On Saturday I and my wife stopped at a BP petrol station in Łódź. To be honest I didn't really plan to get petrol but we wanted to use the toilets and so I decided to stop at BP as they are always nice and clean (the toilets that is). While my wife went in to use the toilets I started filling up (thankfully no attendants at BP). I noticed that the screen was displaying 48zl and thought that perhaps the pump had not been cleared from the customer before and was not actually giving me petrol. I released my grip on the pump and could feel the pressure difference and then re-squeezed the pump and again felt the difference; therefore I continued filling my car believing that the screen was just broken.
Upon finishing I went into pay and told the women my pump number and that I thought the pump was broken as it had displayed 48zł from start to finish. She told me that the computer showed zero and that pump 3 had not been used. This was odd. For a second I felt that I was a complete idiot and that I had been standing for several minutes next to a car while not actually achieving anything. I said I'd go and check/refill my car. I decided first to check my car's petrol guage and guess what: I had at least three times as much petrol as I had before pulling into BP. This was bizzare.
I returned to the cashdesk and told them that I have petrol and that the machine must be wrong. Here begun the surreal part. For the next ten minutes the cashiers and the manager tried to convince me that I had not taken any petrol and that as far as their systems were concerned everything was fine. I pride my self on being an ethical and honest person and will always alert a waiter if they have undercharged me in a restaurant etc and so told the BP staff several times that I had taken petrol. Alas to no avail. If you have ever watched episodes of Little Britain then the line "the computer says no" will aptly describe this situation.
The manager refused to accept/comprehend the possibility that the computer/pump was broken and just repeated that I/we were wrong/mistaken. In the end I left my card and told her to call me if her accounts do not add up and we left. I estimate that we drove away with around 80-100zł worth of free petrol.
Free petrol + no moral hangover = win situation.
ReplyDeleteI actually respect you for being so honest, I would have just said 'yeah you're right' and purchased a packet of mints instead.
You nearly have a sketch for a British comedy. You would next have bought a petrol canister from the shop and filled it up just to show them. Further argument with the manager denying that you had taken any ensues and you, righteously enraged, pour the non-existent petrol over his car and set it on fire. With the background of the shop on fire, petrol pumps exploding, etc - the police refuse to arrest you because the manager tells them you didn't have any petrol.
ReplyDeleteLOL... That is brilliant :)
ReplyDeletePan Steeva, I will no doubt have that image you have created in my mind with me for several days.