Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Sweet Old Ladies Need Gas Too

My favorite kinds of customers are the sweet old ladies that come in and need their gas pumped. Usually they are so small and tiny and so adorable that I can't help but go outside and assist them, even if it is -2 degrees outside.

I was at the register a few months back...

“Miss, can you hear me?” I look down to see a little old woman staring up at me. She’s so cute and has to be at least 90 years old.

“Oh I’m sorry. I guess I was daydreaming. How can I help you?”

“Miss, I’m having trouble pumping my gas. Can you help me please?”

Normally I'd find another sucker, I mean employee, to pump her gas, but she was so cute I couldn't resist. I started to follow the little old lady out the door to her car.

I pumped her gas while she sat in her car and chatted away about things only little old ladies can chat about. After her car was filled up, the little old lady got out of her car.

“Oh thank you so much, Miss. Here, let me give you some money for pumping my gas.” She started to reach into her purse.

“Oh no, that’s okay," I said, freezing my ass off.

“Oh no dear, I insist. Here, wait a second.” I don't like taking tips from people. I will always refuse and the only way I take it is if the customer insists and actually leaves it on the counter and walks away from it.

“Really, we aren’t allowed to take tips but thank you!” I said with a smile. I started to walk away from the woman but she grabbed onto my arm with a superhuman strength that I didn’t know was possible from an old lady.

“Here you go sweetie. Take this for your trouble.” She smiled sweetly at me as she pressed something into my hand.

She had handed me a quarter.

She's lucky she was adorable, keeping me out in the winter weather for a quarter.

12 comments:

  1. Haha! Wow, a quarter. I would've rather she handed me nothing. And I'm not saying that to be snarky - I'm really not. But that's just kind of hysterical...:D

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  2. One summer I waited tables and I was once tipped $0.50 on a $20.00. That was bad enough, but he tipped me before he ordered. I guess he thought he would get better service that way.

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  3. Are you old enough to remember the Underdog cartoon? If so, you'll probably grin when I tell you that you're humble and loveable. (If not, I'll have to see if I can't find a clip of the old cartoon to show you so it'll make sense)

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  4. Awwww!!! I love old people! It's funny because back in her time, that was probably the going rate :)

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  5. awwww LOL that s kind of funny though.

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  6. this is too funny! I love your stories so am a new follower :)

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  7. OMGosh.....I'm laughing my _SS of at you right now! You're too funny! Your stories crack me up!

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  8. Supermanslady: Yeah, she was adorable.

    Lauren: I wasn't too sure how to react either. :-)

    Lanita: Tipped before he ordered? That's strange.

    MsDarkstar: No, I don't remember Underdog. I'll have to look it up. :-)

    Sara Fields: You're probably right!

    Melissa Mashburn: Yeah, it cracked me up. :-)

    Kat: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy them. :-)

    Jenny Brown: Thank you! :-)

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  9. Hilarious! Living that cheaply, she's probably one of those people who'll die and it's found out she had millions in a fund she's leaving for her cat.

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  10. That's fabulous! My 80 year old father would think that was a good tip, too.

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  11. My grandfather used to call quarters "big nickels". He would give us "big nickels" like they were equal to dollars. So cute.

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