(sorry about the title, but I just watched the verbally and visually anachronistic, yet philosophically current movie Death Wish)
A weekly task gets me up at 5am, which I take advantage of to get cold gas at a station that has consistently low prices. I've been doing this for the past several months, and have thought very little of the chore.
The last time I filled up, I noted a man sitting on a nearby bus bench. This was a little odd, since the preceding months only had one woman occasionally sitting on the bench at the same time, on the same day of the week. After I started pumping I looked around, as I usually do, and noticed an older truck parked partially behind the gas station office, with a man in the driver seat idly looking around. A thought flashed into my head, and I felt very exposed. I looked again at the man on the bench, who was still looking forward, listening to his headphones, and giving zero hint of malfeasance.
I finished fueling, and left without incident.
The thought I had was about an article I had read years ago about gas thieves. The driver would wait partially hidden, while the pan handler would wait for someone to use a card to buy gas. Once someone started pumping, the pan handler would approach and ask for change, and get close enough to threaten the target with a knife. The knife would be pulled, and the target threatened not to move, while the driver drove to a pump opposite the target, and filled his tank with the target's pump.
Due to the early hour, and sleep interruption, I barely remember to bring so much as my wallet.
I shall remedy this in the future.
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