Common sense isn’t always as common as it should be, especially in retail settings.

One oblivious customer proved that point when she bypassed a string of traffic cones and police tape, only to ask if the gas station was still open.

The gas station manager on duty could hardly believe their eyes.

Read on for the full story.

If only there were a way to indicate we’re closed…

The gas station I manage is having technical difficulties, and IT instructs me that for them to reset the pumps, none of the pumps can be active.

So the manager tried to make the gas station’s closing as obvious as possible.

As such, I string a line of traffic cones and police tape across the entrance to the gas station, and wait for people to leave.

For information’s sake, our gas station has a one-way arrangement: come in one entrance, funnel out one exit. Both are clearly marked with “Enter here” and “Exit only! Do not enter!”

People trickle out one by one, and I eventually give the IT guy the go-ahead to reset the station.

But soon they learned it wasn’t quite obvious enough.

As I sit down to some paperwork, I spot a car sloooooowly crawling by the entrance, and then zooming towards the corner with the exit.

I sigh, and make my way out to where the customer is pulling up to one of the pumps, having gone the wrong way down a one-way road marked with a Do Not Enter sign to get there.

The next words out of the customer’s mouth are unbelievable.

“Is the store closed?”

Lord, give me patience.

The manager really tries to keep their cool, but the customer still decides to have an attitude.

As gently as I can manage, I indicate that the reason all entrances are blocked, the station is entirely empty, and only the exit is unblocked is because, yes, we are closed.

She huffs. “Well, you should have put up a sign! How were we supposed to know you’re closed?”

And she zooms off.

The manager can hardly believe themselves.

Honestly, lady, if the police tape and traffic cones across every entrance weren’t enough to clue you in, I don’t think you’d have noticed a sign.

Some people, I swear.

Context clues, lady! Use them.

What did Reddit think?

Customers aren’t exactly known for thinking critically.

Even with ample signage, customers still won’t read.

Maybe some people are a little too attached to their daily routines.

Context clues… they’re all around.

If traffic cones and police tape couldn’t get this customer’s attention, then it’s likely nothing else in the world would have either.

Some people just live their life on autopilot and hope for the best.

If you liked that story, check out this post about a group of employees who got together and why working from home was a good financial decision.