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This happened a couple weeks ago.
There's two double doors just past the restrooms that lead into the back area. There is one sign there that says, Employees Only. This is important to understand because there were two customers, one of whom was about to go through this door as I was on my way to the break room.
The woman who was with him was flipping through the pages of one of the five-minute storybooks from the book section. He turns to look at me and asks, "Is the auto center through here?"
I said no. Then he asked, "You can't get an oil change here? We really need to get an oil change here."
I told him no, there is no auto center at this store and you can't get an auto change.
"Do you know where we can go in town to get an oil change? We need one really badly." His girlfriend repeated this after I rattled the name of an auto parts store that I though might have a service center. I said once again that I really didn't know and I noticed that the guy was looking at his smartphone, which I thought he should be able to use to find such an auto place.
Now here's the thing. I know of a couple places down the street from me that do actual oil changes. I just couldn't think of them at the time because I don't drive and therefore I have never had to remember off the cuff where I would go to get an oil change. It wasn't something I was withholding out of spite, I genuinely didn't know at the time and when I walked by them on the way to work, I realized they were places that had been in town since before I was born and regretted not being able to at least answer the guy's question.
But here's the other thing. Beyond those doors, you cannot smell any of the smells one would associate with an auto service center. No car fuel, no sounds of tools, no revving, etc. There aren't customers coming and going through the doors, just employees. More to the point... there's no sign anywhere saying that the auto center is through there. Stores tend to be pretty thorough in directing customers to places.
Also, the places in my town, just down the street from where I work, advertise oil changes as one of the services they offer.
I don't drive but I can read. And that's when it occurred to me. She wasn't getting that book for a kid. That's her boyfriend/husband/whatever's reading comprehension level. It's the only explanation I have.
There's two double doors just past the restrooms that lead into the back area. There is one sign there that says, Employees Only. This is important to understand because there were two customers, one of whom was about to go through this door as I was on my way to the break room.
The woman who was with him was flipping through the pages of one of the five-minute storybooks from the book section. He turns to look at me and asks, "Is the auto center through here?"
I said no. Then he asked, "You can't get an oil change here? We really need to get an oil change here."
I told him no, there is no auto center at this store and you can't get an auto change.
"Do you know where we can go in town to get an oil change? We need one really badly." His girlfriend repeated this after I rattled the name of an auto parts store that I though might have a service center. I said once again that I really didn't know and I noticed that the guy was looking at his smartphone, which I thought he should be able to use to find such an auto place.
Now here's the thing. I know of a couple places down the street from me that do actual oil changes. I just couldn't think of them at the time because I don't drive and therefore I have never had to remember off the cuff where I would go to get an oil change. It wasn't something I was withholding out of spite, I genuinely didn't know at the time and when I walked by them on the way to work, I realized they were places that had been in town since before I was born and regretted not being able to at least answer the guy's question.
But here's the other thing. Beyond those doors, you cannot smell any of the smells one would associate with an auto service center. No car fuel, no sounds of tools, no revving, etc. There aren't customers coming and going through the doors, just employees. More to the point... there's no sign anywhere saying that the auto center is through there. Stores tend to be pretty thorough in directing customers to places.
Also, the places in my town, just down the street from where I work, advertise oil changes as one of the services they offer.
I don't drive but I can read. And that's when it occurred to me. She wasn't getting that book for a kid. That's her boyfriend/husband/whatever's reading comprehension level. It's the only explanation I have.
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