Unfiltered Story #190580

[Note to NAR: I’m sorry if this is a resubmission, my browser is acting up.]

(So, I’ve worked at this convenience store for about… Oh, say a month and a half, roughly. I’ve worked some rough jobs before, for the past eight years, in fact, and this one is no exception. Rough, in the sense that I have to deal with some of the meanest people in town. Don’t get me wrong… Most of my customers are actually really nice people, and some of them are a pleasure to serve and to chat with when there’s down time. But then there’s people like the following man. I hope you enjoy.

I’m at the register. I’m closing, it’s around 9:15ish, give or take about 5 minutes. My co-worker had just left around 9, so I was there alone, hoping it would slow a bit so I could get the rest of my chores finished. No such luck, but all I really had left was to mop the floor. No biggie. This man walks in, tosses (literally) a $100 bill on the counter, points out to the pump he’s at, and walks toward the door before I could fully ask him if he wants me to break the $100 and put only a certain amount in. Much easier for both of us, that way. He turns to look at me, aaaaand…)

Customer: I just want to fill my f*****g tank! (Storms out the door)

(I go to set the pump at $100 and get it ready for him. Now, I work two jobs, so this was the end of job 2 for the day, and I was thinking to myself, ‘It’s okay, it’s just one guy, you’ll be out of here soon enough anyway.’ Well, I slip up, miss a 0, and put it in for $10. Honest mistake. I caught it immediately, and told the guy at the counter (another customer) that I’ll be back in just a sec (about which he was very calm and polite) and run out the door. Note: the guy hadn’t yet put the nozzle in his car, he just had it in his hand.)

Me: (Approaching pump) Sir! Sir, I accidentally set the pump for $10, if you’ll hang it up real quick and give me just a second, I–

Customer: (Pointing back toward the building) JUST START THE F*****G PUMP!!!

(Bewildered by such an unnecessary response to me trying to HELP the man, especially since it would’ve made it so much easier to just stop the pump for a second and redo it for $100, I turn back to the building, wait for him to finish, and take care of two more people. As soon as he was done pumping, rather than hanging up the nozzle and letting me do the next $90 transaction, he immediately reaches into his car and blares the horn. I try to stop the pump and finish it properly, but because the nozzle’s still sticking out of his tank, I can’t do it. The pump is still technically ‘in use’ at this point. As I’m scrambling to get it right, he storms into the building.)

Customer: JUST RESTART THE F*****G PUMP, IT’S NOT THAT HARD.

Me: I’m trying, sir. It’s not working for me, you’ll have to give me a second.

Customer: THIS HAPPENED TO ME THE OTHER F*****G DAY, TOO. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THIS S**T TO ME TWICE NOW, IT’S RIDICULOUS.

Me: I understand, sir. I don’t know about the other day, but I’m trying to get it right now. This is a new system, so I’m trying to–

Customer: I DON’T F*****G CARE ABOUT THAT, JUST GET IT WORKING.

(At this point, I’m shaking, thinking he’s about to come around the counter. I think to call my manager, and since I’m wearing my earbuds around my neck, I plug my phone in and start the call. I even tell the guy I’m gonna call my manager to find out what to do.)

Manager: Hey, what’s up?

Me: There’s a man here who gave me a $100, and I accidentally missed a 0 when ringing him up. I charged him for $10, and now I can’t finish the other $90. I don’t know why, and I don’t know if it’s just the new system, or–

(At this point, I begin to suspect what my manager is about to say, because this sort of thing has happened before, albeit with a much more polite customer.)

Manager: Is the nozzle still in his car, or did he hang it up?

Customer: (During the whole conversation, under his breath) I can’t f*****g believe how stupid people have to be these days. It’s a simple f*****g thing, I give you the money, you get the pump ready, I get my gas, and I f*****g leave.

Me: (Trying to defuse the man) Sir, if you hang up the nozzle, I’ll be able to complete the transaction. It won’t let me continue because it’s still technically ‘in use’.

(Without another word, the guy stomps out the door again, grumbling something else I couldn’t even hear. He gets to his pump, and I watch as he yanks the nozzle out of his car, splashing it with a little bit of gas. He then turns around and slams the nozzle into its holster. I quickly do the transaction for the remaining $90, and he stares me down until I turn toward the window. He didn’t hesitate to put the nozzle back into his car, angrily of course, and continue pumping– until he spilled even more gas on his car and on the ground. Once that started, he stopped in a hurry, put the nozzle back, closed his tank, etc. And I’m dealing with more customers in the meantime. He comes back in (stinking of gas) and when he gets up to the counter, he says nothing. I say nothing. I stop the pump and give him the remainder of his change: $76.17. He only needed $23.83 of gas.)