When Gas Station Policy Meets Customer Attitude: The Tobacco Tango and the Forgotten Fuel
If you think working at a gas station is all about ringing up snacks and watching the pumps, think again. Sometimes, it’s a front-row seat to the strangest performances life can offer. Take, for instance, the tale of a young man, a Black & Mild cigar, and a gallon of gasoline forgotten in the heat of a retail standoff.
The short version? A cashier stands his ground on store policy, a customer brings enough attitude to fuel a fleet, and somewhere in the chaos, someone forgets to actually pay for their gas. It’s a story that’s as much about rules as it is about retail resilience—and a little bit about how quickly things go sideways when ego enters the checkout lane.
The Great ID Debate: “But I Told You My Birthday!”
It all started innocently enough. A young man, probably in his twenties, strolled up to the counter at a small gas station and requested a Black & Mild—plus $9 worth of gas. The only problem? When asked for his ID (as required by store policy for tobacco sales), he came up empty-handed and full of excuses.
“I don’t have it, but I can tell you my birthday,” he offered, as if reciting the date would magically transform him into a law-abiding adult.
But our steadfast cashier (also in his early twenties) wasn’t budging. “Sorry, we require IDs here for tobacco sales.” Cue the circle argument: “You sold to me yesterday!” “I’ve seen you sell without ID!” “Why are you hassling me?”
Anyone who’s worked retail knows this script by heart. As u/Windy1_714 wryly observed in the comments, “Just the avg. daily customer. Can’t use a pinpad, pump, or read ANY signage, but they’re fast to tell you how to run register & do your job. With their 0 hours experience.”
“You Didn’t Even Ask About My Points!”: The Loyalty Card Diversion
As the debate raged on, the young man, realizing he’d lost the tobacco battle, pivoted to a new front: gas and loyalty points. “You didn’t even ask me if I have a points account,” he accused, perhaps hoping indignation would win him a few bonus gallons.
Our cashier, already “peeved by this guy’s attitude,” shot back, “I mean, DO you? You can put in the number.”
But the customer, unable to let the ID issue go, paused halfway through entering his number to restart the argument. When words failed to move the immovable policy, he blustered, “I better see you guys ID everyone or I’m calling your boss!”—then stormed out…without paying for his gas.
As one commenter, u/hagamablabla, joked: “‘Hello, gas station manager? Your employee was following the rules so I want him fired.’” Sometimes, you can’t win.
The Mystery of the Missing Gas (and Missing Logic)
A few customers later, the young man returned, befuddled. “Why isn’t the pump working?” he asked, clearly expecting his argument to have somehow powered the pump.
“You never PAID for your gas,” the cashier explained. But of course, in classic customer logic, this was the cashier’s fault. “You should’ve said something!” the customer huffed, before launching into another round of complaints—this time about the inability to scan a photo of his ID from his phone.
“No, I have to be able to scan it,” the cashier patiently replied, reiterating store policy. The customer, finally out of steam (and out of arguments), paid and left. As the cashier recounted, “I just wanted him to hurry up and leave.”
This wild dance over a single Black & Mild left the community both amused and exasperated. “It’s a gas station, he’s buying gas, so presumably he’s driving, should not be that hard to produce a driver’s license that you’re required to carry when you drive,” commented u/20InMyHead, summing up the collective head-scratching.
Sting Operation or Just an Attitude Problem?
Several commenters speculated whether this was more than just your average run-in with an entitled customer. “Or it was a sting,” mused u/ricktrains, describing aggressive tactics used in compliance checks. But as u/Windy1_714 and u/DocRules explained, real sting operations tend to be low-drama: “Stings do not get aggressive or try sob stories... Def. not a sting. Just the avg. daily customer.”
In fact, the cashier [OP] confirmed, “We do have ID tests but they haven’t ever argued with us so I guess I assumed not.” So, more likely, this was just a young guy trying to pull a fast one—or, as u/Herbisher_Berbisher put it, “a poor, confused mope blundering through life and leaking oil.”
Retail Wisdom: Signs, Stubbornness, and the Art of Not Losing Your Mind
So, what’s the takeaway for retail workers everywhere? Signs help—but only so much. “Customers do not read anything that doesn’t interest their immediate wants,” lamented u/Moist_Brain_, who added, “They’ll stand at a blatantly closed register with their mouth open.” Even a sign shouting “PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ALL TOBACCO SALES” is powerless before the might of selective reading.
The real secret? As u/CallidoraBlack sagely advised: “Don’t argue. Tell them the rule. Stare at them dead eyed while they yammer about nothing. Then say ‘Like I said, [x].’ This is not a discussion, it’s not a negotiation.”
Or, as u/vancejmillions summed up the experience of gas station work: “I worked at a gas station for about a year back in my early 20s. It was the worst ten years of my life.”
Conclusion: Celebrate the Small Wins (and Double-Check the Pump Number)
At the end of the day, dealing with the occasional “day ruiner” is part of the retail package. But for every customer who forgets to pay for gas while arguing about tobacco policy, there’s a story to share and a community ready to laugh, commiserate, and offer advice (not to mention a few good one-liners).
So next time you’re at the counter, spare a thought for the cashier who’s just trying to enforce the rules, keep the line moving, and—most importantly—make sure nobody drives off with free fuel.
Have your own tale from behind the counter? Share it below—or just let us know the wildest thing you’ve seen at the gas station. Retail therapy, after all, works best when shared.
Original Reddit Post: Guy with an attitude tries to buy tobacco and then forgets his own gasoline