I get so frustrated sometimes

[low_delta]

But not very often. In fact, almost never. But sometimes...

I've decided never to go to Speedway for gas again. This is the fourth time their pumps couldn't read my card.

Since my gas gauge stopped working last weekend, I was a little nervous about how much gas was in the tank. I was pretty sure I could make it home with out stopping, but the farther I went, the more certain I was that it wasn't worth the risk. Besides that, gas is 6 cents cheaper down there. So the only gas station in a neighborhood I really felt like stopping at was the Speedway. I put my card in the slot and yanked it out...
**CARD NOT READ**
PLEASE WAIT
So I waited. And waited. And took out my gas cap. And waited. And waited. Finally after, like, 30 seconds, I could try again. No dice. So I waited. And waited.

The thing is, I was getting angry. Violently angry. I don't get violent. And I don't get violently angry. But I felt like kicking the pump repeatedly. And I felt that way the last time it happened. I don't understand. It was cold out, and I had been standing staring at the pump for well over a minute, but I don't know why I was that angry.

So then I decided rather than risking the delay again, I'd pump my gas and then go inside to pay. No problem. So I pulled the nozzle and picked my gas type, put the nozzle in the tank and nothing happened. The pump said it was waiting for attendant authorization. So I looked at the window. There was a silhoutted head and a voice came over the loudspeaker. PUMP ONE, MWA MWAHMWAH PAY MAMWAH. I said, "what?" This time I made out what he said. He wanted me to prepay. Fuck. I'm sick of this shit. I angrily slammed the nozzle back in its slot, put the gas cap back on and sped out of there.

I've never prepaid before, except with card at the pump. I didn't know if I was supposed to guess how much I'd need, or if they'd give me change back, or what. I was sick of standing arouind, sick of that store, cold, and wanted to get the hell out of there.

When I got back to Grafton, "my" gas station took my card after three tries. :-( But it didn't make me wait between tries. And then the grocery store machine didn't want to take it either. I guess I need a new card. But those Speedways never have taken it.

Comments

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

Your card looks pretty worn out. Are you getting close to the expiration date? It might be worth calling them and asking for a new one.

What a hassle.

Prepay

[the-99th-aisle.livejournal.com]

By the time I had learned to drive (um, about 1997 or '98 or so) they had already installed card readers at machines, so I've only had to go inside and pay cash a couple of times in my life. Prepaying does suck serious ass, though. The way I understand it, you give the dude a ten-spot (for instance) and then you pump the gas until it says $9.98 or whatever and then if you're so inclined you go back in and they give you your two cents. Just my two cents. =)

My credit card expires in January, and the strip on the back where I signed the card has been completely worn/scraped off. So for about a year now I've had to show ID any time I pay with credit.

[specificocean.livejournal.com]

I don't like Speedway, either.

re:card

[emschin.livejournal.com]

I had trouble getting the gas pump to read my card yesterday, too. However, I found I was trying to use my AAA card! Once I tried with the Mobil card I was ok.