Gas trauma
I usually keep my gas tank topped off, not letting the needle go below half. This is mostly because of the gas prices, and buying half or a quarter tank of gas is less painful then buy a full tank of gas at one time. Yes, over the course of the year I am still spending the same amount of money for gas, but $20 once a week is easier to bear than $40 every two weeks.
I know...it's not very logical, but not once have I ever called myself logical. Or sane.
For some reason this week I let the needle get closer to "E" than I have in a very long time. Not sure why because I drive past a gas station (the infamous WaWa, the gas/convenience store that I adore--best coffee anywhere) every day going to and from work. Guess I was extra lazy this week.
Anyway, driving home from work yesterday I knew I finally had to fill up...that nasty, annoying "check gauges" light came on and I knew the car was running on fumes. I figured since I had time I would stop.
Background information: I work on an Army installation. It's huge. There are a lot of people who work there, civilian and military. It's a restricted installation, meaning you have to work there, live there, or otherwise have a valid reason (official business, etc.) to be there. There are only two entrances to the base, and both are guarded (by men in uniform *swoon*). The gas station I go to is about a mile outside one of the entrances.
As I turn into the gas station I see that every other employee of the army base has decided to also get gas. I figure I didn't have any pressing engagements I could wait. No big deal. There are 8 pairs of pumps, so at any point in time 16 vehicles can be getting filled up. Shouldn't take long, right? Yeah. Whatever you say, Augie.
Almost each car/truck/SUV has someone lined up behind them, so I find the one pump where there is only one car and get behind it. The driver is not there, so I figure he/she is inside paying for the gas. This is a "pay first if you're using cash" station. Sure enough, after a few minutes here comes a guy. He looks to be about early 20's or so. He proceeds to put the hose in the car and stands there putting gas in the car. I'm sitting there waiting, having a good time listening to my iPOD. I love my iPOD. It's one of the best passengers I've ever had in my car. I'm grooving, not concerned about the wait, not even really paying attention to the guy in front of me.
Oh look! He's done. Yay! He takes the hose out, replaces the gas cap. I'm getting excited. It's almost my turn. Woo Hoo. {sing song voice}I'm first in line. I'm first in line.{/sing song voice}
But wait. He heads back into the store. Hmmmm. Odd. Well, maybe he needed to go get someone who was hanging in the store. Yeah, maybe that's it, because if he was truly done getting his gas and needed to buy something from the store--like milk or a ham sandwich--he would have moved his car from the pump to the huge ass parking lot beside the store. Right? Right!
I wait. Still no guy. Another song ends on the iPOD. I wait. Then another song ends. Now I'm getting irritated. The people who were waiting in line when I first pulled up are leaving because they'd had their turns, and more people are lining up in their place. Another song ends. At this point I am contemplating actually getting out of my car to go get him. I'm getting really irritated. Dude finally appears. You want to know what was so freakin' important that he had to go back into the store and leave his filled up car at the pump?
You want to know?
A pretzel.
A freakin' soft pretzel. Just one lousy pretzel. Not even a drink to go with it. Asshole punk fucker was so weak from hunger that getting into his car to move it would have just drained him completely and left him in a puddle of Tapped Out. Grrrrr!
He never once looked at me. Not once acknowledged my car, me, or the other cars lined up like cattle going to slaughter. He did it on purpose. No doubt in my mind he did it to be rude. "Yo dude, you wanna hear how I fucked with this lady at WaWa today? It was great." I would never, ever, ever keep my car at a gas pump after I had filled up just to go get a snack. If I was that hungry I would move my car out of the way and then go back into the store. Fucker.
I was so completely pissed off that I was speechless. By this point I'm thinking to myself that are absolutely no random acts of violence. All seemingly random acts of violence all have a very valid reason. And if this guy had been shot at the local WaWa by a complete stranger yesterday, it would have not been random. Asshole deserved it. Luckily for him I do not own a gun. I hope he realizes he tempted fate yesterday and won. This time. Jerk.
