Friday, March 22, 2013

 

A trend that annoys me

My last act before returning my rental car each week is to stop at a service station and refuel.

Several times in the past year and a half or so, while pumping my own gas, I have been accosted by someone asking for money.

Now, I am not unsympathetic to folks who are genuinely down on their luck. I do my share, and perhaps a bit more, to help others in need.

But this trend is different.

I know it sounds cynical but I can't help believing that someone who has staked out the service stations closest to the airport car rental centers on Thursday and Friday afternoons has an agenda.

This has happened in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and elsewhere. Big cities. Big airports. Major oil company service stations.

I have no doubt that times are hard for lots of folks. And I guess I should be comforted by the fact that I have not been robbed at gun or knife point just because I am stepping out of a late model rental car in business clothes at twilight. But the fact that the service stations have to be aware of the issue


This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?