As The Station Turns, 9/14

 Usually on Monday I work with Mrs. Late Guy for a couple of hours but she wasn't there. It turns out she had a doctor's appointment, she told me a while back that it could result in surgery and if that happens she might be out for a few weeks. I hope they plan on hiring some new people soon, I'm not going to be working double shifts.

Across the street is still closed, Late Guy came by and he said they might get back up and running by the end of the week. More like in three weeks. He also told me about the Random Woman, I guess she was hoping to get in at the Downtown Station full time but the Boss told her no, so she decided to quit. She had put in her two weeks notice but good news, the station was going to be closed for two weeks so she can start her unemployment right away.

Pump number one is down, they are slowly crashing one by one. I'm pretty sure the Boss is waiting until they replace the pumps (some time before the end of the year) and doesn't want to spend money on minor repairs. So three pumps don't work, two require you to pay inside and three more are moody, sometimes they work fine, sometimes they don't like to read cards, sometimes they like cards so much that they refuse to give them back. Four of them mostly work. Also people have started a new thing, they prepay and then get $XX.99 instead of rounding up by the one whole penny. So I have to run a refund receipt so that one penny will go back on their card. Either they are being annoying or the pumps won't give them that last cent.

Since the Haunted Station is closed business has doubled. I got a break and wanted to check the restrooms but there was a guy carefully going through the candy bars, checking them all out, reading the labels. People showed up and he left, without buying anything. 

A woman came in and was really happy with the remodeling they had done on the station including all the hard work on the restrooms. I'm pretty sure she was thinking about the place across the street, but then again she was driving a multicolored truck so I think she was taking "prescription medication" that came in a smokeable form. 

There are three slushie machines, two with fruit flavors and one with frozen coffee. Well one of them defrosted. I checked through the menu and everything was on. I guess the freezing thing quit. I put an out of order sign on it until the end of the day. Now it's someone else's problem.

A woman came in just as an Amber Alert went off on her phone. For some reason it triggered something in the station's wifi and was playing on the box under the register. I've never seen (or heard) that before.

I did a restroom check and I discovered there is a crack in the mens room toilet seat. This won't end well.

A guy was in the restroom a long time. Sure enough when I went to check he clogged the toilet. And sure enough, here came a crowd. I finally got the opportunity to plunge it and thankfully nobody flushed.

A guy showed up with a fleet card and we had a discussion, was he allowed to fill up or was he on a restriction. Some guy waiting in line wanted to help but dude, you don't know the first thing about cards so butt out. The driver decided to get 50 gallons, a standard cutoff on cards being used at an independent station, and of course he told me I wouldn't need any information to run the card, then I had to ask for his truck number because he did need information for his card, they always do that. The card went through, I set the pump and of course I got a line. After everyone cleared out I finally got the paperwork done and dropped the receipt in the safe. I always get a line during a fleet card. 

I got another break so I ran out to do the trash and sure enough a guy came in to look around and not buy anything. I looooove those people.

A guy came in and said he was heading to Washington state. He said he wanted to make it by 1 PM tomorrow. I don't think he's going to make it, and I hope he makes it there alive. And considering he was on a deadline he sure was taking his time leaving.

I went to do the second half of the trash and another guy came in to wander around the store. Did I mention I looooove those people? He was looking for beer, they always ask. Yeah, you saw the whole store, we have it hidden in a secret underground room.....

It was almost the end of the shift, there were two things I needed to do and a family came in, and took their time. They all cleared out except for one guy with a cup of coffee. All he had to do was walk over and pay for it, instead he was standing over at the coffee machine playing on his phone. Pay for your stuff and then play with your toys. Sheesh.

The graveyard shift came in, the Graveyard Shift Guy couldn't clock in, the Crazy Lady was slamming things around so everyone would know she's in a bad mood, it's Monday, we know. I got out and left. Oh, and the best part is the Late Guy has been playing regional manager and is planning on dropping by around 11 PM to do an inspection. The Crazy Lady is going to hate that. He drops by in the afternoon but there really isn't anything to inspect and since I work alone I usually have customers or am doing something like filling up the ice or checking the restrooms. Things are getting fun.