What's WRONG with it?

[Peppergirl]

It's tough to make my jaw drop, but it just did.

I was getting gas, and there was a beat up pickup truck at the pump across from me, filling up.

They pulled away with the pump still in the car, and PULLED THE HOSE out of it's housing at the top. You know, where the gas comes out?

Yeah.

Now listen, I've done some pretty stupid things in my life, so I really can't judge. Other than to stand there in shock and stare.

So, the truck stops and the male (passenger) jumps out and hangs the pump back up on the handle thing. What good does that do? The hose is dangling onto the ground. I thought, surely to God they're not going to just drive away?

No, the male walked in to the gas station and fetched an attendant.

The WOMAN (driver) then decides to jump out.

To apologize, you ask? To stand and look sheepishly remorseful and embarassed, maybe?

Why, no!

She yells at the attendant: "I can't fucking believe the pumps will DO that!"



I couldn't take anymore. I actually said, "Are you serious?!?!?!" and then I laughed. Hard.

The attendant, to his credit, ignored her and began the process of trying to reattach the hose without blowing everyone up.

I got a dirty look for my trouble. I left after that.

Some people's children.

[MoonCat]

Yeah, imagine that, those things are so fragile they'll pull apart when a 3000 lb vehicle yanks on them. The idea!!

[csquared]

Back when I worked at a gas station, they did not have the breakaway hoses. I got to see two gas pumps ripped off the island. One of those was done by a friend of mine. In his case, the hose got caught on the bumper. Did quite the number on the bumper.

I would have asked her "What did you expect it to do? Hang itself up?"

[bainsidhe]

I would have asked her "What did you expect it to do? Hang itself up?"

Rip off the side of her truck, perhaps? At least she'd lose the smug comment.

[Peppergirl]

Rip off the side of her truck, perhaps? At least she'd lose the smug comment.

I almost wish it would have. She was just the epitome of trash.

I love how the attendant didn't even acknowledge her rant and just went about his business of cleaning up their fuck-up.

[Mr Hero]

My brother made this same mistake several years ago. I remember cops showing up at our house.

[Food Lady]

Some people cover embarrassment or fear with an angry outburst. Humility is the better response.

[PepperElf]

Yeah but with people like that you probably wouldn't have gotten one word out before they started screaming at you, so no matter how clever the reply is... it doesn't work if they're too busy screaming over you to listen.

So if anything PepperGirl's response was perfect. just point and laugh.

[Raveni]

Some people expect that the pump would pop out of the tank during a drive-off. Unfortunately, the angles don't work that way.

Luckily, most of the time the breakaways work great and they can just be popped back on by hand.

At C-Store, 9/10, the people would't even tell anyone they did it. Most of the time, they would just throw it on the ground after they broke it and the next customer would stare dumbly at it until they got pissed that they couldn't get gas and then complained. Because obviously it is our fault that the last customer broke the pump.

[RealUnimportant]

I once worked a gas station that had that happen twice in one week; the breakaway was on the nozzle, not the hose, so luckily there was no spillage either time... Thing is, it was impossible to pay with the system we had unless the hose had been hung up, so we never really worked out just what the chain of events was that led it to happen!

[Peppergirl]

So if anything PepperGirl's response was perfect. just point and laugh.

Thanks. The sad part is, like I stated above, I've done some truly boneheaded things in my life, so I didn't even laugh or ridicule her (even in my thoughts) until she acted like such an asshole. I was simply shocked until she did that.

[RealUnimportant]

"What's WRONG with it? I'll tell you what's wrong with it - it's dead; that's what's wrong with it!"

I can't be the only one who had that in their head after seeing the thread title...

[Jay 2K Winger]

"What's WRONG with it? I'll tell you what's wrong with it - it's dead; that's what's wrong with it!"

I can't be the only one who had that in their head after seeing the thread title...

It's not dead. It's pining for the fjords!

[Dadeo]

It's not dead. It's pining for the fjords!

What if it's got a banana?

[wynjara]

I've only seen this happen in person once- when my driving instructor pulled away from the pump while still attached. Although to be fair, the attendant had finished up the transaction without removing the hose. Still.