So Convenient

I've only every had two jobs. I worked at a gas station on the outskirts of downtown Hickory and Longview NC and I currently work at a series of two gas stations in Sylva, NC that are aptly named Mountain Breeze Marts 1 and 2. I've learned that working at any gas station is going to be about the same. It's fast paced, deals with all walks of people, all around challenging and can be very very dangerous.

I've noticed that each store has its own routine
6am
Old woman in a white pickup truck would buy lottery tickets while you are trying to write them down to turn in with your shift paperwork and you have only so much time to do this
7am
"Can I buy beer right now?" buys 4 40s of Cobra and a suitcase of Budweiser
8am
Annoying foreign guy can't work pump number 8.... yet he always parks at pump 8
11am
Make coffee
11:30am
Clean up coffee because for some reason the pot overflowed
2pm
ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE
4pm
First chance to pee
9pm
"Oh My God?! Did I just witness a drug deal?"
10pm
Call the police on the black guy with the crooked hat in the parking lot who is asking for money AGAIN

Once I was working at my store in Hickory and a car comes through the parking lot  pretty fast... but instead of slowing down to park, the car sped up! The car hit a woman and bounced her off the hood and then hit the side of our store... How many times have you seen this at your McDonald's job?

All the craziness gets old quickly. This job I have in Sylva is the same. It's safer and more laid back but I STILL have those old men that want to take me home... just now they are white. And when you are the cashier at the local gas station, you are the local icon. People will come in and tell you their life story and will learn your name and some times, they figure out your schedule.

At a gas station, you can star to classify people based on their purchases. Newports are a number one seller to people who would typically drive Lincoln's and listen to Lil Wayne. American Spirits are for hippies and old snooty women. Men who work for construction and cable companies will buy multiple cups of coffee multiple times throughout the day. Old men with southern accents tend to buy Marlboro's in the soft pack but EVERYONE kills the 3 for $3 deal on Pepsi products.

I love my job(s). My mother explained to me that when it comes to convenience stores, you either love it or you hate it. I used to hate it but now I can't see myself doing anything else.


Save More #305 1665 1st Ave SW Hickory NC 28602
That red jeep is actually my mother's... But I just found this picture on google images? COOOL