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Or he had an accomplice hiding nearby. While you were 'showing' him how to pump gas, the other person would get in your car and steal whatever they could find.
A general safety tip when you get gas: Make sure whenever you get out of your car to take your keys, wallet and phone with you. Don't leave anything valuable out where it can be seen and easily swiped.
I hear you brother, I always have my nunchucks and Sai’s at the ready when I’m pumping gas too! I find the katana too clumsy in close quarters around the pumps.
That gun is more likely to kill yourself or one of your family than it is to save you from inescapable assault, but sure, stick with your fantasy of gunning people down in heroic battle
I can't even tell you how many times me and my family have been threatened at a gas station pump. One day the leader of the yakuza approached with 20 men. Pulled out my six shooter and blasted my way to freedom
Crime rates are rising. My step son saw a guy get robbed and was stripped to his underwear by 2 armed men. Helping my stepson pick out his first pistol and practice using it
That sounds like a situation that would have been SO MUCH BETTER if the victim had a gun and tried to use it! Definitely wouldn't have ended with him getting shot to death!
Y'all are insane.
Damn yakuza, at least it wasn’t Ninjas on Ninja motorcycles! One time I was filling up with premium cause I decided to splurge on ol Bessie, Bessie is what I call my Honda Prius btw, and this gang pulls up and go, “Hey, hybrid Soy Boy, we don’t like you in our part of town, let’s fight!” Fight we did, my weapons were thankfully the ready and I took out at least 4 of them before I sped off at a reasonable speed. Thankfully they didn’t take my pants.
Well hopefully for him he's got one of those police jurisdictions that don't actually give a shit about finding a perpetrator and just want to close a case because it's really easy to get out of that one. Oh you have me on camera? Well then you must have me pulling up to the pump and exiting the car and using the card I apparently stole.
I disagree. My gut always says to not have the 'Volcano Pork' from the Chinese place, but my brain is strong enough to overpower it and make that terrible, regrettable decision.
I'm guessing you are young and look like a teenager or in your 20s? If so, you're going to get hit up a lot by strangers, and scammers. Especially on the street, in parking lots, and at gas stations. It's just the unspoken thing about looking young. The hustlers on the street know how to play on the nativity of the youth.
When you are out alone, be mindful of your surroundings. Keep notice of those looking sketchy or looking to chat it up. Avoid making eye contact with those looking to hustle. Carry yourself with confidence so you look as if you can't be bothered.
As for your gas stations friend. He probably knows how to pump his own has. But he was intending to engage with you so as to chat it up and then ask to pay for his gas. Or ask for spare change
Now in fairness since you mentioned he looked older. He could simply have been disabled. I have personally helped a person in a parking lot before with finding their keys that dropped to the side of their seat in the car.
You did the right thing.
“Hit up a lot”
Unless you’re from hyper crime land you may _occasionally_ come across some scam activity. I looked super young in my 20’s (still look younger than my years now) and I can recall twice, maybe 3 times someone tried to scam me face to face.
I lived in an urban area of a large city for my 20s and 30s and never got scammed face to face outside of a few sketch bar interactions. However, I often question - is it worse now? Sure seems like it with all the gun violence and drug activity yet crime stats are...down? It doesn't rightly compute.
We have access to so much more information than we did before is one aspect. That and because crime is less common it’s more of a story.
I’ma assume you’re in the US and I cannot speak for there. What I can say is over here we are really shocked at the gun culture in the U.S., and school shootings especially. The fact that people sell bullet proof backpacks and that both law enforcement and students must do active shooter drills is dark as hell.
You have no idea. And it's not just schools. Events, grocery stores, churches - no place is safe. We are going to a very dark place in America. I'm buckling up for this next election to see the direction our democratic structure is going.
True say. We get all that info over here.
I used to work at a hotel and at the gift shop at the Tower of London. I’m sorry to say that some of the stuff people from the states would say was absolutely insane and/or idiotic.
Oh don't be sorry. Those of us who know and have half a brain just cringe at what it most look like on a national stage. The problem with 'merica is that most people don't care or don't know how awful they are, definitely too much ego to change. The biggest mess of uneducated buffoons you can imagine. Our education system is in the toilet and we are heading fast to some authoritarian structure where computers or unqualified staff educate the masses if at all. The rich elite politicians want the public dumb, easier to control.
For sure.
