The Problem With The Overly-Friendly Guy At The Gas Station Chicken Store

Some people are nice as can be. Friendly fellows who never met a stranger. It's nice to encounter their sunny disposition, IF YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME.

 

I rarely run on a schedule, but on Wednesday I was a bit behind in getting to town, and wanted to get home to get supper started. Of course there was a line in the Gas Station Chicken Store. A lady was paying, a man behind her, and two guys waiting over by the soda fountain. I stood off to the side, telegraphing that I knew they were ahead of me, but I wasn't going to walk all the way down an aisle and halfway up the next one to stand in line behind them.

 

One guy was a burly fellow, waiting to pay for a case of beer. Not shaming him. A working man is entitled to his beer at the end of the day. Burly G had something to say about everything. Just being friendly, you know.

 

The lady was having trouble with her card being read by the card reader. It has ONE JOB, people! Why can't a card reader read cards???

 

Burly G: "A lot of people have trouble with that. The lady in front of me yesterday couldn't get it to work, either." 

The man behind the lady finally got a chance to pay. Same problem.

Burly G: "I sometimes wipe off my card to see if it will work. Sometimes it helps."

The other soda fountain guy had his turn. Asked for some scratchers.

Burly G: "Oh, I might get some of those too!"

When it was Burly G's turn, he indeed got some scratchers. Paid for his beer. Asked for four little bottles of Fireball, the cinnamon-flavored whiskey that Genius hates. He paid with cash, then stepped aside while folding up his paper money he got in change. He left his case of beer sitting on the class case so that I couldn't see the scratchers. Good thing I have my favorites memorized!

Burly G: "When you open the drawer, can I have some quarters?"

The cashier didn't respond. She was waiting on me, seeing as how it was my turn.

Burly G: "Oh, you have a winner? I can't play those big tickets."

"I do after a win. I won $500 last week on a $10 ticket."

Burly G: "I might have to get me one of those!"

The cashier opened the register to give me back the change from my winner after my purchase. She turned to Burly G, and handed him 4 quarters. "I'll give you four, but we really don't give people change here."

Burly G took his 4 quarters, and handed over a dollar. He made no move to leave. 

But I did.