We dont want your business!!

Yesterday while out in my car with my hubby he noticed that the temperature of the engine was creeping up. We have a small leak and so we keep a gallon bottle of water in the trunk. He pulled into a gas station and popped the hood. When he went to get the water he found that the bottle was empty. He had forgotten to refill it from the last time we needed it.
I took the bottle into the store part of the gas station and asked the girl behind the counter if I could please get a bottle of water from their rest room. She said no, we don't have water. I looked at her with disbelief. I said you work here all day and there is no rest room. She said no restroom. I said I know there is a bathroom because the previous owners were friends and I'd used it. She looked at me made a mean face and said no restroom you go. I just wanted to get a bottle of water. The man behind the counter came around to confront me. I said that is the restroom right there and pointed to a door near the counter. The man said no restroom and he yelled it. Ok I have to admit that now I am pissed because these people are acting like I want to go in and destroy their bathroom or they are just being ungenerous.
I looked at the girl again and said I have a problem and just need a little water for my car I don't want a drink. She kept shaking her head no . Now I am really pissed off. I said you are being very mean and you are a liar this is the bathroom and I opened the door and pointed to the sink. Then the man ran from around the counter and said you stay out. (I didn't go in) and I just took my bottle back to the car but called them both liars and mean as I went. My husband came into the store at this point because he wanted to buy a little gas so that we were not just taking water. He's nice like that we didn't need gas. I just brushed past him and went out the door. He paid the man cash and walked back to the car . When the man saw that he was with me he ran out of the store and waved the five dollar bill at my husband and said we don't want your business. What? So we take back the five and tell the man we are going to contact shell oil and let them know how these people treat their customers. I know I overreacted but what of these workers. I don't know if they are owners or employees. Should I contact shell and what might that accomplish. Any advice besides I should calm down ?

Oh I forgot before I opened the bathroom door to expose their lie the man had said to me we sell water. Ok yeah I guess I can get five small bottles at $1.29 each. But I didn't need bottled spring water for an over heated engine. At that point I would have been happy with an outdoor spigot. I am still spinning over this.

reply to post by AutumnWitch657


There probably can't be much done about the water because they had it for sale. Refusing to sell your husband gas after they took the money is another issue. I did find a pdf on discrimination and it tells you who you can contact from the US dept of labor. Maybe that will help.

You will need adobe reader or a program that can read pdf files to properly open it.
US Dept of Labor

I'm really not sure if this applies to you but it's a start to finding out.

reply to post by AutumnWitch657


Honestly, you are right.What thick heads to deny you something as simple as water.
This has never happened to me before, and I keep asking for water at restaurants, etc.

Just walk away proud and never go back there again.

Let your friends know too. I 'd even post their address and mean behavior on FB.

This was plane stupid. Maybe they just saw 'Water world' with Kevin Costner and thought we have to fight for water...what dimwits.
Sorry you had to go through this.

Just know that they will lose a lot of customers this way.

Did you ever see a movie called Falling Down? I usually ask rude convenience store owners that question. I really should go get a baseball bat out of the car before asking them though, just to drive the point home.

reply to post by AutumnWitch657


Get ready for overt discrimination to make a comeback in the US. People want scapegoats to blame. Yelp is a good venue but keep the language neutral. Write those letters to shell oil, facebook, upworthy etc. You can even picket the station but check with the local codes.

Even more devious means are available. Enlist some people they haven't seen and wire them with audio and video to test their adherence to tobacco and alcohol statutes. Sometimes you just have to get "smean".

reply to post by TheLieWeLive


Any and all advice is welcome. I did just e-mail shell. I could have bought water yes but really I told the girl it's for the car I don't need good pricey water to drink I just need a little water for the car. They were being docks plain and simple. UN generous unwilling to give anything for free. Just plain mean. I work retail and I've helped customers with things that had nothing to do with business at the store once even getting my car and giving a lady a jump from my car when hers wouldn't start. I would have gotten the bottle of water with a smile and said good luck in the process.
I've made phone calls or allowed the customer to use my phone several times over the years. Nothing to gain from it but the feeling of helping out another person who is in need.

reply to post by Rainbowresidue


I was just thinking of going over and going in to say I need to fill her up then when they ask how much I tell them oh I'm not buying it here I just want you to know you won't be getting my business I am going to the shell station on Pembroke ave instead. I might even do it a few times just to rub it in. LOL

reply to post by Mamatus


I was already borderline out of place well not borderline when I opened the bathroom door and said LIAR' I'm not looking for three hots and a cot though. I'm not familiar with that movie.