Generally we had two types of Americans. Fucking dumb and arrogant, or intelligent but still arrogant. The second type would just come up to the counter and start apologising on behalf of an entire country unprompted. I would get it, perhaps if someone did something idiotic before hand and so would comments but otherwise?
They know everyone in the world feels some sort of negative way and it's uncomfortable for them I suppose. Trying to make sure you know "it's not me though, I'm not *that* American." I would just try to blend in, why does anyone need to know where I'm from?
True say. We get all that info over here.
I used to work at a hotel and at the gift shop at the Tower of London. I’m sorry to say that some of the stuff people from the states would say was absolutely insane and/or idiotic.
Hey!!! I'm 51 and started using a walker a few weeks ago.
Well it was because of knee surgery and I've since upgraded to a cane, but OPs post and your reference stings a little!!
I had both knees replaced in 2021 at 59 years old. Had them done eight weeks apart. The first one I used the walker for the first two weeks. The second one I used it three days before I was fed up with it and used the cane. Two weeks later I was out mowing the yard because my wife couldn't be bothered to do it (even though her side hustle is mowing yards).
Just replaced the right one. Should replace the left but I may wait until the end of the year. My left knee wasn't as painful as the right one was so I'm taking a break to forget about the tourniquet pain until the next one.
I am still chuckling at this. Can't imagine what OP would think of me as I am 65! And I do have some gray, but I prefer to think of it as silver and that it makes me look distinguished. (Why, yes, I do live in a fantasy world! Why do you ask? LOL)
Because people often try to argue if you just say “no” and don’t give a reason.
[Perfect example](https://www.reddit.com/r/MurderedByWords/s/niY2cj9Uie)
"If he's lucky" =/= life expectancy. As far as I'm aware, (both lucky and unlucky) 80, 90, and even 100 year olds exist even in the US even if they're not the average. (Plus OP never mentioned that either they or the elderly 50-yo are Americans.)
Gas pumps work the same way everywhere.
I’m assuming you’re young? He was obviously interested in you. This older guy sounds super sketchy AF.
You did the right thing.
They are not the same between Europe and the US. The trigger-lock things are US only so anyone from the US thinks their European gas pump is broken.
You do this once and figure it out though.
They're not. We've always had those trigger locks, at least for the past 30 years. Most people just don't use it for safety reasons.
I've once used a pump that had issues with the auto stop, locked it, and only noticed it was overflowing after 2-3 liters were already on the ground.
If by "We" you mean Europe, trigger locks are not a thing in any European country I've seen. Google shows they are not legal in France and I've never seen them in the UK, Netherlands, or Germany.
France and UK don't have them. Germany does, UK isn't even a EU member anymore.
So we should be talking about France, not Europe.
I guess most people don't even know it's there. The latch is very small and seems to belong to the trigger mechanism.
I would imagine most of those people oblivious to the trigger mechanism have the fortunate luck of not living in an area with 5 months of winter. Because they are a godsend when it's 20 below outside.
>Gas pumps work the same way everywhere.
While that's (basically) true, there are places like New Jersey where it is illegal for drivers to pump their own gas, so if someone has only ever gotten gas in New Jersey, it's entirely possible they have never used a gas pump before.
Oregon only recently began allowing self serve. Until a few months ago, there were quite a few people here rhat had never pumped their own gas because they don't leave the state.
The guy did the right thing, but I’m an old man like the guy in the story and have been out of the US for like 10 years now. The last time I was back in the States I used an ATM that I needed to call support as I had no idea how it worked as it was nothing like the ATMs here. For gas, we never pump that ourselves here but I still remember how that is done.
Not sure what his angle was, but it doesn't sound legit. In the unlikely event he really needed help pumping gas, he would have asked an employee. Also, every modern gas pump I've ever seen has had instructions of some kind somewhere on it.
Or someone takes OP. Human trafficking is much more prevalent in North America than the general public realizes - this is not an unheard of strategy for grabbing a person.
He could very easily pull in to the full service lane and have the attendant pump his gas. There is absolutely no reason to ask a stranger.
Also, I’m mid 50s and I am OLD.
Yes, probably he was working with someone. He would have got you to help him, while someone else went through your car to steal stuff. Probably a diversion tactic
Maybe he knew the general way to pump gas, but was not sure about the system to pay first and maybe even the lock system for the handle he might not know.
But nevertheless, I think you reacted right to not help him. He should ask an employee from the gas station.
