Smoke near the gas pump (includes self sighting)

[Sapphire Silk]

I'm not sure if this goes here or in Morons in Management (not my boss) . . .

OK, yesterday I hop in the truck (which I just bought a couple months ago, new) to make the five hour drive to Maryland to visit my mom, and attend my neice's birthday party.

I got a couple hours on the road when I pull over to gas up and grab a snack. I'm filling up the tank when I catch of whiff of cigarette smoke. I turn around, and there is an employee squirting down everything on the pump island and doing general cleaning while smoking a cigarette. Because he's wearing a button down shirt and a tie, I assume he's the manager.

Me: Uh, you know you should not smoke around a gas pump. It is very dangerous.

Employee: Yup. He then continues puffing on his cigarette!

I'm pretty upset by this: I really don't want to get blown up by his carelessness. So I go into the store and ask the cashier if the guy really is the manager. She confirms this.

Here's where I act like a bit of an ass and become a sucky customer:

Me: Well, he's smoking around the pumps (in fact I could see him continuing to smoke), and when I said something he blew me off. What he's doing is really stupid. (I should note, the store was full of customers and I got a bit loud--I was really angry--which is why I confess to being a SC).

Poor girl really couldn't say anything . . . it's her boss after all. I decided I wasn't buying anything at this place and left.

I drove down the road, stopped at another convienience store, bought my snacks, and then called corporate to complain.

The CSR actually gasped when I told her what happened. She said she would call the owner right away to deal with the problem.

I don't really feel guilty for making trouble for this guy, because he had no concern for anyone else's safety. I had been to another gas station just recently, and the pump handles automatic shut off failed, and I ended up with quite a bit of gas on my truck and on the ground. . . .it wouldn't have taken much to start a serious fire had that happened while I was pumping yesterday.

[bhskittykatt]

Maybe he's smoked 100 times around the pumps and nothing happened, but the 101st could be the unlucky time. His attitude was unacceptable, too. You did the right thing by calling corporate.

[TheSHAD0W]

It's actually very difficult to ignite gasoline, even gas vapors, with a cigarette. But "very difficult" doesn't equal "impossible", and smoking near a gas pump is just plain idiotic.

[surreal20]

well let me tell you, being a person living in maryland, and not originally from there...i'm not surprised that dirt bad didn't care.

When it comes to Maryland ppl..i have found they are some of the RUDEST ppl in the world. I live close to DC so that of course don't help either.

I'm glad you called them. That just saved more lives than you can fathom.

[Solumina]

When it comes to Maryland ppl..i have found they are some of the RUDEST ppl in the world. I live close to DC so that of course don't help either.

Really? I've always found them to be rather nice, kind of blunt but nice.

On topic: the dude was a jerk and I hope he is out of a job. I do feel bad for the clerk as she couldn't do anything and most likely felt really bad but hey maybe your call to corp has resulted in her having a better working environment, cuz you know if he was an ass to you for no reason then chances are he was an ass to her too.

[ditchdj]

Perhaps if he had an experience with gasoline like I did when I was a kid, he'd know better.

I poured gasoline on a pile of ants to set them on fire. When I went to light it I came within inches of being torched by a large fireball!

Luckily I moved my face out of the way just in the nick of time and I wasn't hurt. But it was good lesson learned because I had a newfound respect for gasoline ever since.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Plus, it's just common sense to not smoke around flammable things. Back when I worked in the shire horse stables at the country park, I ended up telling people not to smoke in the stables around the flammable straw and hay loads of times; and every time, got abuse back. -.- Especially after I then took their cigarettes and stamped them out. Luckily my boss always backed me to the hilt.

In the petrol station where I now work, we once had to call the company that delivers our petrol after a tanker driver was seen by a member of the public smoking by the flipping tanker.

[Sapphire Silk]

well let me tell you, being a person living in maryland, and not originally from there...i'm not surprised that dirt bad didn't care.

When it comes to Maryland ppl..i have found they are some of the RUDEST ppl in the world. I live close to DC so that of course don't help either.

I'm glad you called them. That just saved more lives than you can fathom.

The incident in question actually happened in North Carolina (where I live now).

I'm from Maryland . . . close to DC . . . grew up there Mom still lives there

But yeah, I can be kinda blunt sometimes

[Sapphire Silk]

Perhaps if he had an experience with gasoline like I did when I was a kid, he'd know better.

I poured gasoline on a pile of ants to set them on fire. When I went to light it I came within inches of being torched by a large fireball!

Luckily I moved my face out of the way just in the nick of time and I wasn't hurt. But it was good lesson learned because I had a newfound respect for gasoline ever since.

Yeowch!

I have had similar experiences with white gas (Coleman fuel), which is why I have a lot of respect for gasoline.

Went camping with some friends. In the morning, it was very chilly, around 40 degrees F. We were trying to restart the campfire when one of the guys said, "Time to add a little magic fuel, " and poured the white gas on the fire, which was still smoldering. The flames actually went up the stream of gas, and lit his hand on fire.

Fortunately, he got the fire out before more than his hair was singed.

I've also taken care of patients with gasoline burns . . . nasty.

[roothorick]

I have ZERO tolerance for those that endanger my safety. I would've demanded he put it out right then and there, and if he didn't comply I'd yank the thing out of his mouth and put it out myself.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I don't blame you one bit for contacting Corporate Office to make a complaint. What that manager was doing was not only endangering his store that he's responsible for, but also employees and customers alike.

He's a walking Darwin Award waiting to happen.

[Chromatix]

...but the Darwin Award is for people who don't take innocent bystanders with them.

[PepperElf]

you were NOT being sucky

if i'm not mistaken, isn't it ILLEGAL to smoke next to the gas pumps? so....no suck on your part for reporting him. he was being an ass

[Sapphire Silk]

you were NOT being sucky

if i'm not mistaken, isn't it ILLEGAL to smoke next to the gas pumps? so....no suck on your part for reporting him. he was being an ass

I did think about calling the state . . . .but my goal wasn't to get the place in THAT kind of trouble. I just wanted that one guy to change his behaviors.

I figure a smack down from corporate ought to get the owners attention, who then will get the manager's attention.

And I will never use that gas station again. Easy to do, I only pass by that way a few times a year.

[Captain Trips]

It's actually very difficult to ignite gasoline, even gas vapors, with a cigarette. But "very difficult" doesn't equal "impossible", and smoking near a gas pump is just plain idiotic.

On the other hand, he had to have lit the cigarette somehow -- and a cigarette lighter will very easily ignite gas vapors. (A glowing ember may not be enough, but a lighter has an actual flame. Whoosh!)