Imagine working at a gas station when you notice a customer putting gasoline in a vehicle that runs on diesel fuel. Would you mind your own business or try to get their attention and alert them to the problem?

In this story, one gas station assistant manager is in this exact situation, and he tries to get the customer’s attention. When they doesn’t go well, he decides to mind his own business.

Let’s see how the story plays out.

Gasoline in Diesel truck

This happened 12 years ago when I was an Assistant Manager of a gas station.

To preface: this gas station allowed people to pump, then pay for what was pumped. Basically it was for convenience of the customers, so they don’t overpay with me, then have to come back for a refund.

The issue is: they allowed the customers to select that option at the pump, then they would try to pay with a card at the pump. This wouldn’t work and they would get free gas.

So it was protocol to talk to these people to let them know they need to pay at the register, and that the pump wouldn’t take a card for that specific option. Just to clarify, the pumps would allow you to pay at the pump, but you had to select that option at the pump.

He noticed a different problem.

So, I had a customer come up to a pump that both dispensed diesel and regular gas. He was driving a fairly new Ram 3500.

Since this guy was a regular customer, I didnt feel like I needed to tell him that he needs to pay at the register when he finished. But I saw on our camera system that he was using the black gas nozzle instead of the green diesel nozzle.

I decided I should go out there and tell him he is putting gas in a diesel. Incase you do not know, putting gasoline in a diesel engine is very dangerous.

He tried to get the man’s attention.

I go out there, and say “sir!” A few times trying to get his attention.

After I got his attention he just yells “I know I know, I have to pay you at the register.”

Me: That’s not what im here for, you are-”

Him: well whatever it is it can wait until I am done, im trying to talk to my friend. Tell me when I get to the register.

The guy refused to listen.

Me: but sir, you are pumpi-

Him: I SAID IT CAN WAIT UNTIL IM DONE

MALICIOUS COMPLIANCE STARTS HERE

Me: Ok I’ll tell you when you get to the register.

He pumped a lot of gas.

So im watching him put gas in his diesel truck, and he has a reserve tank in addition to the primary tank.

Gas at the time was $3.23 and with both tanks he put in about 50 gallons, which cost about $175.

He comes to the register laughing with his friend and I tell him the total, he just throws his credit card at me to charge. I finish the transaction and hand him his receipt.

I then say “can I tell you what I was going to tell you earlier now?”

The guy was finally willing to listen.

He changed his expression to a nicer tone than from before and he said “sure, what is it?”

“You were putting gasoline in your truck. You have 50 gallons of gasoline in a truck that runs on diesel.”

Him: I’ll push my truck to a parking space and wait for a tow truck.

I watched him and his friend push the truck to the parking lot behind the gas pumps, and waited an hour for a tow truck to pick up the truck and give the owner of the truck a ride to the mechanics shop.

The friend ordered an Uber after pushing the truck.

Here’s the moral of the story.

Being rude and not letting a person tell them something ended up being expensive.

$175 for gasoline he can’t use, a tow truck ride he wouldn’t have needed if he just heard me out, and a mechanic to drain the fuel tanks he wouldn’t have needed if he let me stop him about 2 gallons in.

At least the customer wasn’t mad at OP about it. He realized it was his own fault.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

This would be even more expensive!

Yes, this is what I was thinking too.

Another person would’ve handled it differently.

It is odd.

That was a costly mistake!

If you liked that post, check out this post about a rude customer who got exactly what they wanted in their pizza.