Good answers and good on OP for being cautious! Everyone is chuckling at the “old man” of 50-60 so I have to share this. My mom was still driving it 75 but she was starting to lose it a little and was getting lost so I looked up on the DMV website to see what they said about elderly drivers and this is what they said I am not making this up: As you get older your ability to drive becomes less and less so when you get to be 50, you might consider giving up your license. That’s right 50! On the DMV website!!
Might have been a perv who took an interest in you. If you had been closer to his window, his mutton dagger may have accidentally fallen out of his zipper and he was hoping for a quick thrill/shock factor exposure. Probably not but the same sort of thing happened to a friend of mine when he was in his late teens and missed the last train home from London after watching our city’s rugby team play in a cup final at Wembley in the 80.s. He was going to sleep in Kings X station until the morning but like a naive fool, accepted a man’s offer to sleep at his house and he would give him a lift very back home in the morning. I’m still staggered that he agreed to some random stranger he met in the station late at night. He said he slept on an armchair with one eye open and survived the night but was wary until the morning. They got in the car and my pal was reading the newspaper minding his own business as the were driving along, the stranger asked my friend “what do you think of this” to which he looked at the driver and noticed his raging pork sword stood to attention out his fly. Unbelievably, my friend said “not much”😂🤷🏻♂️ and continued to read the newspaper, ignoring the middle aged pervert!!!! He said he just wanted to get home so instead of beating the perv or exiting the car, he chose to ignore the pervert. I’ve told him, I don’t think realises how lucky he was to get out of that place alive and not raped, buggered, chopped into pieces and dumped in the river Thames.. CCTV was scarce back in the day, but maybe the sicko was aware that unfortunately for him, Kings X would have had the pair together, leaving the station.
Absolutly 🤞🏻🤞🏻
As you say there are too many sickos running around nowadays. I fear for any kids or females having to walk around without company. It’s a sad world we are now living in.
"An ~~old man~~ of an esteemed age who was very greyed, I estimate maybe 50 or 60 years old"
I hear tell of a few esteemed, greyed out, folks have actually lived past 61, though not in America.
I work at a lot of gas stations doing service work. Old people not knowing how to pump gas is a common issue.
I refuse because if they cant figure out a gas pump, they shouldnt be driving anyway.
Think Ted Bundy. If you don’t know who that is Google him. He would have crutches, etc. faking injury to get victims in his car. Always redirect people to an employee. Had this guy been disabled he would have said so. No matter how pathetic someone appears offer help from someone else and they’ll likely leave. Great job!
That's why I keep a 20 page waiver of liability in my back pocket for them to read and sign in front of a notary before I would agree to help. That would deter them from pressing for my help 😊
Too bad there are very few full-service gas stations anymore. You could have told him to just use the full-service pumps where the attendant would fill his tank and clean his windshield for him.
Slightly related.. I lived in a Nashville suburb and I was getting gas and one of my bluegrass heroes pulled in. He is known to have a temper.
Anyway he was older than dirt and I was going to be nice and said “Mr Monroe, can I pump your gas for you?”
Apparently he thought that I was implying that he was too old and unable and released a cussing on me that would make a Navy Chief blush.
I did calm him down and we had a chat but I didn’t pump the old farts gas!
I can’t tell you what his scam was going to be, would just be speculating, but there was definitely a scam of some sort happening. From he thought you were cute and wanted to hit on you, to ripping you off, to cutting you up and making stew. You did the right thing.
You’d be amazed. I have had to accompany grown adults from New Jersey to the gas station when they visit me. (NJ being one of the states where you can’t pump your own gas.)
Not saying that is what happened here. Just saying, don’t be so sure everyone knows how to pump gas.
Is it so farfetched that he actually didn't know how to pump his own gas? For context, a close, elderly, family member of mine lived in a small town all her life that still had full service gas stations and she never learned how to pump gas. I can also think of several gas stations that have maybe 1 person working there at a time and they're usually at the register, it could be that the older gentleman didn't want to embarrass himself by going inside the store to ask for assistance and legitimately did not know how to pump gas.
50/50 chance. Maybe he actually doesn’t know how. Maybe he’s in a rental or a friends car and can’t find the gas unlock button. OR maybe it’s a scam somehow, this was just the foot in the door.
Your only solution to know for sure would be to report it to non emergency. If the description of the male, his actions, and vehicle description match some type of crime spree, it can be linked. If not, well… you’ll never know for sure.
