Here's one of those occasions where a customer HAS to put 1 star because there's no option for 0 stars. This morning at about 5:30, while on my way to work, in my work uniform, I stopped to put $10 in the tank. I paid at the pump. When the screen showed $10 I tried to stop the pump but the gas kept coming. I jiggled the trigger, hit buttons, moved the nozzle holder up and down and motioned for the attendant to make the pump stop! He said "just pull the nozzle out." I said I couldn't because the gas was still flowing. This went on for several seconds. As I began yelling and pleading with him to make it stop, he would do nothing. He continued to say the same thing. And I kept yelling back from my car, "I can't take the nozzle out while the gas is still flowing and I can't make it stop!!!!" So this went back and forth while the pump continued pouring gas I didn't want. As I became more and more upset because he would do nothing, I had to try and see if he was right since the numbers were moving slowly.
As I began to pull the nozzle from the car, gas started spraying out and covered my whole left side from shoulder to shoes. As I screamed and jumped back, all too late, apparently the force of the nozzle hitting the ground made the pump finally stop. You better believe I was irate by that time. I went inside screaming, "Why didn't you help me???? I TOLD you I couldn't make the thing stop!!!" "I'm sorry", he said with a smirk. "I told you to just take it out." And, of course, this infuriates me even more after I told him I'm now half covered in gas and flammable!!
I called 311 and told them where I was and what just happened. The operator said that the incident would be reported to the Illinois consumer protection agency. She asked if I got the attendant's name. I said no but I'll have it for you in just a second. I went back inside to get his manager's number and he tried to tell me there IS no manager. I said," I know you have a boss! What's his name. He wrote down on a torn receipt the boss' first name. I said, "I want your name too" He put only first names down and told me that's all I'm going to get. "REALLY???, I replied. Then he said, "Don't worry. I'm calling the police right now. You're causing trouble" I let him know that I was on the phone with authorities myself so, PLEASE, the sooner they get here the better.
When I went back outside, I noticed someone at the same pump I had just left. I warned the guy, "Sir, you might want to use another pump. That one's not wor..." and before I could finish he growled, "I'm not going to do ANYTHING." The attendant had obviously given the customer a tale of the woman who's causing HIM grief! While still talking to the 311 operator, the other customer yelled while getting in his car, "YOU'RE A LIAR!!!" I immediately felt like I was being treated like garbage. The whole scene seemed surreal!!!
I called my job in tears and told them the whole story about why I was now late for work. I was offered a chance to go home and change but refused the offer because my work is very time sensitive and not getting there could possibly make me lose not 1 but 2 days of work. So, I started my work day reeking of gas and afraid for my safety.
Here's the kicker. I told someone about the whole thing and they asked, "Well why didn't he hit the emergency cut off switch?" I said, "You're kidding, right?" He said, "No, all gas stations have to have an emergency cut off switch in case of fire or some other emergency."
What????
So, the $10 purchase of gas I intended to buy ended up costing $32.16 plus a healthy dose of humiliation. read more
