Pump #8

I needed to buy gasoline Saturday but the station was teeming. I pulled up near the first bank, figuring to just wait until someone left but since I couldn’t really see a few of the pumps, I decided to circle once, you know, just to get a bird’s-eye view. Every spot was taken, and while I was circling, someone else had claimed my waiting spot.

No problem, I thought. I’ll just wait by the second bank of pumps. I was in no particular hurry but the folk filling up at these pumps did not seem very motivated. Maybe it was due to my recent Election Day line-waiting experience, but I felt impatient. With 12 gas pumps, I figured that with an average pumping time of four minutes, one would become free every 20 seconds. A slow revolution takes about 24 seconds so I liked my odds. I circled again but no luck. Of course while circling, I lost my 2^nd waiting spot to some Nordic-looking young dude and his girlfriend. I think his name was Thor.

OK, I was done circling. I found a new spot to wait and resolved to stay put, no matter what, even if I saw a vacant pump. I was going to sit behind this white truck at pump #8 and patiently wait for José to finish. Other lines were moving but I was resolved. Thor filled up and left. José was still doing something. Upon closer inspection, he was filling gallon cans. There were only five so I figured it wouldn’t take forever, right? When he finished, he pulled out six more cans from his truck bed. Patience, I told myself. Finally he finished but instead of leaving, he went to the window to pay. Cash? I don’t think I have been to a service station window since ’93.

Deep breath. Patience. It doesn’t take that long. There were problems though. First, he only spoke Spanish and the attendant only spoke Dutch, I think.  José was trying to pay with a $100 bill and Heidi didn’t have enough Guilders to change it. José told her that he would take the difference in more gasoline, since his “troque” was running low. Pump #8 was turning out to be a terrible choice. I saw Thor in line again. Same car. Different girl. New moustache.

This was taking forever. I was having polling place flashbacks. The good news is that while waiting gas prices fell a couple of pennies.

As night fell, I think I heard the crickets tell me to go to pump #9, as no one had been there for 31 minutes. I was reticent to yield my spot, knowing that if I did someone would likely beat me to the empty pump, probably Thor’s kids. I decided to chance it though, because #10, #11, and #12 were all empty too. And #1-7.