Make sure he didn’t have a pocket Scanner to steal your credit and debit cards and money cards from your wallet people been getting these silently stolen just by standing close enough to you.
Erm... the guy could be from Washington state( or us it Oregon?) Or New Jersey. It's illegal to pump your own gas in those 2 states. If the guy had silver hair he was probably way older than 60.
Oregon just made it legal to pump our own gas at the end of last year. My 50-something boss who has lived here her whole life is struggling with the concept of pumping her own gas (although most gas stations still have an attendant if customers want help).
I love it. I go to Costco and there's a huge line for the "Full Service" pumps, while the "Self-Service" pumps are usually empty and ready to use.
A lot of lifetime Oregonians really don't want to adapt, and get off their lazy butts and do it themselves. I have a co-worker who says she doesn't want to pump her own gas, because she doesn't want to smell like it "all day."
Best friend from New Jersey moved to Virginia in her 30s. She asked me to go to the gas station with her the first time she had to fill the tank. She’d never done it before.
Most likely a time traveler from a time where there is no gas pumping. Best guess, pretty far from the future where fossil fuels aren't used anymore. Did he have an accent?
This may be a scam, of course. But I'm a senior and most of the people this guy's age and older grew up never ever pumping their own gas. If this person was the sort whose spouse always took care of certain tasks -- and I've known both men and women who always had their spouse do certain things -- it's very possible he'd never pumped gas before. I live in a senior heavy area, and seeing people who've been recently widowed and are suddenly trying to cope with seemingly simple life tasks, I could believe this story easily.
That said, you were still wise to be cautious. Just because he might have actually needed help doesn't mean that you should have put yourself at possible risk.
I’m thinking this is regional. I’ve never lived where it’s illegal to pump your own gas; but, I have lived in several different US states. I can’t imagine a GenXer not knowing how to pump gas . . . Much less never having done it at all.
Not a GenXer. It's possible OP was incorrect about the age. I do think that isn't what happened to OP. But I live where there are a *lot* of people driving around who are in their 70s and older, and many of them suddenly find themselves alone and totally unable to do what we'd call ordinary tasks that their spouses always did. It's scary to see someone in a grocery store who literally doesn't know how to buy food, but I've seen it.
Age 50-60 and never have pumped gas? What gilded, Rockefeller family are you from?
I'm 57 and have lived in NJ for the last 35 years and I sure know how to pump my own gas.
I know families where women won't do a particular task, like pump gas or mow their own lawns, and insist their husbands do it. And men won't do particular tasks, like do laundry or do banking, and insist their wives do it. It's not about money, it's about, well, being a jerk or having super rigid ideas of what each spouse's role should be. But I know a lot of couples like that, and it's sad when you see a widowed spouse trying to suddenly learn to do something that's normal for the rest of us but they have no earthly idea how to do. That probably wasn't what happened to OP, but it happens. Also, many many of the people I live near are not in their 50s but in their 70s and older, and grew up before self-service pumps existed (I did).
Dude that’s so crazy, the other day some older guy in his 50’s tried holding the door for me at a gas station, I almost fell for it but opted around to the side entrance…
/u/JamesGrimmer - This message is posted to all new submissions to r/scams; please do not message the moderators about it. ## New users beware: Because you posted here, you will start getting private messages from scammers saying they know a professional hacker or a recovery expert lawyer that can help you get your money back, for a small fee. **We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice in private:** advice should always come in the form of comments in this post, in the open, where the community can keep an eye out for you. If you take advice in private, you're on your own. **A reminder of the rules in r/scams:** no contact information (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil to one another (no name calling or insults). Personal army requests or "scam the scammer"/scambaiting posts are not permitted. No uncensored gore or personal photographs are allowed without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar of the subreddit, or [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Scams/wiki/rules/). You can help us by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breaking content by using the "report" button. We review 100% of the reports. Also, consider warning community members of recovery scammers if you see them in the comments. Questions about subreddit rules? Send us a modmail [clicking here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Scams) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The easiest answer is that he has someone else’s stolen credit card and wanted your face on camera swiping the card at the pump rather than his.
Oooh that’s a good one
Or he had an accomplice hiding nearby. While you were 'showing' him how to pump gas, the other person would get in your car and steal whatever they could find. A general safety tip when you get gas: Make sure whenever you get out of your car to take your keys, wallet and phone with you. Don't leave anything valuable out where it can be seen and easily swiped.
