No power. No Fuel. No clue.

[AccountingDrone]

I swear if I owned a c-store with gas, I would install sliding gates like they have in malls in the 6' tall cement fence surrounding the property so I could lock the place when it is closed ... sheesh - talk about moronic customers. If it is closed, it is closed.

[Kittykat]

Sounds like an episode of The Walking Dead, except instead of Walkers you have idiotic drivers.

[Syriilord]

Just when you think you hit the bottom of the pit of human insanity.. somebody breaks out the dynamite.

As a wise me once said: In the Minecraft of life that is human intelligence, there is no bedrock layer...

[Aethian]

As a wise me once said: In the Minecraft of life that is human intelligence, there is no bedrock layer...

Specially if you do the tree trick.....


I wonder if we already haven't had the lava story but it just never made it out if HI.

[Racket_Man]

I'm waiting for a gas station story where half the station is covered by lava, there are no attendants (because they wisely evacuated) and still someone is stopped at the pump wanting gas. (If there is such a story, I'm not sure I want to hear it... my faith in human intelligence can't dig down that far yet!)

Almost as bad

when I worked at the C-store/gas station there was a national chain sit down style restaurant right next to us. One day their back room caught on fire (for the second time in less than a month_). Fire trucks all over the place including those blocking off the main road we were on.

Now a raging fire not all that far from a gas station AND fire trucks blocking most of our access AND us not wanting to sell gas because of the fire did lead to a few "heated" exchanges with customers.

Then we had a partial situation like in the OP. part of the local power grid went down (I am not technical person so - one of the three phases got knocked out). part of the stores power was down so some of our equipment was not in operation. again the whining and knashing of teeth cause they could not get gas.

[Firecrackers Not Included]

It is common practice that people who have car troubles will instinctively find a gas station to pit stop and figure out what's going on or what they're going to do. This leads to many broken down cars in our lot...

I was soooo glad the one day a couple summers ago when a car heading our way on the overpass broke down right in the center of the bridge on fire. I hadn't seen until that day, a car completely consumed in flames, billowing black smoke a mile into the sky. The freeway underneath was sticken with traffic slowdown. Gawkers from every angle.

My statement: Please don't bring your burning car to the Gas Station.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Had something similar on one Christmas Eve when we had a giant spillage of petrol over the entire forecourt. We followed Health and Safety procedure by switching off the pumps, closing off the forecourt and calling the fire brigade.

You will not believe how many people kept driving in thru the back (cuz we didn't have enough cones to cover the exit) when there was a big shiny red fire engine parked on the forecourt while the firemen were doing their thing, and asking if we were open. Seriously, if I saw a fire engine parked in a petrol station, I'd run.

[manybellsdown]

I swear if I owned a c-store with gas, I would install sliding gates like they have in malls in the 6' tall cement fence surrounding the property so I could lock the place when it is closed ... sheesh - talk about moronic customers. If it is closed, it is closed.

And someone would probably ram the gate and say they "didn't see it", and can they have some gas already?!

[Puzzlement Gum]

"But I can pay cash!"

I've heard quite a few excuses for those who want something when the power has been shut off, forcibly or otherwise.

"Can I just get one little thing?" "But I couldn't get here until now!" "I've been here before it happened!"

But that one is the most baffling I've heard by far.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Well, you see, stores and petrol stations don't run on power, they run on magic, right?

[raudf]

As a wise me once said: In the Minecraft of life that is human intelligence, there is no bedrock layer...

And all the SCs are Endermen and Creepers.

I had forgotten a story from years ago, when a gas station I used a lot closed. The first day it was closed, there were cars lined up still trying to get gas. The pumps were taped off.. there was no power to anything and there were huge signs saying, "CLOSED FOR GOOD."

The next day, the owners put out heavy concrete barriers with boards that said, "CLOSED FOREVER," and people still tried to get to the pumps and the store! Took about a week for the "hint" to finally sink in.

[Hitokiri Akins]

This reminds me of people who try to use a closed off urinal. You garbage bag it up, put tape on it, put a sign saying "Urinal closed.", and people still tear the bag off, use it, flush it, and then complain that there's piss on their shoes because the damn thing is clogged and floods when you try to flush it.

Yes, I've head to deal with that.

[TonyDonuts]

My statement: Please don't bring your burning car to the Gas Station.

Had a guy bring his burning big rig into my truck stop. Parked it twenty feet from underground diesel tanks holding eighteen-odd thousand gallons of diesel fuel.

BIG excitement, due to...

1) Explaining to the general public just why they couldn't get fuel (fire is a shiny, irresistible magnet for the stupid).

2) Explaining, along with point 1, why Fire + Fuel = BAD.

Good times.

[XCashier]

Cue an explanation of why the pumps don't work without power and how the computers and POS to control them (turn the pump on) are also down.

The guy suddenly seems to have an 'aha' moment!

"But I can pay cash!"

What can you do?

Well, this might help > It might not get the message through to the SC, but it'll make you feel better.

Seriously, I wish it were legal to at least bitchslap those who insist upon being stupid. Particularly those who refuse to read signs or follow directions. Especially those who endanger others with their willful stupidity.

[greensinestro]

You think these people are the same ones who pull on a "push" door? Like, for longer than a minute?

Yes, and are the same ones who push the elevator buttons over and over again thinking it'll make the car arrive faster.