This strange phenomenon between me and gas station attendants has started since I turned 17, the age where I was legally able to drive (i.e. go to a gas station alone and get gas on my own). I would generally go to the same local gas station and get however much gas I could afford (when gas was way cheaper than it is now!). Inevitably, the gas station attendants were male and apparently felt the absolute need to say something to me. Whether it was a comment on my hair or asking what I was doing later that night, they would find something to say to me. It got to a point where I was absolutely dreading going to get gas. I really preferred to be left alone and just have the gas pumped without any commentary.
I came to find that this allure that gas station attendants apparently held for me was not solely at my own local gas station. When I ventured further out into my area, I found more of the same occurrences. One gas station attendant proceeded to tell me how fascinated he was by my CD carrier. Yes. Really! My black, plain, leather CD carrying case was apparently a source of amazement for one gas station attendant. He raved about my CD carrying case for the whole time I was waiting for my 18 gallon gas tank to fill up.
Some of these adventures did not just happen to me alone. Some of them happened with Miss Petunia in presence, and I am sure she can share some of her gas station tales with us as well!
As I grew older, I thought (foolishly) that I had grown out of this odd stage of being a constant source of attraction for gas station attendants. Last month, however, I went to a gas station and asked if they could please fill up my tank, regular.
As the gas station attendant walked towards my car to hand me my credit card back, he asked: "How did you get to be so cute?"
What the hell?? Just give me my gas!
Perhaps this is one of the drawbacks of our lovely Garden State having gas station attendants? After all...
The head of the chamber of commerce in the town I used to live in has stated at least once that more money is being lost due to bad customer service than any other factor in business. I used to think it was strictly a rural problem here, but the truth is that I think Queenslanders in general are used to bad service. They definitely could do with giving gas station attendants a little course in professionalism there. It is pretty clear from what you are saying that these attendants are making it very unpleasant to fill your car up, which would have to qualify as the heighth of bad service.
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