Volatile Liquids, Volatile Customers

I work in a fairly large petrol station in the UK. Obviously, when you’re around flammable liquids, there are various health and safety policies. One of our policies is that bikers must dismount while filling; if the bike tipped over for any reason, it would spill fuel everywhere. Most of the time when you go on the tannoy, customers just do as you ask; they may whine a little bit when they come inside to pay, but it’s not a big deal. This guy was not one of those people.

My colleague and I were both serving at the tills. She asked this customer over the tannoy to get off of his bike while filling. I wasn’t looking at the forecourt cameras since they were on her side of the tills. After she authorised the pump for him, she went out for a smoke break, so I switched to her till to monitor the forecourt cameras. I kept serving customers, and when this guy came to pay, I could tell he was pissed, but I was calm and polite as usual.

Customer: *Rudely* “Why did I have to get off of my bike?!”

I tried to explain that it was for health and safety, but he interrupted me.

Customer: “It’s because you thought I was going to drive off!”

Me: “That’s not why, but even so, we had a motorcycle drive off this very morning, so we have good reason to be careful.”

He argued with me for a while, paid, and then said:

Customer: “If you ask me again, I’ll come inside and snap your neck.”

Completely insane behaviour for such a simple request, especially given it wasn’t even me who asked him to get off his bike!