegas). After a bit, the trunk pops open, she exits the car, and she slooooowly saunters back to close the trunk (it was completely full -- actually overstuffed).
... and she slooooowly saunters back to the driver's seat and several minutes later figures out how to pop the fuel door.
Shouldn't there be an IQ test to rent a car?
Then, she sloooowly exits the car, goes to the gas pump, and then starts looking for her Sam's Club membership card.
By this time, I realize the lanes around me have all gone forward by a car - had I entered one of those lines, I'd probably be done and departed, but I'm stuck behind a moron.
Gee, where did she put that Sam's Club card? She appears baffled. She's dumbfounded. She's looking in her purse as if it were the Black Hole of Calcutta. She slooooowly saunters back to the car, asks her passenger, a man, who hands her a card.
She sloooowly walks back to the gas pump. She hasn't a care in the world. She must realize the line of cars waiting behind her is 4 or 5 deep, but that doesn't seem to connect her to any sense of urgency. Yes, just let the people behind her wait. It's not like they have anything better to do than wait for her to finish up. And of course there was no need for her to have her Sam's Club membership card ready to go, because of course, she doesn't need to be rushed. And everyone else can just wait.
She can't seem to get her Sam's Club membership card to work. For those of you unfamiliar with the process, you insert and remove your membership card as if it were a credit card. For some people the membership card actually is a credit card; for others, it is not and you must then subsequently insert a credit card, and then of course it asks you to enter your billing Zip Code.
You know your Zip Code, don't you, Mrs. Moron Driver of the White Rental Car, don't you??? Would that be too much for me to expect???
I think she's trying to use her membership card as a credit card, and it isn't working. After about 5 tries, she switches to use a separate credit card.
I realize the lanes around me have all gone forward another car or so.
I see her first insert her membership card, then a separate credit card, and eventually punch various things on the screen which I presume is her Zip Code info and answers if she wants a printed receipt.
What? It isn't working? How could that be?
She tries another credit card going sloooowly throught the process of first entering her membership card and then another credit card.
That doesn't work either.
I notice more cars have gone through the lanes surrounding me. I'm stuck.
She sloooowly saunters back to the car, talks to the passenger through the open driver's door window, and he rummages around, and eventually hands her a credit card.
Nice and sloooowly she saunters back to the gas pump.
Did I mention it was a hot day? About 107 degrees F or so?
She once again looks for her Sam's Club Card. Now, which pocket did she put it in? Back left? Nooo... Back right? Noooo... Maybe it was the Front right? Front Left? Nooo... She tries the Back left once again... There it is. It was hiding from her. Those pesky credit cards have minds of their own.
Thank goodness she's not in a hurry. And of course, those of us waiting in line behind her don't have anything better to do, right?
So, now she's re-found her Sam's Club membership card, entered it, and enters the new credit card. And its zip code. Gee, it doesn't seem to be working. She tries again. Same result. She tries again. Same result.
What was Einstein's comment about doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result?
By now, I'm looking for the attendant, hoping to flag him to help her. Or get rid of her. I don't see him.
But I do notice another car or two have gone by in the lanes surrounding me.
She sloooowly saunters back to the car.. wait, she stops. She inspects her fingernail. You know the type of fake fingernail that is maybe 2 or 3 inches long? Must be something interesting there. After 10 or 15 seconds, which isn't that much but seems like an eternity, she resumes her leisurely stroll back to the car, leans in through the driver's window and has a conversation with her passenger. He spends some time fumbling with something or other and then hands her yet another credit card. I notice her rear end makes Kim Kardashian's look small.
And she takes a nice leisurely stroll back to the gas pump.
You already know what comes next.
Nope, this credit card doesn't work either.
She tries a total a 5 credit cards -- FIVE F*ING credit cards -- without luck.
Each time, she hasn't a care in the world. She has plenty of time.
Finally, the 6th card (or was it 7th?) works.
And she selects the gas type (regular), and finally inserts the nozzle into her gas filler.
And dispenses exactly $1.03 of gasoline. How do I know? Because eventually I get to the pump & can see. And slowly puts the nozzle back in the pump. And waits for her oh-so-important credit card receipt.
And sloooowly, leisurely saunters back to the car, stopping to inspect that fingernail again. That gasoline pump better not have damaged her nail or she's gonna sue, I imagine her thinking to herself.
And slowly takes off.
*****
Well, the good news, if you can call it that, is I do not have a firearm with me. If I did, my encounter with her would have ended up on the evening news.
Post winner!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pikabike
Paying cash for gas and groceries makes it easier to stick with a budget.
Exactly! !!!!!!
I have $50 for gas a month. No more.
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