I Was a Jerk To The Gas Station Attendant, So I Apologized
My story starts with a very panicked morning. I could not find my debit card, I had my wallet, but I must’ve been in a rush. I left it in some pocket somewhere, and I wouldn’t find it until the next day anyway. I start my car, in my irresponsibility, I have absolutely no gas, I mean negative one miles until I should get gas. “whatever” I decide “I’ll just do it after work”.
After setting myself up for failure I somehow completed a whole workday, and I had an appointment I had to rush to. Having forgotten that I was beyond out of gas, I rushed to the nearest gas station. I pull up to a pump whip out the emergency credit card, and when typing my zip, I hit the wrong number faster than I could think, and hit enter.
Today was not my day. I go inside to pay by trying the credit card, but my bank is much better than I deserve and locked it up before I could get another shot. The nice lady at the CY Albertsons Gas station politely informed me that “it won’t go through; you may want to call your bank.” This statement comes with no judgement, no assumptions, and all love. I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head, as my angst clambers out of my mouth and says “well that’s the plan”.
What a jerk, right? I immediately apologized, I felt so rude and gross about it. Trying to back track my selfish moment “I’m sorry, I’ve just had ‘a day’” I say sheepishly. That’s not an excuse, these people who work honest jobs, see countless people all day are not punching bags. I see people here in Casper treat waiters, fast food workers, gas station attendants like dirt! In that my moment I had become one of Those people.
How do we let ourselves become so wrapped up in our own world that we forget the person, doing their job, also have their own real problems and obstacles they face every day. I’ve seen grown men and women throw tantrums at highschoolers and college kids who have to try be as nice as they can to these terrible people and their bratty children.
Dear people who are continually rude to food/customer service workers,
You’re the worst. Nobody feels that you are justified because your order was wrong. None of us care how bad your day was, It’s not their fault. If you can’t ask, like an adult, to have your food fixed to your liking or to conform to your allergies, stay home. You embarrass everyone you eat with, you’re most likely making an already self-conscious child cry, you’re despicable.
With much disdain and lots of pity
-Everyone else.
Everybody has their moments, sometimes we do snap at strangers, bad days happen. Apologize quickly, don’t make your issues everyone else's. If you see someone just being torn a new one by some entitled jerk, don’t make the situation worse. Stand up, say something. If it’s your friend or relative, call them out. We need people to treat each other like humans again.