If you seen a person smoking a cigarette while pumping gas what would you do?
By free_man
@free_man (7330)
United States
March 29, 2012 9:02am CST
I knew this woman we were at the gas station yesterday and she was in front of us pumping gas smoking a cigarette. I don't know about you but it scares me a little bit what if she had blown up? It wouldn't just affect her it would have killed several people including us. She is a trouble maker she has spoken to me as if she wanted to fight on a different occasion my husband told her to shut up I would beat her bottom. And I didn't do anything that time to make her want to fight with me. She used to be with my husband and I think that is why she wanted to fight that time. This time I didn't speak to her at all I just went in the store and told the manager and let them handle it. I wasn't scared to tell her to put her cigarette out but didn't want to start anything. My husband said I shouldn't have said something but I think I was right to tell the manager! What would you have done in my shoes? Would you have asked her to put the cigarette out? Or would you have done as I did?
4 people like this
9 responses
@BLTLife (337)
• United States
29 Mar 12
Ask the lady to put it out.
I'm actually more concerned about people creating static electricity by getting in and out of their cars than people smoking while pumping. Not that smoking cigs at the pump isn't extremely dangerous, but that it's no where near as common as static electricity.
2 people like this
@free_man (7330)
• United States
30 Mar 12
Hi Bltlife and welcome to my lot. Never heard of static electricity causing an accident at the pumps. This woman is the farthest thing from a lady. She don't give a hoot who she causes problems with and lets it known she is only out for a good time and it don't matter what it cost everyone else.
1 person likes this
@timetravel (1425)
• United States
29 Mar 12
I read that you knew there were signs on the pumps telling people not to smoke - and obviously she's been driving for quite a while, so she knows about this. Some people just want to try to defy everything. In the future, is there any possible way to avoid her? Or use another gas station? If I were the manager, I would have banned her right there!
2 people like this
@free_man (7330)
• United States
29 Mar 12
Hi Timetravel and welcome to my lot. Not much way to avoid her. This is a real small area and we see her a few times a month off and on. I won't change my habits to please that thing. She will not rule my life. Only one that rules my life is God. She had better avoid causing me problems. I don't know what the manager said to her when she went in to pay for her gas but I bet it wasn't something nice.
1 person likes this
@free_man (7330)
• United States
30 Mar 12
She isn't going to make me live in fear of her bull stuff. I have God on my side she has the devil in her and the devil can't defeat God. God will always protect me. She has been in and out of jail right here in this community. The law knows she is a trouble maker and everyone that knows her knows she likes to stir up trouble.
1 person likes this
@timetravel (1425)
• United States
29 Mar 12
Ah, those small communities! I live in the city, but even here we are a small community within a community. Just be careful - even if she aggravates you. You don't need to get arrested or something if she provokes you in to doing something. Not that you should live in fear - just make sure you document incidents as they occur. Then, you have something in your defense just in case. A cell phone with photo/video capacity is a good thing to have on hand in these situations.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (161942)
• United States
29 Mar 12
You know she is a trouble maker, and you know she would have tried to start a fight. I think you did the right thing letting management know. That is such a dumb thing she was doing. The only thing I know of that is worse is smoking while on oxygen. Yikes.
2 people like this
@shaggin (73687)
• United States
30 Mar 12
I have seen people smoke and pump gas before and either they dont know the dangers or they are plain stupid to not care. It is very dangerous and that is why there are signs on the pumps about not smoking. It also says to leave cell phones in vehicles while pumping gas. I didnt know that until I happened to notice it one day and was scared that I had been pumping gas all along with my cell phone in my pocket. Now I make sure to leave it in the car.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30953)
• United States
30 Mar 12
Hi Free man,
You did the right thing. I work in a gas station/convenience store and I've had people come in and tell me about someone smoking at he pumps. I stop everything and go right out and ask them to please put it out as IT is NOT allowed. It's never been a confrontation or anything. They always apologize and then comply. For some reason unbeknown to me, there really are people that don't realize that it is a hazard. Until I worked there, I thought it was common knowledge. It isn't. Don't ever ignore something like that. Talking on a cell phone while pumping is also a hazard and yet I see people do it all the time. I think it's probably rare that anything happens but is it worth the risk ?
2 people like this
@free_man (7330)
• United States
30 Mar 12
Hi Sid,
I too have worked at gas stations/convenience stores and know that there are people out there that do try to smoke while pumping gas. I have seen several people answer their cell phones while pumping. This woman is my husbands ex and she has already made it clear that she wants to fight me. It would be her mistake to start a fight with me. That is why I didn't say anything to her I went straight to the manager. I wouldn't risk smoking or answering the cell phone while pumping gas.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Mar 12
I am not sure what the law is, but speaking to the manager or even calling the police is the correct way to deal with it, because I think that is illegal. So, what did the manager say or do?
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
29 Mar 12
Then you did the right thing and one day, she is going to do something like this in front of a policeman and hopefully he will really let her have it, because that is not a smart move on her part.
1 person likes this