I had almost the same thing happen to me when I overheated my car. The gas station would not allow me any free water, I had to buy it.

And the big elephant on the room here, with a couple of subtle clues in your story, is that these people are minorities, right? They are Asian immigrants of some sort who own this convenience store that happens to sell Shell-brand gasoline. Their English language skills are marginal. So you've got "cultural mis-communication" going on here, differing expectations on what is proper and different attitudes about what constitutes aggressive behavior.

This should be interesting should you decide to pursue it, particularly on "discrimination" grounds.

reply to post by Darkblade71


Shat heads. I would give you water but then I think about what goes around etc. If there is karma they will suffer their choice yesterday. If there wasn't cameras I'd go there in the middle of the night and put locks on their pumps (really I don't even know if that's possible. )

reply to post by schuyler


Nothing wrong with your reading comprehension. Yes they were Asians but I didn't say that you just picked it up from the dialog . No water you go now. I didn't want to color the thread with racism so I left that detail out but quoted them correctly word for word.

reply to post by AutumnWitch657


Yah, their Race matters Not. They were rude, and I would , as one poster mentioned, go in there waving 20 bucks and say I need gas. Then walk out. Tell your Friends of this and have them spread the word too, maybe those guys will loose enough business to close up shop and move on. Just Sayin. Later and Good Luck, Syx.

reply to post by schuyler


We all understood the conversation BTW. There was no miss communication on either side but I do agree with the cultural aspect. I expected them to want to help. They expected not to and to make a sale. Maybe we should have bought the gas first then asked for the water.

SyxDaliGee
reply to post by AutumnWitch657

 

Yah, their Race matters Not. They were rude,

Unfortunately, it does matter. YOU say they were "rude," but what constitutes "rude" in one culture isn't "rude" in another. It's like taking a picture of a native [Insert ethic group here], who then demands you give him money. YOU think he's being an aggressive panhandler. HE thinks he's asking for just compensation for using his visage. You think he's rude; he thinks you're rude. The bottom line is that being "rude" is not a crime.

It's important here not only for understanding, but also insofar as OP intends to "take this further," especially claiming "discrimination" or "writing to Shell." IF she does so, this issue surely will come up, and pretending it isn't there so as to "not appear racist" is not going to cut it. By quoting the clerk directly, she already made it an issue, whether she thinks so or not. And if she manages her direct quotes well enough after this warning to not make it an issue, they will.

Further, refusing to "sell" or give you water is not a crime. Locking her pumps is. If you did retaliate like that (not saying you actually would), then it is YOU who are committing a crime.

Edit: We cross-posted. I agree with your last statement.

Oh btw I did get water down the road at Rallys. They sweetly pointed to the rest room when I asked if I could get water. And not that it's relevant but they were minorities also.

reply to post by SyxDaliGee


Naw I don't want to ruin anyone I just want them to realize just how crappy this was but it probably won't happen anyway. I'll see what shell says when they reply to my e-mail.

reply to post by schuyler


I realize they were in no way obligated to give me the water . I was rude I admit that too. I don't usually go around calling complete strangers liars. Bottom line was that it was not a big deal nor an expensive request and we were in distress as far as the car goes. It just wouldn't have cost them much to be a nice citizen and help out a fellow creature. I get more love from the squirrels in my backyard.

reply to post by schuyler


I didn't say anything about discrimination. That was someone else. Really these people would have been jerks to anyone asking for something for free. Not just me. They're not discriminatory they're jerks to everyone.