So, after waiting through about 15 songs (probably a slight exaggeration, but I'm pissed) I finally pull up to the pump. As I get ready to turn off the engine and get out of the car I realize something.
Something very important. *sigh* I'm on the wrong side of the pump. *sigh* The gas tank is on my passenger side and I had pulled up behind Asshole with the pump on my driver's side. Gah! I'm facing the wrong direction. The hoses are not long enough to pull it across the car, and I don't have room to maneuver my car to get the tank close enough to the hose.
The only thing I could do was to pull out and get in another line. ACK! I had to wait AGAIN!!!! Now my blood pressure is at the boiling point. Not only did I have to sit through Rude Dude's little stunt, it was all for naught.
The sad part is I don't think since I've owned this car I have ever gotten confused as to which side the gas tank is on. Never. Until yesterday of all days.
*points to self* Moron.
You gotta laugh, right? Cuz if you don't laugh you'll commit a randon act of violence that lands you in the slammer for 20 years.
One more thing. I'm off today and have all the time in the world to do errands and get gas. Why didn't I wait until today to get gas? Why? Because yesterday the weather forecast had us getting snow and/or freezing rain this morning. Yesterday afternoon it was sunny and kind of warm. I'm much rather stand at a gas pump in the sunshine than in a rain/snow storm, wouldn't you?
As I look out the window this morning there is no snow. No rain. No clouds. The sun is shining, the sky is crystal clear blue. Not a cloud to be seen. Not a snowflake or raindrop anywhere.
Those bastards at the Weather Channel should be glad I don't own a gun.
posted by yvonne at Friday, March 17, 2006
25 Comments:
OMH, I would have been livid. Seeing as I'm still a newbie as far as filling up my tank with gas, I probably wouldn't have gone into the gas station because of all the line ups. Would just confuse the hell out of me.
Sorry Augie, but I can't help but laugh at your experience though. I do sympathize, but I also think it's hilarious *grin*
I was so pissed at that guy, fuming right there with you until you said you parked wrong, then I completely laughed outloud.
*sheepish grin*
*stifled snort*
People like that are probably THE rudest people alive. I don't believe for a second that it's ignorance, I think it's complete and utter selfishness. Ugh! I wouldn't have done anything either, but I would really be hoping someday, somewhere, somebody gives him his. Asshat!
It's okay ladies. I'm laughing too. Well, now that it's been a full day and my blood pressure has returned to normal.
I agree with MM. He was just one of those rude, I'm the only one who matters people. I so hate them. The ones who stand in the middle of a aisle ignoring the fact that they have people waiting to get by each way. The ones who enter a building and stand right, smack dab in front of the door. The ones who drive in the left lane next to a car in the right lane and back traffic up for miles. The ones who go through a door and let it slam in your face.
A couple of years ago I got so tired of yielding to such asshats that I spent the rest of the day walking the halls and didn't yield to anyone, didn't say sorry either. Sure I probably knocked around some innocent people, but damn it, it was better than shooting everyone.
However, I did giggle quit a lot reading your story.
I want to know if any of the people who were waiting in line while you were waiting, saw you go to another pump.
Cuz if i saw you I would have pointed and laughed and said to myself "stupid lady" and laughed some more.
And I would be happy that you didn't own a gun.
omg...poor augie. I would have probably given his car a nice little nudge out of the way.
I'm not laughing. Really. I'm not. Wanna know why? Cause I've done that. I've waited in the slowest line only to find out that I have too many groceries or parked on the wrong side of the pump or whatever.
Well duh, silly! If you had waited to get gas until today? It would have been yucky, wet, cold, messy and slushy outside! ...and then? you would have been kicking yourself for not doing it yesterday when the sun was shining! *grin*
Stoopid effing pretzel eating moron!
I thought you were going to complain about the high price of gas. I fill up just once a month, because it's mostly local driving and the price was 30 cents per gallon cheaper last month.
