Let if never be said that Mrs. HM can't find a variety of methods to embarrass herself!
Thursday, I stopped while doing my errands over in Sis-Town. I get T-Hoe's gas at the Casey's there. You have to pay inside now, before pumping. Unless you want to use a credit card. Farmer H says the debit card won't work at the pump. People online complaining about Casey's say that their debit card DOES work at the pump, but it puts a $100 hold on their bank account for several days. I don't know who's telling the biggest fib, or if Farmer H and these highway-robbed folks are both right. All I know is that I pay with cash, inside.
I always ask for my receipt. That's because Farmer H mentioned that he does so when he pays with cash (you didn't think I let him buy gas with our credit card, did you?), because if somebody in a similar vehicle drives off, what proof do you have, if stopped, that you actually DID pay for your gas?
Anyhoo... this has been the procedure for at least six months now. I've never forgotten to pump my gas once I paid. Not even when distracted by my new scratchers. So on Thursday, I paid inside, and pumped my gas. I got back in T-Hoe, and headed to Hillmomba to get my 44 oz Diet Coke at the Gas Station Chicken Store.
Shortly after I left the Casey's lot, I had a feeling that someone was following me. There's a stoplight up the road from the exit. The cars had been stopped. Yet it still seemed like someone was tailgating me. I crossed the railroad tracks in front of the newest Domino's Pizza, and crossed the bridge over the Flat River. We're not very creative with names around here...
That's when I had time to look in the side mirror, and see
T-HOE'S GAS CAP DOOR STANDING OPEN!
How embarrassing! And a line of cars behind me, with a clear view of my stupidity on display! Did they think I was a novice driver, who didn't know how to pump gas? Probably not, in big ol' T-Hoe. Did they think I was a senile old crone, who forgot how to pump gas? I don't know. But what I DO know is that I had nowhere to pull over and shut that little round door that covers the gas cap. Not until I drove six mile to the Gas Station Chicken Store.
Oh, I did have one opportunity, at the School-Turn Casey's, about halfway there. But that didn't seem like something my knees wanted to do, climbing down and up an extra time.
At least I'd screwed the gas cap back on, so it wasn't dangling, flapping in the breeze against T-Hoe's flank.
That's not as bad as what I did--twice. Once in Texas, when I was visiting a friend in Houston, and once in St. Louis, at the QT closest to my home.
ReplyDeleteBoth times, I drove off with the gas hose still "attached" to my car. Of course, it snapped off the pump, and dangled from my car until I got out onto the road, and then it fell off.
Both times, I went back to the gas station and confessed, and they told me, "Oh, that happens all the time." I was soooo embarrassed.
Sioux,
ReplyDeleteSWEET GUMMI MARY! You are certainly faux pas-ier than I! In fact, I'm embarrassed FOR you! (A student used to say that to me. I wish I'd had this knowledge of YOUR mishap(s) to share at the time!) My face is turning red for you. TWICE.
Now I want to know if you stopped and picked up the hose from the road, and threw it over your shoulder to carry in and relinquish with your confession. Or perhaps you tried to reattach it yourself...
You are not alone. Here in Adelaide I see more than a few petrol tank doors left open. I'm not sure if they forget to close it right after screwing on the cap, or if they just don't lock properly then swing open with the car movement. Probably the latter, since most cars I see are older and the latch may be worn.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteIt was totally my error, because T-Hoe's latch works well. That's one of the few things that works right on his 2008 body!
By the way, was that a little Mick in the title of your other blog's post?
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteYes, that was Mick. And the title before that one was Alan Jackson's "Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochie," but I won't chastise you for not noticing, Madam.
I noticed the Way Down Yonder but thought it was an older song Way Down Yonder in New Orleans. Chattahoochee just didn't occur to me, which is kind of sad, seeing it's one of my favourite songs.
ReplyDeleteRiver,
ReplyDeleteThanks for not spell-policing me on the "ChattahoochEE!"