Our alumni director, Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, has started a fun tradition within our University Relations department. Upon walking into our suite of offices, a whiteboard presents a “topic of the day.” Each person is encouraged to use the dry erase marker to indicate a preference. Yesterday, the topic was a good one:

You’re at a gas station and the pump says “SEE CASHIER.” Are you staying or leaving?

This was the “Topic of the Day” I walked into yesterday. I was the second person to answer and my response is on the left 😉.

Now I realize some people might interpret the question differently so let me convey the way I approached it…

Imagine yourself driving to the gas station. You pull up to a pump, exit your car, and pull out your card. With card in-hand, you begin to insert it only to realize the message on the screen is flashing “SEE CASHIER”. Or you do make it to the point where you are able to insert your card only to receive the “SEE CASHIER” prompt once your card is read.

Basing my decision on the scenarios I just listed above, my course of action is a no-brainer…

I am staying.

And trust me, I have been tested a lot lately. I don’t know what it is about the gas stations I frequent, but it almost seems like I get a “SEE CASHIER” screen as often as the ice cream machine is out-of-order at McDonald’s.

If the gas pump says “SEE CASHIER” I am trying another pump at the same gas station.

My first reaction upon receiving this extremely inconvenient message is to begrudgingly get back into my car and drive the 10 feet to the next pump at the same station. This has worked in the past but other times the same infuriating message is flashing on that pump as well. Rather than following the adage of “the third time’s the charm” I usually—and never happily—walk inside to SEE CASHIER 😉.

From that point, I give the cashier a specific amount of money I want to fill my gas tank with. I know some stations will allow you to fill up by putting a hold on your account for some larger amount, but I am always skeptical. Instead, I just use my best experience and math skills to give an amount that will get me as close to “full” as possible without going over. Price Is Right at the gas station, everyone 😂.

I can provide my reasoning for “staying” with three straight-forward points…

1. I have no desire to pull into a second gas station and then re-enter traffic all over again

2. Usually I have already targeted the specific gas station I am at because it has the lowest prices and I don’t want to pay more

3. Often I pull into a gas station when I am literally beyond empty so I don’t want to take the chance of driving to another gas station and running completely out of fuel while on my way 😂

Are you staying or leaving? Don’t Blink.