Extortion (long story)

Friday comes and I'm spent from the weeks activities. From Chemistry quizzes to 18" of snow, I'm tired and i want to go home.

Not before I get some gas though. Pre-pay $15 and stab the nozzle in the tank. I spend some time washing the salt goo of the windows, get in, fire it up and idle away.

CLUNK!

WTF was that? An ice chunk? Seriously, wtf was that? OH E36 M3! Guess who forgot to take out the nozzle? Wow, what a dumb ass. Hey clerk dude, I broke your pump. No, its broken, I pulled out the hose.

We go outside, and get the hose. He looks pissed. "I need to call my manager." OK, what do I know? This is not a regular occurrence for me. "My manager said its $125." Uh, I don't have that. I mean at all. Not in my pocket, or in a bank. "Well...I need your I.D."

I give it to him. Like I said, what do I know? I go home and call my brother to beg for a $100 to get my I.D. back. Why, he asks? I tell him and he laughs. Yeah, that happened to me once. What happened? Oh, nothing. The guy said there supposed to do that. Really? Cause the guy I did it to wants $125.

"Berkley that! Go back and get you I.D."

So I do.

I ask to take pictures of the pump and hose. My "lawyer" brother said to get pics. "Well...I need to call my manager." Fine, I go out and take some shots of the pump. Once I come back in, the clerk dude stalls. He won't let me see the hose. I insist the pics are for our benefit. Evidence of what happened. He finally relents and says, "Well, I'll have to call the police." OK if that's what must happen, I understand. I need to see the hose.

Not once during this whole ordeal did I raise my voice or act twitchy or make any violent gestures.

"Well...how about $50? Do you have that?" Berkley you" I say to myself. I've got your ass. There is no way, if this was legitimate, would you ever lower the "price."

No I don't have $50. If I did I would have given it to you in the first place. He slides me back my I.D. "This will come out of my paycheck." No it won't. That's what insurance is for, shiny happy person!

He tried to juice me for $125. And lie to me about it costing him personally, and threatening to get the authorities involved.

Berkley you. Good day. sir!

Good thing you found out the truth before the guy really jacked you for the $125. Planning to do anything about it (i.e. call the guys manager, or the local company rep)?

Umm their insurance is not for you messing up. Thats like you backing into someone in a parking lot then saying berkeley you thats what your insurance is for.

$125 is not an unreasonable amount to ask for if repair requires a technician. (I have no idea if it does)

I have a feelign that those hoses have a quick disconnect aspect to them. Not sure, but I've seen a coupler on enough of them that it's likely.

mistanfo wrote: I have a feelign that those hoses have a quick disconnect aspect to them. Not sure, but I've seen a coupler on enough of them that it's likely.

ding ding ding...

same thing happened to my brother, it just pops back on. The clerk guy did it in front of my brother right then and there. The non-shiny clerk was actually more concerned about my brothers car (it kinda bent the hinge the gas door was on). Long and short though, it happens often enough to gas stations not to be out of the ordinary, and in most cases, the clerk knows how to deal with the (lack of) problem when it occurs.

It does have a "quick release" coupler so that it causes minimal damge, but it can not be put back together. At least that's how they were when I worked at a station (15 years ago). $125 sounds about right to replace one too.

Cone_Junky is right. It is just a minimal damage coupler with a one way shutoff to avoid a gas spraying everywhere. And no it can't be put back together. From what I know there is a "ring" that shears and doesn't allow it to be reassembled. That would be a good fire/enviromental hazard if reassembled wrong.

As for "fixing" it, the station has a maintenance company to fix the pumps and it is supplied via the parent company. Cuz if you ain't pumping gas, you aren't buying it from the parent company, and the parent company is losing money, right along with the station owner because you didn't get gas and come inside for that coffee/bottled beverage/food.

These couplers are called "fuel hose breakaway valves" and here in Canada, they cost about $84 each. Once they are detached, it is not possible to re-couple the two halves. I usually just replace them myself but the oil companies would rather we have a licenced, insured, and bonded proprietary technician come out to install them.

I suspect in the litigious-prone environment that is particular to the USA, that it may very well be a requirement that a proprietary technician is called in to replace the breakaways.

Just a quiet reminder, but the tone of your post suggests that you feel absolved of any financial responsibility towards compensating for your mistake and lack of concentration. I may have mis-read your post, but that's the way it came across to me when I read it.

Appleseed wrote: "This will come out of my paycheck." No it won't. That's what insurance is for, shiny happy person!

Never worked at a gas station, have you? Or as a mechanic, as a waiter, or a bunch of other jobs. Yea, it does come out of his check.

Been there, got shafted by people just like you.

^I guess you worked at a real E36 M3 of a gas station.

I worked at QT for years, never was I responsible for the damage by a car, shift coming up short (unless you are WAY short, like hundreds of dollars, but you'd have to be stupid to do that with 5 cameras on you) or anything of that nature.