There was a line when I went to the pump yesterday and I had to wait, but not as long as you did. I always have to think, what side is the gas tank fillup on?
Here, have a popsicle.
This is one of those things that drive me nuts. People who are so self-centered they don't even realize or care that they are inconveniencing everyone else.
What probably happened? Follow me if you can...
While ASSHAT was waiting in line, the guy on the *other* side was parked on the wrong side, and pulled the hose over his car, stretching it to it's limit. Of course, he had to stand there with the hose to keep it in his tank, and because of that he was blocking the exit lane for the guy in front of ASSHAT, who was done getting gas, but couldn't exit without hitting guy parked on the wrong side.
So ASSHAT spent his time pissed at the thoughtlessness of wrong-side filler-upper guy. He decided to get his revenge by taking his sweet time. And THAT'S where you came in!
They are all ASSHATS!
I am always shocked at inconsiderate behavior. Always. Day after day, I see and experience brash and boorish behavior from people who I would think should know better and I am left surprised-- or better yet-- appalled. The only thing that would have made this scenerio worse would have been if he had then unceremoniuosly pulled into a handicap spot in order to eat his pretzel.
Cad. What a worm.
By the way, when I fist read your title, I was briefly under the impression that I accidently hit Bravie's blog.
*snort* Monsty, I thought the same thing.
I have found that I have become less tolerant and more verbal the older I get. Used to make excuses for why people where rude: they didn't see me/hear me when I said "excuse me, but could I get through", etc. or, they've had a bad day and didn't mean it. Now I label them as rude asshats and look at them with contempt.
I hate that I have become jaded.
Rude people suck.
I? Would have "accidently" rammed his car while he was walking out to it. "Ooops sooo sorry the clutch slipped and all of a sudden the car just jumped forward. Gee maybe if you had parked in the lot to get your pretzel instead of leaving your car to block the pumps it wouldn't have been in the way of my crazy slipped clutch."
Asshats. Oh and Lasann? I've done that nonyield thingy at the mall too.
oooohhh or!!! Do you have a badge for the place you work? I would have gotten out of the car and asked to see his license and registration. Then done this whole speel about how it's a civil crime to block gas pumps and you really should give him a ticket for being a moron... *snort*
Damn! Why can I never think of this stuff when this crap happens to me?
Who is going to inform Breezy that she is a dork.
Some day somebody will key his car.
I'm the opposite of you, Augie. The older I get the more tolerant I become. Well, maybe the less vengeance or satisfaction I need. I draw solace from the idea I have that idiots quickly reach their level of (in)competence.
But lol on being pulled up to wrong side of the pump! Mr. Swami used to have one of those cars with the gas tank on the passenger's side, and I made that mistake every freakin' time I was driving his car and had to put gas in it. We don't buy defective cars like that anymore.
This is why all my cars have battering ram attchments and limpet mines shooters.
The above is why Bob no longer owns a car.
Poor Augie.
And how much did you pay for the gas? Good thing you didn't have ice cream or cheesecake in the car.
Swami - ALl my cars have the gas tank on the passenger side. But then again, I'm left-handed too! Actually, it's an advantage because I usually don't have to wait as long for a pump.
AUgie - I'm going to link your blog, unless you tell me not to, okay?
*snooches* :-)
Puffy -- I paid $2.35/gal for unleaded on Thursday. By Saturday morning it had gone up to $2.45/gal. Just last month is was down to $2.13/gal.
MTW -- no problem in linking my blog.
Swami -- I think I've just become less gullible and more jaded as I've gotten older. I used to think most people were truly nice (deep down under the facade). Now I think most people are only concerned with themselves and no one else. Not that that's a bad thing, it just makes them appear rude. Or uncaring. Or selfish.
I think I need more coffee because I'm not explaining myself very well. *grin*
Augie <---- tongue tied moron :-)
heh. Poor Augie.
mmmm. I want a pretzel.
Coco is jealous. She wants a battering ram.
Post a Comment
<< Home