My night out with Tom

@jerzgirl (9233)
United States
April 7, 2010 8:28am CST
Went out with Tom last night, I drove (as usual) and we stopped at the gas station. Tom paid the guy up front and then went into the little store for a lottery ticket. I'm sitting there and heard the pump kick off and was just watching other stuff around me wondering why he was taking so long. A car pulled up along side of me and other cars pulled in behind me and couldn't get past me to get to the empty pump because of the car next to me. So, I decided to move up so they could get to the pump. What I failed to notice was that the nozzle was still in the car. I pulled it out of the pump!! What ensued was a shout fest between Tom and the attendant who was demanding $90 from Tom and Tom was saying he was going to call the police interspersed with Tom yelling at me asking me what the hell happened. If I knew what happened, it probably wouldn't have happened, ya know? Their arguing got more heated and all I wanted to do was go back home (I mean, I had only gone four blocks), crawl into bed and hide from the world because a small crowd had gathered by this time. The attendant wouldn't let Tom call the police and Tom wouldn't give him $90, so I called his mother who told ME to call the police - which I did. A state trooper (off duty?) showed up, checked out the pump and then came to ask me what happened. In the meantime, the attendant had told us to get out and leave and was upset that the police showed up. I told the trooper what was going on, that the guy wanted $90 and didn't want us to call the police (he immediately said, regarding the demand for money, "that's not going to happen") and took my license and Tom's insurance card. The attendant came rushing over to say that we needed to leave, everything was OK. That's when we heard sirens (oh, joy). The trooper starts hollering, "There's no gas spillage! There's no gas spillage!" I turn to see a Gloucester cop who just got there headed over to the pumps. Then the fire truck pulls up. My desire to go home and hide returns at this point, and I wait for the inevitable attack by Tom about how I could be so stupid to do something that stupid (mind you, it's not like I'm not already doing that to myself). Eventually, the fire truck leaves, I put my license away, Tom puts his insurance car away, I get into the car and just start driving, feeling very, almost, drugged; like this was just a dream, it didn't really happen, did it? Still wanting to just disappear somewhere, anywhere. Then Tom reminds me what will happen if his brother finds out (a single-souled National Broadcasting Network), so I call his mother again and plead with her to not let Joe know. She promises to not say a word to him because she knows just how he is and just who he'd tell. We continue on to our dinner destination and actually do enjoy our meal. I'm still pretty would up by things, feeling not at all humored by any of it, feeling the need to talk to someone, so I text my kids. Then, we go to Starbucks in Haddonfield for coffee and I texted my cousin Wayne about it in detail. Who shows up at Starbucks but my "stalker", Tom's brother Joe, who hurried on over when he learned that's where we were, so I took off out the door and got back in Tom's car while he and Tom were in the coffee house. Of course, they followed me to the car and the relaxation I was finally feeling was gone. When I got home, Wayne called to make sure I hadn't been arrested (he was concerned since I'd never texted him before). Oh, yeah. I had such a fun night. Woohoo!! Today I get to go get MY car from the old house we moved from and take it for inspection (hopefully without getting pulled over for expired inspection) once Tom's dad gets here to put in our door screens. He'll take me back with him. He's been charging my battery and will put air in my tire so I can drive the darned thing out of the yard. I haven't driven it since November! So, yeah, that was my evening - how was yours??
4 people like this
7 responses
• United States
7 Apr 10
{{Girlfriend}} sounds like you need a {{hug}} after all of that last night! Good grief!!! I'd just stay home today if I were you, My evening was pretty calm as I was in bed very very early...still feeling BLECKY!!! SICKLY!!! Take Care Jerz!!
2 people like this
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
7 Apr 10
Hey, girl - you were in bed early, but up in the wee hours, too!! Tom's dad came over today and put our screens in and then his brother took me to lunch (everyone kept their word and didn't tell him - he'd have told the world faster than any satellite dish!!) I took my car for inspection, finally, after Tom's dad charged the battery and pumped up the tire, and it failed miserably. Looks like I'll be selling the last gift from Mom to me. I sure can't afford to get it fixed.
• Philippines
7 Apr 10
That was one hell of a night. You have to remember, sh!T happens. Just let it slide.
2 people like this
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
7 Apr 10
Oh, I will - eventually. But, it was rather traumatic at the time and VERY public, which I have always tried to avoid. Once I realized that the station attendant was trying to scam us (after I realized that the hose was made to break away to prevent disaster), I was better able to get composed and call the police. Still, it's not something I want to repeat.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Wow,I bet you was a total nervous breakdown waiting to happen there..whew!..Put no matter our mistakes we shouldn't be called stupid..that is what mistakes are for learning experience..now if it was like the 5th time...now something can be said about that..lol..I do hope your week get alot better...
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
9 Apr 10
I know all about bad parenting skills dealt with them myself since I was 5..my stepfather took great joy I guess in putting us down and telling us we all were dumber then a box of rocks..or we didn't have enough brains in our heads to blow our brains out...and would never amount to anything..and that is just the tip of the iceberg...maybe he knew you was probably already beating yourself up about it so he left it at that..But I am glad things are somewhat back to normal..
