Have you ever left home and realized you accidentally forgot your wallet? That can be kind of a sinking feeling, especially if you need to buy something but don’t have any form of payment with you.

In this story, a woman forgot her purse at home but desperately needed to buy gas to get home. She tried to pay with a check, but the employee at the gas station couldn’t accept the check without seeing her driver’s license first. Obviously, the woman didn’t have that with her. It was in her purse at home.

Keep reading to find out what happens when the customer eventually leaves the gas station without buying gas.

I couldn’t accept a customer’s check, so she wanted to pump gas without paying then return later with money.

The gas station where I work is affiliated with a grocery store chain.

We do accept checks, but if our computer system doesn’t recognize a check then I absolutely need to see a driver’s license.

The system won’t let me do anything with it otherwise.

I’m sure you can see where this is going.

Here we go…

A woman walks in and explains that she’s almost out of gas and that she left her purse at home.

She tries to prepay using a check when a window pops up on my screen asking for her driver’s license number.

Me: “I’m sorry, it seems you’ve never used a check with [grocery store chain] before. I’ll need to see your driver’s license.”

Woman: “I don’t have it, it’s in my purse.”

The customer tried to come up with a creative compromise.

Me: “I’m sorry, but I need your driver’s license number to accept this check.”

Woman: “Can I call my husband and him him tell you the number over the phone?”

lol no

Me: “I’m afraid not.”

The customer had another crazy idea.

Woman: “That’s ridiculous… I live just down the road. Could I maybe just pump a little bit of gas, then drive home to get my purse? I promise I’ll be right back.”

lol no

Me: “I’m sorry, but I really can’t do that. Without your license or another form of payment, then there’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry.”

She seemed annoyed but understanding about it, and decided to try and drive home with the little gas she had.

It’s not over.

I thought that was the end of it.

About an hour later I get a call from my store director.

Her husband had called the grocery store furious.

I give my side of the story, but the store director chews me out for not helping this woman.

But the husband didn’t tell the director the whole story.

According to her husband, this woman’s car ran out of gas halfway home and she had to walk home in the rain. And also she has cancer, which apparently makes me the worst person since Hitler.

Luckily when I explained the situation to my manager she agreed I did nothing wrong.

Never Miss a Story

Sign up to get our BEST stories of the week straight to your inbox.

She talked to the store director about it, and afterwards he apologized to me. Because of what the husband told him, he was under the impression that this woman did have an alternate form of payment, and I didn’t accept it for whatever reason.

Yikes! I’m glad the director eventually apologized. It’s ridiculous to be reprimanded for following store rules.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person has a question.

Another person has a different question.

This person thinks the husband should’ve helped.

Another person thinks the husband is lying.

To answer the questions in the comments with my assumptions, I assume the woman’s husband may not have been home. Either that, or maybe they only have one car. That would explain why he couldn’t pick her up or drive over to give her her driver’s license.

Regardless, I’m glad the director apologized to OP. It’s unfair to be reprimanded when you’re just doing your job.