By Richard E Walrath

I want to get gas–that’s why I go to the gas station. 

All I want to do is walk in, hand the clerk my card, and go out and fill up.  When I’m done, I want to go back in and sign for the gas.  Then go back to my car and drive away.  If I can’t do that, I don’t buy gas there, anymore.

Since I can’t do that at my regular station,  I changed gas stations.  I’m now going to the one across the street from the XYZ station. 

The idiots at XYZ insist that you use your credit card at the pump.  You can’t just hand it to the cashier at the register and go pump your gas.  Speedway, on the other hand, wants you to come in–you just might buy something while you’re there.

I wonder why businesses do that?  It makes no sense at all.  In the winter, who wants to fumble around for a credit card and go through punching in the numbers and waiting for the card to go through?

Too bad for XYZ.  I used my XYZ card to buy gas at Speedway, and they still gave me the discount–more than XYZ is giving. 

Now I have a Speedway card good at any and all Speedway stations.  Best time to buy gas is at breakfast time–sandwiches just $1.67.  A steal!

I thought that if XYZ was at all interested they might contact me when they find a charge on my XYZ credit card for Speedway gas. 

If not, fine and dandy.  XYZ doesn’t offer breakfast sandwiches, anyway.

p.s.  Don’t forget – Monday is the best day for a fill-up.  Stations start raising their prices after Monday and hit their high on Friday, just in time for the busiest day of the week when a lot of people get paid and buy their gas.