(no subject)

[elizilla]

Today while I was out riding I stopped for gas in a small town. As I was filling the bike, a car pulled up on the other side of the pump. The kid driving the car looked like he was about 17. He got out and stared at the pump in confusion. Finally he turned to me and said "There's no card slot! What do I do?"

Which is more startling? That pay-at-the-pump has become that ubiquitous, or that teenagers would routinely use credit cards?

Comments

[shadowriderhope.livejournal.com]

Snrk. ;) I'd say that he *didn't know what to do*. I mean, c'mon, it's not *that* hard to figure out!

[dagibbs.livejournal.com]

LOL. Amusing, yes. But it does make me feel old.

[concordantnexus.livejournal.com]

Neither is surprising.

I routinely have clients asking about adding their littles to credit cards accounts when they send the teens on trips out of province or country.

Explaining to dumb people about that the gas station puts a $75-125 hold (usually $100 CDN) when you swipe it at the pump is annoying tho...

Pay at the pump

[wynj.livejournal.com]

My reaction when I find myself at a pump without a card-reader is to think "My goodness, this is so 20th century". Okay - so I really think "Cripes, you mean I have to walk all the way into the station to pay?"

[thatguychuck.livejournal.com]

I found that while riding yesterday and collecting gas receipts from each stop that I was disappointed whenever I found such a pump.

[tomatoe333.livejournal.com]

I tend to prefer pay-at-the-pump when I'm on the bike, because it means I don't have to take off my helmet and earplugs. On the other hand, on a long trip it's good to get out of the saddle and stretch a bit more rather than making a banzai gas stop.

When I moved to NY from NJ to go to college, I didn't know how to pump my own gas (NJ doesn't let you). So I had a sort-of-similar experience with trying to get the pump to work the first time I tried it.

[pi3832.livejournal.com]

It is amusing, but not really anything new. I mean, if you went to the grocery and bought some chicken, and they gave you an actual chicken would you have any idea how to turn it into dinner?

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Was it a credit card or a less dangerous gas card?

However the spread of credit cards to teens is ubiquitous, they have commercials on TV about how getting one will free you from you mother yet your parents still have to sign for it, so how is that freedom?

[brendand.livejournal.com]

That teenagers use credit cards is less scary. I've had one for what seems like two decades, and I'm almost 29. Okay, so clearly, not two decades, but I'm sure it's been more than one.