As The Station Turns 5/20

 It was my first day back after being sick and actually getting two days in a row off, Gas went up 30¢ a gallon in that time, despite the maga crowd keep claiming that it's coming down any day now. Skippy dropped by and lowered it 10¢ a gallon. I had no idea what that was all about. And it screws up the truck cards because you have to keep updating the processors on the prices. Thankfully I didn't have to do any today.

Today was "vans full of people" day. Instead of making individual trips people are back to renting large vans and packing as many people in as possible for one big trip. Also I've been getting a lot more damaged coins, people are taking the ones they had tossed into their coin jars and spending them. Just more indications of the current economy.

There's a guy who shows up every six months, sets up camp near the station and sticks around until he becomes a major nuisance and then finally leaves. The last time I worked at the Truck Stop the owners said that he wasn't to be hanging around bugging the customers anymore but I went across the street and didn't have to worry about it. The one time he had shown up there I told him point blank that the owners didn't want him over there so he went back across the street. The Late Guy would let him hang around so even though he wasn't suppose to he was still there. Well, I went in today and there he was, hanging out in front of the building and bugging customers, and the Manager wasn't going to do anything about it. So after she left I went out and told him he was not to be hanging out there. I saw him with his bag heading towards the highway, hopefully I don't have to repeat the process. Also the Manager told me the Minstrel was back despite being banned, she pointed out that he was not to be there and the police would be involved. Hopefully he won't be back

A guy insisted on waving his bar code under the scanner, that really pissed me off and I think he could tell. Plus if he's afraid of me touching his stuff he should consider how it got on the shelf in the first place. 

Some guy said "I guess the wind always blows here". I told him nope, that there were plenty of nice days around here. So he proceeded to tell me he was from Arkansas, as if that excused him from basically insulting the place. Seriously, don't go places and say bad things about it if you don't know the place, and especially saying that stuff to the people who live there.

A woman came in and told me that the Haunted Station was closed. I don't know what was going on over there, they've been having personality problems so everyone is doing whatever they want, the Late Guy isn't doing a very good job at being a manager, which does make me laugh. Anyhow she said she had been a regular and wanted to know how the old manager was doing. I had to tell her that the woman had gotten sideways with the new owners and quit. She wasn't happy to hear that but life moves on.

Someone threw a burrito on the pump island so I had to go clean it up, however I got busy and couldn't do it for a long time. Everyone had to keep walking around it. Finally the place cleared out so I went out and cleaned it up and dumped it where the birds could eat it and not be in fear of cars.

The Storyteller came by. He couldn't remember the name of the Manager and when I reminded him it triggered the story of how he had pissed her off because her name is like one of his relatives. It's a story I've only heard a dozen times but I told him I had never heard it before. Some day he's going to surprise me and tell me a new story.

I was laughing at one couple, he was getting a bottle of real sugar Dr Pepper and she was getting a diet Dr Pepper. I bet she hated him for that.

There were three modular homes rolling off the interstate, wide loads aren't allowed on the interstate after dark. They were pulling in to the lower lot at the Haunted Station and had to make a wide turn. So for a short while there was an actual traffic jam in my stinky little town. That was entertaining.

A guy claimed he had paid a $1.50 a gallon less this morning. I don't mind if people tell me they paid less but to outright lie, oh, it's annoying. Trust me, we're nowhere near the lowest but we are at the average.

I went in and cleaned the restrooms. Then I got a van full of people and they filled the trash cans up with tampons and diapers. I had to do a second dumping of the trash within a half hour. 

Skippy dropped by around the end of the night. He wanted to do something on the computer but I had a line of customers so he left. He came back a second time but I was still busy so he left again. I warned the Graveyard Shift that he might drop by again. I consider that my karma points of the day.

Stinky came to work, for some reason he was wearing an old cowboy hat but had a bandana under it, he looked dumber than ever. Anyhow he wanted to get cigarettes but started cursing because he forgot his wallet. I made sure my cigarette count was accurate so if he steals a pack I won't have any problems. 

And then I went home.