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Oh, hell, yeah. I was pretty much gone when it first happened. But, when I realized it was only getting worse and the attendant was attempting a scam and the small crowd was getting larger and things were only getting louder, I called the police myself to put an end to it, even if I got a ticket out of the whole mess. He didn't call me stupid this time, thankfully. It is one of his bad habits, but it is something he learned from his father's poor parenting methods and I'm able to deal with it in most cases. But, this time, I felt stupid and felt like I looked stupid and really didn't want to hear it confirmed in someone else's voice. I am very glad that the things I expected from him didn't take place. I mean, his "what the hell did you do?" was pretty understandable. I still feel like a complete idiot over that little episode, although I realize that it wasn't as bad as I'd thought and that the station attendant was trying to scam us. The cops backed us up, so I don't feel as bad as I did - still, I won't be going back there again - and not just because of the scam, ya know?
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Funny story to read but I'm sure not to live out! I think we've all had days like that when everything just seems to go all wrong. As for the gas pump incident, it is not all that uncommon. I work at a convenience store/gas station and it is more common than you could imagine to have someone drive off with the nozzle still in the car. The attendant had no business asking you for any money or suggesting that you don't call the cops. Kind of makes you wonder what his agenda was. When it happens at my store, we call the cops and they get all the info and file a report for insurance purposes. No one ever has gotten arrested. The claim gets filed and the person pays for the damages. it's all pretty simple and no big deal. Hope tomorrow is better for you. It will be, I'm sure.
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Thanks, Sid. That particular station is known for its scamming of customers. The police have been called by enough customers to be aware of their efforts. I hadn't experienced it myself, at least not there, but I knew about it. Even though they tried to pull a fast one, I still felt horribly guilty and very, very "public". A small crowd had gathered by the time we were able to leave. Not exactly how I like to make my presence known, ya know?
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Woah, what was that gas attendant's problem! I mean that kind of stuff happens, you can't help it. You were already wanting to go home before you drove off, he didn't need to demand that money, and oh poor you the cops coming and thinking it was way worse then it really was.... So Tom's brother still found out somehow? That part was a bit iffy.
1 person likes this
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Hi, Cowgirl. Tom's brother found out where we were and showed up, but thankfully hasn't learned about the hose incident. He is the oldest adolescent I've ever known in my life and loves to spread gossip and then use it to stress me out. I was just finally calming down from the events when I spotted him crossing the street across from Starbucks, so I left the shop and his brother behind to go out to the car. But, no, he still doesn't know about what happened that night. Everyone has kept their word on not telling him. A small miracle in that family, to be sure! LOL
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
8 Apr 10
Maybe they've all befallen to his gossiping ways and knows how it feels. I know when I get stressed I'd want to go home as fast as possible too, especially away from situations that will prove to stress me out further. Glad everything's behind you now though! right?
• United States
7 Apr 10
You poor thing. I sorry you had such a rotten evening. Hopefully today will go much better. If you are worried about getting pulled for the expired inspection sticker, call the garage and schedule an appointment. Make sure you have the phone number of the garage with you and if you get pulled explain to the cop that you are taking it to get it inspected and have an appointment. He can call the garage if he wishes and usually they will let you go with that. Have a better day. Happy MyLotting
2 people like this
@jerzgirl (9233)
• United States
7 Apr 10
Our inspection stations are state run and free - no appointments necessary. Unfortunately, the car failed miserably. So much wrong with it that there's no way I can afford to get it fixed. So, it looks like I'll be selling my 3500 lb. behemoth. If I had been pulled over, I'd have told them where I was headed and ask if they'd check with my landlord who had charged the battery for just over a day and then filled the tire with air so I could take the car off the other property we'd moved from. Fortunately, the only cop I passed was on my right and had already pulled someone over. WHEW! Yes - it was one heck of a night. Not one I want to repeat, that's for sure!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
7 Apr 10
hi jerzgirl wow things just kept getting worse and you probably started feeling smaller and smaller and just wanted to curl up and hide.glad it finally got straightened out. mine was uh different. weell actually I was much better by about seven thirty pm when I got back to my room here at Gold crest by the amulance. okay after our 11 am lunch I was feeling sick, light headed, horrible head ache, went to the nurse, told her the steriods the dr had given me for the rash on my leg were killing my blood sugar it was 400, so she called the ambulance and they took me to the closest ER. my blood pressure was skyrocketed 210 over 69 my blood sugar 390 and me my head hurt. so they gave me an iv of normal saline, one shot of insulin in the tummy b sugar still 345. so more insulin in the Iv then a big shot of blood pressure med in an injection and finally my blood sugar was down to 179 and my blood pressure was down to 154 over 69 so I got to go home, I really did feel a lot better,much better in fact . never ever again is anyone going to give me steriods to cure anything as they are not good for diabetics at all, in fact the er physican told me that some people have developed diabetes simply from being on steroids for some phyical condition. all this time every 15 minutes I would get asked the time of day, day of month, my name, my age, what hospital er was I in, then it dawned on me with that high a blood pressure they were afraid I could have a stroke. they were all so kind to me, and I felt so lousy, then once every thing was down my head ache was gone.today I am okay. also am not being given any more steroids , not ever either.