We're All Just Great Big Scammers

Why is it that people think they can get something resolved in the middle of the night?

I was working night shift one time when this dickface came in and stormed up to the counter.

"Uh, I got $10 in gas this morning and would like to know why it charged my card $37.76," he said, intently staring at me.

I looked at the clock and it was one in the morning. "I don't know," I said, dreading where this conversation was going.

"Well why are you people charging my card more than I pumped? Is this some kind of a scam or something?" he said, jumping around and waving his arms in the air. He was kind of a little man and looked like an Oompa Loompa, but bald.

What many people don't get is that when you pay at the pump outside with your credit card, it sort of puts a hold on your card to make sure there are funds available for you to pump. Some of these holds go away right away, but some stay pending in your bank account anywhere from a few hours to a day or so, depending on your bank. So when this asshole said he was charged $37.76 for gas, that was really the hold that was put on his card so that he could pump that $10 in gas.

I tried to explain that to him but by this time I didn't even want to deal with him once he said scam. I don't know why people claim scam and think it will magically solve everything.

"Sir, it is one in the morning. What exactly do you think I can do at this hour?"

"I want you to fix it and give me my money back. I tried to use my card somewhere else and it declined," he said, still hopping around.

"Well maybe you should keep more than $37.76 in it," I said, wishing he would call me rude and just leave.

"It's none of your business what I have in my account. Look at you, you just work at a gas station," he said, backing up.

That's right little guy, insult me as you're walking away from me. Real nice.

"You'll have to come back at normal hours and talk to someone instead of being in here at one in the morning and demanding money. That's what robbers do. Do you want me to call the police and say you're robbing me?" I said as I picked up the phone.

He shook his head, called me a bitch and walked out the door.

A few days later I asked around to see if this man had come back trying to get his money. No one saw him, which means that his credit card probably went back to normal once his bank released the funds back into it. Just like I told him.

However, this isn't the first time someone has come in the middle of the night trying to get an issue resolved.

Just because we are open 24 hours doesn't mean that a manager is always here.

Can someone give me any kind of an explanation as to why people do this? I'd really like to know so that I can be more understanding next time.