Yesterday...When I Was Young

Ah yesterday.

Remember when the gas station attendant used to step right up to your car when you pulled into the service station? He was bright eyed & polite in his freshly ironed & creased grey work pants. Fill 'er up, Ma'am? Check the oil Ma'am? Let me get those windows for you Ma'am...

Then we had the option of self-service (for a few cents less per gallon) or full-service.

Now it's only self service and check your own dang oil, thank you.

But not in Oregon.

State law dictates that an attendant must pump the fuel into your vehicle.

So heading back to our home state of Washington we pull off the highway in LaGrande, Oregon. Went to the LaGrande Eat-N-Run, 2310 Island Ave at 6:23 pm, Monday 8/30/2010 . We have been on the road for 8 hours and we really need to use the restroom.

We pull up to the pump. And wait. No attendant.

Hmmm.

Farm Boy looks at me. I look at him. While there are several sets of pumps there are no other cars. "Well, maybe there's no one on duty?"

He asks, "Do we do it ourselves?" 

Ummm, "I guess."

But as soon as he has swipes the credit card and started to fill...our attendant finally shows up (maybe HE was in the bathroom?)

He's a young, blond, well built boy who haughtily informs us, "it's illegal to pump your own gas."

"Oh, sorry," Farm Boy says as he steps aside.

I tell him to go find the restroom. I'll stay with the vehicle. Then our attendant informs me, again, it's illegal to pump our own gas.

???

Yes, dear. I heard you the first time.

He grabs the squeegee and cleans the front window. Walks around to the rear window, makes a face, passes by it and throws the squeegee back into the water bucket.

Finishes fueling, hands me the receipt and tells me, for the third time, it's illegal to pump our own gas.

Really? Now please keep in mind, that Farm Boy apologized the first time and let the attendant handle the rest of it. I nodded and acknowledged the second time but I'm sure I raised an eyebrow the 3rd time. I don't know, perhaps he enters a code when he starts filling so he gets credit for doing it and that's why he's so annoyed? Doesn't really matter - he is way into overkill with the chastisement thing and he should stop. But I really need to use the facilities so I'm not going to mess with Boy Wonder. I move the van and go inside.

There is a Subway connected to the service station. While we order sandwiches Boy Wonder comes out from a back room, walks by and scowls at us.

We exit the building only to find our crabby little boy in conversation with a female employee. They break off talking as we come out and he gives us "the look" as we walk by.

WOW.

Apparently the days when businesses send their employees running to serve you are gone. Along with being polite or even being respectful to one's elders.

And because the young man's reaction was so extreme I worried that he might be fined because we started to fuel. So I made a call to the LaGrande Police. They confirmed there is a law but as we turned the hose over to him once he arrived - no big deal. The officer chuckled and said, "I think he overreacted a bit."

You think?

I regret spending my $75 there.

The owner's may want to keep in mind that when they hire rude little punks we're not obligated to patronize their establishment. It won't happen again and when you're passing thru LaGrande I'd appreciate it if you didn't stop there either.
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