At The Gas Pump

Recently, my husband stopped at a gas station for gas. It was very busy; every kiosk had at least one car waiting. He found a kiosk where there was only one car at the pump and, thinking he was pretty lucky, pulled in behind the car. Once he put the car in park, he realized the driver of the car at the pump ahead of him wasn’t pumping gas. He was cleaning his windows, a normal thing to do after getting gas.

However, usually, people just do the front and back windows. This person proceeded to do every window, plus his headlights and taillights. He then got some paper towel and started cleaning his mirrors, both sides. You’d think he would be finished, but no, he was just beginning! Next, he cleaned all the windows inside, then emptied the garbage. That was followed by dusting the interior of the car. My husband left without getting gas.

My question is this, why stay in front of the pumps so no one else can get gas while you clean your car? To me, this seems self-centered, inconsiderate and very thoughtless. There are car washes for that. We can all come up with similar examples. The person that parks in between two gas pumps, so no one else can access the available pump. Then there are those who are done pumping their gas then leave the car parked at the pump while they go inside to purchase snacks. Meanwhile, the lineup behind gets bigger and bigger.

This column is about communication, and while no words were said between my husband and the guy at the pump, there certainly could have been. Words that weren’t said, however, were loud and clear: “I really don’t care about you.” “My time is far more valuable than yours.” “I’m more important than anyone else here.” “I don’t respect any of you waiting in line.”

Okay, I’m old school. When I get gas, if someone is waiting behind me, I pull forward as soon as I’m finished, then put my credit card and receipt away. Same when I go to a bank machine. I respect the people waiting behind me. Even if my windows and lights needed cleaning, I would still pull ahead and go back for the squeegee.
There is a quote from Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) that says, “People need to learn that their actions do affect other people. So be careful what you say and do, it’s not always about you.” So true, even at the gas pump!

Mary Anthes is a business owner, speaker and a Distinguished Toastmaster. She can be reached at nmanthes@shaw.ca.