# I did a really stupid thing today



## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

Basically, I did the opposite of a gas-and-go.  I stopped on the way home to get some gas and some munchies.  Paid for $20 worth of gas.  Then, got took my snacks, got in my car and drove off.  Later, I was driving around, peeked at my fuel gauge an wondered "Why is my needle still down there? and realized that I had paid for that gas and just drove away.  What an idiot.


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## Guest (Jan 19, 2014)

I worked in a gas station for five months in 2005.  It was one right off the highway, and it was poorly constructed so you couldn't read the license plates from inside - they were facing the other way.

Each week I'd have at least one gas drive off, and often one a day.  

One night it wasn't busy and a car pulled up, I authorized them, and went out for a smoke.  They drove off and I ran after them, saw that it was a South Dakota plate, memorized the number, and ran back inside.

I dialed the Crime Stoppers number and reported it, then about 15 minutes later I get a call back from them wanting to know if that was the plate I had seen.  Yeah, I said, and they told me it'd been reported as stolen.  

I kind of felt lucky I didn't run up and knock at his window like I was thinking of when he stopped at a light.


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## Vivienne Mathews (May 7, 2013)

Oh no! Were they kind enough to credit the cash back to you when/if you returned to the gas station?


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

I know someone who went through an ATM, requested $200 cash, and then drove off!


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Oh my.  Forgetting your gas is understandable.
It is one of the reasons that I have a credit card just for gas.  So I do not have to prepay.  Swipe the card at the pump and gas it up.  If I want something else I go inside separately and pay separately.  I know me.

The ATM thing is just too sad.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I would laugh if that weren't something that sounded EXACTLY like something I would do.


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## Ann Herrick (Sep 24, 2010)

Here in Oregon you can't pump your own gas (which is FINE with me!), so we don't have your particular problem.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

Vivienne Mathews said:


> Oh no! Were they kind enough to credit the cash back to you when/if you returned to the gas station?


I didn't bother going back. By then it was well over an hour later, so it didn't seem logical to think they could do anything for me. The way I looked at it was it was my mistake, so I should just bite the bullet.


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## spotsmom (Jan 20, 2011)

I would have gone back and tried.  I asked for $20 cash back at the grocery once and the clerk forgot to give it to me and I spaced it.  So I went back the next day and showed the receipt and sure enough it came out that the clerk's till was $20 over.  So I got my money back!  Never hurts to try.  I was expecting "you gotta be kidding, lady".


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## SunshineOnMe (Jan 11, 2014)

I know someone who cashed their check and put the money on the dash. They turned the corner, and all the money blew out the window!!!!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I remember the days when you could find a service station where someone else pumped your gas. The last station I was aware of that did that closed about 20 years ago now.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

balaspa said:


> I remember the days when you could find a service station where someone else pumped your gas. The last station I was aware of that did that closed about 20 years ago now.


There was one in my town as recently as 10 years ago.


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## daveconifer (Oct 20, 2009)

metal134 said:


> I didn't bother going back. By then it was well over an hour later, so it didn't seem logical to think they could do anything for me. The way I looked at it was it was my mistake, so I should just bite the bullet.


At least you didn't forget the important stuff...


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I just want to say that forgetful does not equal stupid. If it did, they'd have to shave quite a few points off my IQ score.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Congratulations ... you just found the perfect way to slow down global warming!


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## Carrie Rubin (Nov 19, 2012)

I was at a grocery store once where the woman in front of me paid and then walked off without her groceries. By the time any of us realized it (the bags were stacked in a cart), the bag boy couldn't catch the woman. He came back in saying she must've already driven off. I figured she got quite the surprise when she got home!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I never did that at a gas station, but there was a time in my life that I'd pay at a drive-thru and then drive away without my food. Did that a couple of times when I bought newspapers while stopped at a red light, too. Too embarrassed to go back and get my food. But I had kids to feed, so I'd drive a few miles to get to another drive thru and hope I wouldn't do the same thing. 

