After TWO people gave Mrs. HM cuts in line on the SAME DAY, you can bet she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. That level of kindness had not been apparent in Hillmomba for the past year or more. So Even Steven probably had some dastardly plan up his sleeve. Like maybe another door-enterer who would slip through the opening, then PULL THAT DOOR SHUT in Mrs. HM's face. Or a donut-buying man who would start screaming and tossing his donuts when asked politely by Mrs. HM if he was next in line. Yes. Those two thing happened, and at the very same Casey's. Which is now closed and being dismantled. KARMA!
Anyhoo... the very next day after the double-cutsies, I was a bit on edge. Certainly not expecting any niceties from strangers, and kinda worried about THE EVEN-ING OF STEVEN. I had no idea what form it might take, so I was ever-vigilant.
As I walked under the gas-pump-roof on my way to the door of the Gas Station Chicken Store, I noticed a mid-sized SUV parked there, with a little girl flitting around. She might have been 5. Just cutting up like a young 'un will do when released from a vehicle after a drive. A woman I presumed to be her mother was also moving around, from one side of the back seat to the other car door.
I didn't greet them, nor they me. I was too busy stepping through the assorted detritus that had spewed from the vehicle. It looked like caramel corn, some wrappers, another foodish crumbly array. I made it through the store door without incident. Had a clear path to the soda fountain, though a chubby man was waiting to pay.
While filling my cup with 44 oz of Diet Coke, I heard Woman Owner, who was on register duty, jawing at Chubby.
"We don't do that here! That's just nasty! This is NOT a car wash! I really don't appreciate it."
Chubby didn't say anything. He put his card in the contraption tethered by its power wire, and paid for his gas. Then left. Woman Owner didn't even ask him if he wanted the red tickets for the gas drawing. She's usually overly fake-nice to the customers. So this was surprising.
By this time I was waiting to pay. A young working man came in and stood back respectfully, cash in hand.
"Are you just paying for gas?"
"Uh huh. And getting cigarettes."
"Go on ahead. I might take a while."
"Oh. Thank you!"
SEEEEE? Mrs. HM can be polite! She can give cutsies. Don't cost nothin'. Surely this would repay at least half my debt to Even Steven.
When it was my turn, I told Woman Owner that I got the impression that Chubby didn't want to hear it. The lecture she gave him.
"I don't care if he wanted to hear it or not! I doubt he even speaks English. His woman was scraping her trash out of the car, like a dog digging a hole, ONTO THE GROUND!"
"And the trash can is RIGHT THERE! Only three feet away!"
"I KNOW! Not only that, but when she started doing it, I tapped on the window, and shook my head at her. And she looked at me, then KEPT DOING IT! We have trouble with these people all the time. They come from the border on their way to Minnesota. I don't know why they all have to pick OUR PLACE to stop! I'm shocked that he bought gas. He must have been on empty. Usually, they park here in front, blocking the two gas pumps, then they all come in and use our bathrooms, and leave without buying anything. I don't need their trash all over my parking lot! That is one thing I won't miss when we finally lock up the doors for good!"
She was all wound up. Even Man Owner, who is the cheeriest fellow you will ever meet, had a scowl on his face as he headed out the door with his broom and dustpan-on-a-stick.
Anyhoo... I got an interesting story, and made a dent in my karma with Even Steven.
4 comments:
Her attitude has been what ine is like lately! I cal it short timer's syndrome. There are times I want to answer the phone by yelling "WHAT?" with two syllables and very loud. Hmmm, I might just do that before I leave!
People are pigs. Actually, that is an insult to pigs. People throw things out their car windows on the highways. On residential streets. People trash parks after a football game--even though there are five or six barrel trashcans placed there for their convenience.
People should be ashamed of themselves.
"...when we finally lock up the doors for good."
Does this mean the Gas Station Chicken Store is also closing? Where will you go for your elixir and scratchers? Because you mentioned that Casey's is being dismantled. Can you get all you want at Orb K or will you have to frequent The Devil's Playground?
I hate those car cleaner out people too. They stop in my street, eat their fast food lunch then toss the leavings in the gutters or just onto the footpath, plus anything else left in the car. If they are close to my flats, things get tossed into the garden bed where they hope no one will notice because of the shrubs.
Kathy,
Woman Owner does not suffer fools, that's for sure! It's why you'll see a new cashier training, and after two weeks, they're gone...
Note to self: Do Not Kall Kathy's Kampground!
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Sioux,
Like in "Animal House," which you really need to watch if you haven't, when Babs said, "That boy is a P-I-G pig!" With her southern accent, in reference to John Belushi right before he started a food fight in the cafeteria. [1:43 clip]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLdO2V1CTF0
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River,
They sound like our CREACHERS, down at the creek beach!
Man Owner says they've been running the Gas Station Chicken Store for 46 years! Farmer H says they're sitting on a gold mine, due to the location right off the highway, and he doesn't see why they don't sell it and retire.
They have not opened up the chicken kitchen since the VIRUS hit, and their employees quit coming to work. They can hardly find anyone to hire, so they both work on the weekends, and close at 5:00. They haven't said they're closing, so I think my magical elixir is still safe.
Orb K has the 2nd best Diet Coke, and a bigger selection of scratchers, so I could survive if the GSCS closed. There are still 3 other Casey's in my errand area, for a variety of scratchers, but I don't favor their Diet Coke.
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