I’ve spent so much time ranting about politics over the last few years, I felt it time to get to something more general. So someone please tell me why, when I want to buy a tank of gas, I have to punch so many numbers into the keypad that by the end I feel I’m developing carpal tunnel syndrome? All I want is a tank of gas. Seriously…do you really think while standing in sub-zero weather, it’s a good time to make me spend 25 minutes standing outside my car running through the 35 options on your electronic gas pump? It was so cold the other day while pumping gas, I swear it’s going to be a month before a skilled physician can determine my sex.
I can’t just swipe my credit card anymore. Now I have to decide whether it’s Credit or Debit, enter my pin, zip code, date of birth, tell them if I want a car wash, buy snacks, date of my last physical, and last four digits of my social security number just to buy 50 dollars worth of premium. The problem then goes further when after I make all these choices, the pump tells me that I have to see the attendant because something happened during the verification phase so I’m forced to walk into the store which defeats the purpose of pay at the pump in the first place. Then the clerk, who’s only been in the country about 15 minutes, explains to me through hand signals and pen drawings that I have to go back out and stand in the cold again because he’s never seen anyone actually come into the store to pay for gas. He’s only had his 10 seconds of training, and he has yet to learn how the card reader works.
This still isn’t where it ends! I drive a full-sized pickup truck. Fifty dollars doesn’t come close to filling the tank. Gas pumps evidently are incapable of dispensing more than $50.00 worth of gas in a single purchase, so I have to repeat the process twice because it takes about $ 80.00 to $90.00 to fill my tank. You would think when gas prices get so high that you have to take out a home loan to fill your car that they would catch the pumps up to the economy. I’m tellin’ ya, if you go back into the store at that point because the pay at the pump process didn’t work, they become so scared and confused they run out the back door.
I definitely understand why you might need to enter your zip code so they can verify that at least you know the code for the neighborhood where you stole the card. It’s not fool proof, but at least it’s something. However, why can’t they come up with a better way to decide if you want to buy candy? The reason you came up with pay at the pump, and paper machines, was because you didn’t want me taking up space inside the store for people who wanted to buy cigarettes and candy. Why screw up what you wanted in the first place? You’re acting like my bank. They created ATM machines, and started charging for personal teller service to get me to use the ATM. Then when they got me to use the ATM they upped their ATM fees, removed teller fees and forced me back inside the bank. Can someone make up my mind?
You would think it wouldn’t be that difficult. We have some pretty advanced technology. There’s really not much to a gas pump which should stymie you. Hell…I have a phone that can surf the web, send email, turn on my coffee pot, program a VCR, and start my stove. I think we can figure out a gas pump that can dispense fuel. Then again…I’m still recovering from frost-bite. My brain may not be working properly.