I eventually got over doing that, but it was really weird there for a while.


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## Lcthulou (Dec 6, 2013)

My Wife and I going to an out-of-town Doctor's appointment in the winter a couple years ago.

We stopped for gas, and she went inside to get snacks and drinks.Since it was cold and I didn't want to take my gloves off,  I yelled after her, "make sure you pay" while I pumped gas. They were really busy inside, so I got dine first and pulled up, then went inside to help her carry. We even had a conversation with the clerk. 

We drove to the Doctor's appointment, and afterwards stopped for Dinner. When The check came, she pulled out the money and paid. "Wait," I said, "How come you have so much money left? Didn't you only have $50?"

"Yeah," she said."And I spend $10 at the gas station." Oh Crap.

So we drove back to the gas station and the Clerk was like, "I figured it was an accident. I have you're license plate, but I wasn't going to call the cops until I was leaving."


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## Eltanin Publishing (Mar 24, 2011)

metal134 said:


> There was one in my town as recently as 10 years ago.


NJ and Oregon (as someone mentioned) are the only states where you can't pump your own. But there is small gas station very near my house that pumps it for you (I'm in VT). My mom from NJ loves that there is a full-serve station right near my house because she hates doing it herself. I think they pump it (1) to be nice, and (2) because the pumps are very old (don't take credit cards).

I would have gone back for the $20. Gas stations keep track of how much gas was pumped and how much money was taken in, and I bet they already knew that someone paid but didn't get their gas.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

I quite often walk into another room then think why did I come here. So forgetting is more common than we think and its not stupid. Great thinkers and philosophers tend to do this kind of things.

But I would have gone back to ask for $20.  Once in ATM, there was $10 bill among twenties the bank usually use. I went in and they gave $10...


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## Kay Bratt (Dec 28, 2011)

I do stuff like that all the time, unfortunately. I also buy gas with a credit card for the same reason. But then, I also reverse it. We went into a retail store and bought two wardrobe cabinets at $200 each. I specifically told the cashier it was TWO cabinets, then I went with the stock boy to load them in my car while my husband paid. We started to pull out of the parking lot when I looked at the receipt and realized the cashier only rang up one. We turned around and I went back in and paid for the second one. Funny thing was, the cashier was pretty darn rude about it, almost as if she resented our honesty.

Another crazy but true story was once my husband gave me a few hundred dollars to spend in the mall for my birthday. It fell out of my wallet (one of those on a strap) and I walked around for an hour before realizing it was gone. We backtracked through every store and right before leaving, I did one more swipe with my eyes around the food court, then saw my money at the feet of a gang of teen boys. It was all fanned out like play money and I dove in, shocking the boys when I screamed, "That's MY MONEY!" It was a miracle that they were just standing over it, as if it were invisible. But then, I had said a prayer that I'd find it and no one else would pick it up, so I shouldn't have been surprised.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

I've left the drive thru at Burger King without my food after paying. It is what it is.


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## CatherineM (Jan 9, 2013)

Metal, I don't think you're an idiot.  After reading other posts here, I hope you feel better.

I stop for gas at a tiny town on my way to work.  Sometimes, I'll get a couple lottery tickets.  The last time I was there, I paid for gas and then gave the guy the lottery cards for him to swipe.  He gave me my tickets and the cards back, and I paid him.  As I turned for the door, he said "Don't forget to pump your gas."


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I never did that at a gas station, but there was a time in my life that I'd pay at a drive-thru and then drive away without my food. Did that a couple of times when I bought newspapers while stopped at a red light, too. Too embarrassed to go back and get my food. But I had kids to feed, so I'd drive a few miles to get to another drive thru and hope I wouldn't do the same thing.
> 
> I eventually got over doing that, but it was really weird there for a while.


Not only have I driven off without my food, but I have driven off without my food AND credit card. Have to go back for that... I don't get embarrassed about it. I figure with all the times I have to go back because the drive they forgot something, they can deal with me forgetting occasionally.


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