Let me try to understand

[carryonnow]

A rather rotund customer waddled to the register....

SC: "Your fuel dispenser just put Super in my vehicle. How did that happen?"

MGR: "I am sorry that happened. Can you tell me what happened so I can try to understand?"

"SC: "YEAH--See that Toyota out there on pump 6....the grey one. OK--so I picked up the nozzle...pushed the button and instead of regular, super went in my tank."

ME: "OK...how that happen?

SC: "JESUS H. CHRIST!! Are you some sort of idiot?? I just told you! I picked up the nozzle, pushed the button and got f-ing super fuel."

ME: "Wow, that's odd...let me try to understand....you picked up the nozzle and you chose the grade and you dispensed the fuel....and now there is a problem? Can you give me more information about this...."

"SC: WTF!! Are you a special kind of stupid? I told you what happened...how it happened...and now the engine in my car is going to burn up because I put the wrong grade of fuel in the tank. I swear, if my $40,000 Toyota burns the engine because of the 4 gallons of super fuel I put in MY tank--I am hold you responsible!"

ME:"Sir, why don't we go outside and you can show me exactly what happened."

As we walk to his car, the customer continued to yell, name call, and attempt to intimidate. Once at the dispenser, the customer demonstrated how he picked up the nozzle and dragged it across the face of my dispenser and 'chose' regular fuel...(which was actually Super). I listened and watched....and I was still struggling to understand how his error was my fault.

ME: "OK Sir, I can see how you MAY have made the error....here is what I am willing to do..."

SC:"No this is what you are GOING to do..." and in his anger, he draws back his hand in a threatening manner. I match his movement by taking a large step back from him. Dude proceeds to yell MORE, threaten me by calling the Division of Weights and Measures" to complain...and then the ultimate threat...I will call my mother and brother....

....ah the real problem comes out---Mommy didn't put the right thermos or fruit snacks in his TMNT lunch box. SO, one my time--I say, "Let me try to understand...." as the last word left his lips he drew his hand back one more time. I looked him scare in the eye...and said "I don't get paid enough to be called names and yelled at by some one like you...SHOO, move along."

[Evannah]

Wow. Someone's got anger issues. Perhaps it's because he's still tied to his mother's apron strings, wants to move out, but is too scared of the big bad world to do so, causing him to lash out at others in frustration. I'm no psychologist so I'm probably wrong, but that's the first thing that came to mind. Or he could just be a bullying jerk...

[Argabarga]

People like this are never wrong (in their minds), and when they do something wrong (which they DID NOT DO) they have to take it out on someone, anyone to preserve the cornerstone of their worldview: their inflated sense of self.

They're geniuses! They're infallible! They DO NOT make mistakes! They're NOT at fault for this! SOMEONE else screwed up! And they will FIND them and MAKE THEM PAY for THEIR mistake! (Making ME look foolish! And I'm no fool! I'm concentrated awesome in human form!)

I've known a few.

Most interestingly/depressingly about them, this "not my fault especially when it is" behavior extends to everything.

EVERYTHING.

Not just making selections in grades of gasoline, sizes of bolts, academic performance or what have you, but even things where there's no "fault" to be had. Even something as simple as tripping over a crack in the sidewalk, or hearing a song they don't like playing on the radio will invoke a tirade about how, once again, the world is out to get them and is full of incompetents holding THEM back.

[Evannah]

They're geniuses! They're infallible! They DO NOT make mistakes! They're NOT at fault for this! SOMEONE else screwed up! And they will FIND them and MAKE THEM PAY for THEIR mistake! (Making ME look foolish! And I'm no fool! I'm concentrated awesome in human form!)

You, my friend, have just hit the nail on the head with this post. This is EXACTLY what these people think. Sucks, doesn't it? Because we all know that nothing or no one will ever get through to them. Everyone they see in their lifetime will be subject to their horrible rants about how they are perfect and everyone else is wrong.

[Argabarga]

Oh, and his "mistake" isn't even a "mistake" in the sense that something bad will happen. A "normal" car can ingest higher-grade gasoline without issue, it'll just cost you more to buy it than regular. It's when you reverse it and put cheap gas in a car that needs premium that you run the risk of causing damage (and modern cars have sensors to account for this, so it's even LESS likely)

Now, grabbing the green pump handle by mistake? That gets expensive...... gas engines don't like diesel.

