Yes, Let's threaten the cashier because you drove away and somebody pumped your gas.

[Kittykat]

I hate people sometimes. Friday at work, had a guy threaten me because I wouldn't give him ten dollars from the register. Why? Because he drove off without his gas and somebody pumped it. Not my fault dude, call your bank and dispute the charge. I told him this, fifteen times. Finally had to call the cops and no trespass him.

[Buzzard]

Been in a similar one myself. Had an idiot not know what pump he was on, told me the wrong number, and it was busy enough that I wasn't able to do my usual babysitting task of watching to see that the idiot could read numbers reliably. Someone pumped the gas, so the money is gone, so there's no refund, and I'm not giving money out of my pocket because some idiot can't read numbers. (There were a whopping 8 pumps, so it was a little difficult for some of them to get it right)
The kicker: He called the police himself, who came on out and said it was a civil matter and they got nothing to do with it.

[Minflick]

What I always did when I stupidly forgot what damned pump I was at was sacrifice my place at the head of the line, go out and stand by my car and find the number and then go back to the end of the line. Felt super stupid doing it, but at a large and busy lot, they wouldn't let me nor would I try to go out and have them wait on me while I did so! I'm not that rude, and they are way nastier than I am!

[Nunavut Pants]

I even started holding up the pump's number of fingers (to myself) as I walked from the pump to the cashier's station. Because before I started doing that, there were times that the pump number would completely fall out of my head in that ~20 foot walk...

[Minflick]

Exactly! Senior moments started way back in my 30's, thanks to having small children!

[taxguykarl]

I even started holding up the pump's number of fingers (to myself) as I walked from the pump to the cashier's station. Because before I started doing that, there were times that the pump number would completely fall out of my head in that ~20 foot walk...

At the commuter train station, I took to either photographing my parking spot or logging the parking space number on the calculator app of my smartphone for that reason.

As for the OP: Is the 'Cancel' button really that unclear on the pump?

[Buzzard]

TGK - It looks like a come in and prepay deal. Still, numbnuts drove off with money just sitting there, and got all upset that it wasn't there when he got back.

[CyberLurch]

What I always did when I stupidly forgot what damned pump I was at was sacrifice my place at the head of the line, go out and stand by my car and find the number and then go back to the end of the line. Felt super stupid doing it, but at a large and busy lot, they wouldn't let me nor would I try to go out and have them wait on me while I did so! I'm not that rude, and they are way nastier than I am!

When I do that, I just tell the cashier that I'm sorry, I neglected to get the pump number, I'm at the one where the ugly white pickup with its lights on is parked. They usually figure it out pretty quick. If they're not able to, I'll happily go out and find out for them.

[Kittykat]

TGK - It looks like a come in and prepay deal. Still, numbnuts drove off with money just sitting there, and got all upset that it wasn't there when he got back.

All gas stations here are prepay. They used to let you pump and then pay, but too many drive offs.

[Buzzard]

It kind of threw me for a loop venturing into a state that normally has pump then pay. I remember getting the strange look when I went inside to pay first. It seems that the whole law enforcement chain gets real energetic when they have enough info to track down a drive-off.

[evilhomer]

I get it, customers suck, people are stupid, people no longer take responsibility for their actions, but come on. You ask for $10 on pump 8, I'm giving $10 on pump 8. You pay for it and drive off, I'm not running after you and jumping in front of your car. These are completely, totally, 110% these people's mistakes, the cashiers or anybody else have absolutely no responsibility in it. God I hate people.

As for threatening someone over it, he should be charged, then sued for the mental distress he caused you. Seriously, these lawsuits go flying out for lesser things, you could legitimately have a case.

[Terza]

When I do that, I just tell the cashier that I'm sorry, I neglected to get the pump number, I'm at the one where the ugly white pickup with its lights on is parked. They usually figure it out pretty quick. If they're not able to, I'll happily go out and find out for them.

I work at a petrol station, and our official rule is: Know your pump no, amount you need to pay & your car make/colour, because we don't have the time to check up on you!
In actual fact, as long as you know either the pump or price plus car colour, we're pretty good at pairing up customers with pumps to be paid. I have people overnight who don't bother looking because they're the only car there. They come and say 'That one over there' with a vague handwave at the forecourt, but at least they're friendly and fully aware that they only get to do that because it's 2am!

Of course, there are constantly customers who insist they're on a completely different pump than they actually are, or possibly driving a different car than the one they stepped out of, not to mention they clearly did not put £xxx of fuel in using Pump #Y, according to them, despite the cashier having watched them do precisely that!

[SpyOne]

I hate people sometimes.

I hate all of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time.

At the gas station where I work, if you don't start pumping within three minutes the transaction "times out".
If the customer paid with cash, you just finalize the transaction and then set up the prepay again. Easy. You may have to do it multiple times, however, because some people are in no hurry to start pumping.
If they paid with a card, .... well, like it says on the receipt, the card will only be charged for gas actually pumped.(It also says that it will time out if you don't pump within three minutes, and that is you still want gas after it times out you'll need to swipe your card again.) But it placed a hold on the full amount of the prepay, and it may take a little while to release that hold. So if, for example, you had exactly $10 on your card and used it to prepay for $10 in gas but then decided to use the restroom instead of pumping your gas, ... you may be SOL, because the money hasn't been released on your card so you can't pay again yet.

One night I had a guy in that exact position, without even enough gas to drive home. I certainly sympathize with your plight, but no I'm not giving you money.
He threatened to call the police, I said "please do" so he did.
And I showed them copies of the receipts and they went out and explained it to him: we don't have your money, your issue is with your bank.


For not knowing your pump number, my favorite came just a few months after I transferred to a gas store for the first time. We have 8 pumps.
Guy comes in, wants to put $20 on "the Jeep". I look outside, then turn to him and say "[i}nothing[/i] out there is a Jeep."
Turns out it was the Dodge Durango.