Second Anniversary (a little late....)

A couple years back, I started this blog because I was spending too much time writing about Work over at my other blog, TAD's Back-Up Plan, which was supposed to be mainly for music and book reviews. I figured if my job was making me THAT crazy, maybe it needed more space....
And one of the first things I learned was that I didn't really want to think about my job or write about it all that much. I've written more posts since February of this year (due to increasing gas prices) than I did in the previous 18 months....
There's still some things I'd like to do. The gas-price updates will continue until we get back down to a reasonable price -- whatever that is -- or until I get fired. Which COULD happen, the way this summer is starting ... but more on that below.
I'd still like to do a piece on DRUNKS -- but they've mellowed-out lately. Or else I have. Anyway, I'm getting along with them better. Most nights....
I'd still like to do a piece on The Gas Nazi's Ten Commandments. But I also know well one of the Blogging Commandments: Thou Shalt Not Write A Post Before Its Time. So that one's gonna have to cook for a little longer....
Anyway, to the handful of folks who are out there reading this, many thanks.
And when I get fired, you'll be the first to know.
And then I'll have to think of Something Else to call this blog....

By the way, our current price for a gallon of Regular gas is $4.18. If you're paying cash. If you're using a debit or credit card, you'll pay $4.26 per gallon.
My boss put this new system into effect last Wednesday, but it took people until Sunday to realize what was going on, and then they REALLY started complaining.
I'm against anything that gives people more reasons to bitch.
The basic gist is lots of people seem to think we're doing something wrong, that there's some kind of rip-off going on.
There isn't.
The station across the street from us does this; the station over the hill from us does it; LOTS of stations across the country give a price-break for paying cash.
People just hate change. And they love a chance to complain.
And they're rude as hell about it, too.
Right after I got to work Sunday night, SIX CUSTOMERS IN A ROW zinged me about the price, about why card-users didn't get a break. Three of them left. One woman said if she'd known she got a break for paying cash, she wouldn't have used her credit card. She was going to hang up the pump and pay for the rest of the gas in cash, but then she realized her car was almost full, so.....
I admit that the signs telling people what's going on could be A LOT more obvious. A LOT MORE. But it's an old station with old equipment -- don't get me started -- and YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT. And in the meantime, the employees take the beating.
One woman argued with me for 5 minutes over the 80-cent price break she DIDN'T get by using a credit card. After pointing out what a small amount of money she was worried about, I offered her the 80 cents if it would make her feel better.
"I don't want that," she said. "It's just ... it's CHEATING!"
WHAT DO YOU WANT?!
Then 2 gas pumps decided to act stupid all night. First they'd work, then they wouldn't. First they'd read credit cards, then they wouldn't. My boss came in and fixed them by throwing computer switches in the back room, and THEN they worked great. For ONE customer. And then it was back to a guessing game.
At 11:30 p.m. a woman came in and tried to get gas out of one of these stupid pumps -- the card-reader screen was hash, she couldn't see what she was doing. When I offered to set her up, I realized I had NO FAITH she was going to get her gas out of that pump, so I advised her to move somewhere else.
"I don't mean to be rude, but is your gas any good?" she asked. "I mean with your little signs and notes all over everything, I don't get it. My truck won't run on bad gas...."
"Ma'am," I said, "I've worked here 8-1/2 years. The gas is good. It's just the EQUIPMENT that keeps on breaking down."
She left. Was I not nice enough? At least I didn't tell her to keep her stupid opinions to herself.
Hey, we've got a lot of problems, no point denying it. Pumps don't always work. Printers don't always print receipts when you use your credit card. The boss still hasn't fixed the faceplate on a pump somebody punched-in two years ago. We've got our problems.
And then there's just the high price of gas, of course.
And the employees take the beating for all the problems. Especially the ones we can't fix.
And how well do things work where you work? Does everything ALWAYS work perfectly? 24/7? No matter what kind of a beating the equipment takes?
All in all, the worst night I've had at work in months.
Happy anniversary.
I'm gonna go grump through my weekend.
Think I'll start by being in a coma through most of Monday.
More eventually....