Scene: BP gas station
Time: 9:00 p.m.
I checked the gas gauge and figured that I should get gas before it got too much closer to the red zone. I am trying to change my ways -- not only with respect to avoiding running out of gas, but everything else as well, some with success, some with not so much success. I pulled into the gas station -- it was past the usual young smart-ass chick attendant's bedtime; so, chances were I would not get yelled at, even if I decided to use my cell phone while filling up the tank.
I did the whole pump thing, you know the deal, choosing the lowest-priced grade and pulling the nozzle thingy out of the holder on the pump and sticking it in the filler thing on the car. I started pumping and put the little hook on the handle so it would run automatically. Lazy. Never leave pump unattended -- so I stood there, watching the numbers on the money and gallon counters blur by.
Then I heard something. It was a gurgling sound, like ... a gurgling sound. Bite me. I can't get any more onomatopoetic than that. All I knew was that the sound was not the normal fill-up-the-tank sound that I was used to with the VW Beetle. The gurgling became louder. So I did what any ... umm, sane person would do. Being worried about the gurgling sound, I decided to investigate.
This was only an investigation. I was not takling any action to correct what could have been a problem. I pulled the nozzle out of the tank ever so slightly. Honest. I didn't pull it all the way out. That would have been a very stupid thing to do. I just wanted to investigate the gurgling sound. Just a little movement of the nozzle. Gasoline erupted from the filler tube in a spray like from Old Faithful, or at least from the pictures I've seen of Old Faithful. I jammed the nozzle back down into the filler tube. And the gurgling sound was gone. Just like that. Problem solved.
A little gasoline spray never hurt anyone -- unless someone had called my cell phone.
Posted by Bill at October 13, 2003 11:40 AMLOL - we are so lucky here in ZA. We have petrol attendants who fill our cars, check the oil and water and pump the tyres. We do not have to get out of our car at all. One good thing about it - it provides jobs for thousands of people.
Posted by: Michelle at October 13, 2003 02:38 PMIf I may, gas attendants are a perfect example of why the minimum wage increases unemployment. Say for example, you own a gas station and would be willing to pay an attendant three dollars an hour to pump gas, wash windows, etc. The minimum wage requires you to pay $6.15 per hour for this $3.00 an hour job depriving both your clients of service they might enjoy (as it would prevent them from getting sprayed by gasoline) and the unskilled of a job.
Posted by: Brett at October 14, 2003 01:29 AMI agree, In France there was talk of bringing back the people to help with the packing at the supermarket, the minimum wage stopped them in their tracks.
Do you smoke Bill?