I worked at a gas station back in the 90s.. the quick disconnect pin (that broke when you drove away) was $10... yes.. $ ten dollars...

^I guess you worked at a real E36 M3 of a gas station. I worked at QT for years, never was I responsible for the damage by a car, shift coming up short (unless you are WAY short, like hundreds of dollars, but you'd have to be stupid to do that with 5 cameras on you) or anything of that nature.

Yea, one of the worse was being self employed. Then I was responsible for every shortage and all damage, no matter how small or petty.

I really do feel sorry for people who've never been accountable for themselves or their job, and just blithly pass it on to others. Their sense of responsibility and duty is quite stunted typically. They are very quick with answers like "whatever, not my problem", and "I don't care, I'm not paying for it".

Equally, those that have never worked for a tyranical boss or at a lousy job. Those who haven't gritted their teeth in the morning knowing it's going to be another lousy day at work for a few buck tend not to savor it when they do get a really good job.

foxtrapper wrote:

Appleseed wrote: "This will come out of my paycheck." No it won't. That's what insurance is for, shiny happy person!

Never worked at a gas station, have you? Or as a mechanic, as a waiter, or a bunch of other jobs. Yea, it does come out of his check. Been there, got shafted by people just like you.

Yeah, because I didn't do the right thing and drive away.

Why would he be sketchy about letting me see the hose later? Why would he lower the price down to $50? Why would someone else (my brother) get off scottfree? Why would he give me back my I.D.? Why wouldn't he call the police and not file a report?

Something didn't feel right.

And, yes, I do know what its like. As a self employed construction worker, I know what it means to have things come out of my check.

Also, I was willing to pay. Why else would I ask my brother for a $100.

warglebargle

I wanted this:

foxtrapper wrote:

^I guess you worked at a real E36 M3 of a gas station. I worked at QT for years, never was I responsible for the damage by a car, shift coming up short (unless you are WAY short, like hundreds of dollars, but you'd have to be stupid to do that with 5 cameras on you) or anything of that nature.

Yea, one of the worse was being self employed. Then I was responsible for *every* shortage and *all* damage, no matter how small or petty. I really do feel sorry for people who've never been accountable for themselves or their job, and just blithly pass it on to others. Their sense of responsibility and duty is quite stunted typically. They are very quick with answers like "whatever, not my problem", and "I don't care, I'm not paying for it". Equally, those that have never worked for a tyranical boss or at a lousy job. Those who haven't gritted their teeth in the morning knowing it's going to be another lousy day at work for a few buck tend not to savor it when they do get a really good job.

Well being the owner of the business is a bit different than just some 17 year old kid who is a clerk at a gas station so he can have some spending money.

But I guess if we make an apples/apples comparison we don't get to talk down to people and be superior on the interent.

Geeez.

Well, from what i'm gathering in this thread, the right thing to do, since you didn't have the money, would have been to work at the gas station to pay it off.

Should have worked those 5 days for free to pay for it.

Funny, though... i've seen this happen at least 5 times in my somewhat shortlived career as gas station clerk, and not once did i have money come out of my paycheck for it happening. Not once was it ever the customer's responsibility to pay for the damage. After them dumping so much money into the gas station for gas (yes, i realize gas stations don't make much off of gas sales), and then paying ridiculously high prices for drinks and snacks, the nice thing to do is to not be a jackhole and just take care of it.

Hell, half of our customers drove down the road with the hose sticking out of their car, and never came back. It was nice that the OP even went in to talk to the clerk.

It's interesting that there's often no middle ground on this site.

Actually, if he offered to let me work it off, I wouldn't have posted.

So, if I didn't, don't, and won't have the money to pay for the hose anytime in the foreseeable future, how would you have me pay for it? Should I take the chance of driving without a license?

Since, clearly, I'm the worst, most deviant, person to ever visit a gas pump, what would you have me do?

Seriously.

Appleseed wrote: Seriously.

For cereal /thread

I'm gonna go ahead here and say that Appleseed initially did what was right, and tried to figure out what to do. It sounds like the attendant didn't. Apples should have talked directly to the manager, and one should never give up their license to anyone but a badged officer of the law.

Datsun1500 wrote: Offer to work it off. Nevermind, I see you say you wont do that either. I thought that was an acceptable solution, but not for you.

Huh?

Appleseed wrote: Actually, if he offered to let me work it off, I wouldn't have posted.

I don't really know what everyone is getting their panties in a bunch over. He went in and told the guy what happened. The guy wanted cash, which seems a bit odd, and started to drop the price, which also seemed odd. If it was totally legit and Mr. Seed didn't have any money, it should have been treated like any other auto accident, have a police report made, and turn it into insurance. The gas station didn't do that, so he's off the hook.

Datsun1500 wrote: useless internet arguing.

Where I live it's posted that here is a fixed price, and that it will be reported to the DMV and your insurance if you don't pay.