[Sapphire Silk]

Oh, and his "mistake" isn't even a "mistake" in the sense that something bad will happen. A "normal" car can ingest higher-grade gasoline without issue, it'll just cost you more to buy it than regular. It's when you reverse it and put cheap gas in a car that needs premium that you run the risk of causing damage (and modern cars have sensors to account for this, so it's even LESS likely)

Now, grabbing the green pump handle by mistake? That gets expensive...... gas engines don't like diesel.

And this addresses why he's really mad: he ended up spending more on gas than he wanted to. He was probably hoping to bully the OP into a discount.

[wolfie]

It's when you reverse it and put cheap gas in a car that needs premium that you run the risk of causing damage (and modern cars have sensors to account for this, so it's even LESS likely)

And the way the ECM avoids damage is by putting the ignition timing into SC mode (i.e. retarded).

Now, grabbing the green pump handle by mistake? That gets expensive...... gas engines don't like diesel.

The diesel handle is green at most BUT NOT ALL stations. Some use green for gas and another colour for diesel, so you NEED TO READ THE SIGN (of course SCs don't read the sign). Also, there's (supposed to be) a final hurdle - the nozzle on the diesel pump is supposed to be the size that the old leaded gas nozzles were, while the nozzle on the unleaded pump is supposed to be smaller (so that a restrictor plate in the filler neck would block people from putting leaded gas in a car made for unleaded). Of course, if the wrong nozzle is installed, the diesel nozzle will go right into the filler neck of a "gasser" - and WON'T open the "anti-misfueling" valve in the filler neck of a late-model VW TDI.

[ComputerNecromancer]

People like this are never wrong (in their minds), and when they do something wrong...

Back in the 60s, editor John W. Campbell wrote a lovely editorial about this. His idea was that there are people whose brains are wired such that the *literally* can't comprehend the concept "I was wrong"

I'd say there's more than enough evidence to make this a reasonable hypothesis.

Be interesting to see if some grad student could do a study.

If the hypothesis is correct, then society would really benefit from being able to identify such folks and take steps to protect the rest of us from them.

[MoonCat]

I personally think it's upbringing. Being brought up to believe that you are always right, never wrong, and everyone else is out to get you. Kids who never hear "no" from their parents grow up expecting the world to cater to them, and the frustration when it doesn't happen just makes them miserable people that annoy the crap out of everyone else.

It would have been very tempting for me, in the OP's case, to ask the idiot to point to the button he pushed for fuel and then ask him to read what it says. Of course, he would then probably claim that no, he pushed the OTHER button, the one for regular fuel.

[EricKei]

no, he pushed the OTHER button, the one for regular fuel.

"Allllrighty then, Sir, let's just see what Mr. Security Camera has to say about the matter..."

[XCashier]

I personally think it's upbringing. Being brought up to believe that you are always right, never wrong, and everyone else is out to get you. Kids who never hear "no" from their parents grow up expecting the world to cater to them, and the frustration when it doesn't happen just makes them miserable people that annoy the crap out of everyone else.

Yep, the "Me Generation" and their "Speshul Snowflake" children. No conscience, no comprehension of anything outside themselves, unbounded narcissism. And we're the ones who have to deal with their crap.

[TheSHAD0W]

Now, grabbing the green pump handle by mistake? That gets expensive...... gas engines don't like diesel.

Not as bad as you might think; with carburated engines, cleaning that out might get annoying, but with fuel injection you just dump and refill the tank and let it run until it's clear. Depending on how much gasoline was mixed in with the diesel, it might even continue to run, though crappily. It'd also help lubricate the injectors.

Now, gasoline in a diesel engine... That's a whole 'nother story. (Although a half-gallon in a tankful does a great job of cleaning out your engine.)

[dalesys]

(Although a half-gallon in a tankful does a great job of cleaning out your engine.)

Much more will do a great job of cleaning out your wallet.

[TheSHAD0W]

Much more will do a great job of cleaning out your wallet.

Boy howdy. I've heard some diesels can explode if fed with a light petroleum.

I should also explain to anyone curious that the higher the octane rating on gasoline, the *harder* it is to burn, not easier. This allows high-performance engines to operate at a higher compression level. So the SC's intimation that it would "burn up his engine" was pretty darn silly.

[MoonCat]

So the SC's intimation that it would "burn up his engine" was pretty darn silly.

But he is an expert! He knows things! He read a book once! He read it online! It's all true and you're all out to get him!

Whew, ran out of steam, there.