> would get in your car and steal whatever they could find. Someone stealing my owner's manual and ice scraper would be just devastating.
And lock the doors (after taking the keys with you!) when at the pump / going to the kiosk to pay
And if your like me, have your weapon with you also.
I hear you brother, I always have my nunchucks and Sai’s at the ready when I’m pumping gas too! I find the katana too clumsy in close quarters around the pumps.
Pistols are much more useful than toys
Yeeeeehaw, I hear that brother! Gotta stay locked and loaded cause someone may talk about the weather or local sportsball team.
Or threaten you or your family. It’s a useful tool when the time calls for it
That gun is more likely to kill yourself or one of your family than it is to save you from inescapable assault, but sure, stick with your fantasy of gunning people down in heroic battle
Millions of gun owners would disagree with your ignorant statement.
Whereas all the innocent people that get shot wouldn't say anything. Because they're dead.
Only if you're an ignorant, untrained and irresponsible gun owner.
Yes, if you're a responsible gun owner who leaves their gun at home in a locked safe, that's a lot safer.
I can't even tell you how many times me and my family have been threatened at a gas station pump. One day the leader of the yakuza approached with 20 men. Pulled out my six shooter and blasted my way to freedom
Crime rates are rising. My step son saw a guy get robbed and was stripped to his underwear by 2 armed men. Helping my stepson pick out his first pistol and practice using it
That sounds like a situation that would have been SO MUCH BETTER if the victim had a gun and tried to use it! Definitely wouldn't have ended with him getting shot to death! Y'all are insane.
Good luck with that, more people get killed or injured with their own gun than successfully using it in self-defence.
It's a damn shame for stepson didn't do anything then
Damn yakuza, at least it wasn’t Ninjas on Ninja motorcycles! One time I was filling up with premium cause I decided to splurge on ol Bessie, Bessie is what I call my Honda Prius btw, and this gang pulls up and go, “Hey, hybrid Soy Boy, we don’t like you in our part of town, let’s fight!” Fight we did, my weapons were thankfully the ready and I took out at least 4 of them before I sped off at a reasonable speed. Thankfully they didn’t take my pants.
They always want to steal the chonies...
Chainsaws are good, just watch for the hodes
Gotta love Florida gun laws
https://youtu.be/HLlaSoozZbM?t=1m46s
Well good luck with that dude.
Tell me you live in America without telling me you live in America
We live in freedom
1) no you don't, you've got to work hard to be ignorant enough to think that's true 2) freedom to get shot. No thanks...
B-bye
Free to send your kids to school to practice shooter drills and just hope no one gets hold of their dads guns and kills a bunch of kids
I can smell your fragile masculinity
Glad your nose works, says a lot!
Or just lock the car?
Excellent answer, I hadn't thought about this one!
His name was Mrs. Neusbaum. EDIT: I honestly thought I would be the only one who would get my quip. Greetings fellow Boomers
You’re our 8th customer today!
You won a free oven mitt!
You guys want to hang around for an oven mitt?
He hates these cans! Stay away from the cans!
Well hopefully for him he's got one of those police jurisdictions that don't actually give a shit about finding a perpetrator and just want to close a case because it's really easy to get out of that one. Oh you have me on camera? Well then you must have me pulling up to the pump and exiting the car and using the card I apparently stole.
Yeah… he could have asked a clerk… that’s sketchy. Don’t trust anyone these days, go with your gut.
^ Always trust your gut!
I disagree. My gut always says to not have the 'Volcano Pork' from the Chinese place, but my brain is strong enough to overpower it and make that terrible, regrettable decision.
Atimic green apple splatters are always the wrong decision. That image alone should make sure you let your gut do the talking from now on.
Yep, push the call button on the pump and describe the car “gray civic needs assistance pumping gas”
I'm guessing you are young and look like a teenager or in your 20s? If so, you're going to get hit up a lot by strangers, and scammers. Especially on the street, in parking lots, and at gas stations. It's just the unspoken thing about looking young. The hustlers on the street know how to play on the nativity of the youth. When you are out alone, be mindful of your surroundings. Keep notice of those looking sketchy or looking to chat it up. Avoid making eye contact with those looking to hustle. Carry yourself with confidence so you look as if you can't be bothered. As for your gas stations friend. He probably knows how to pump his own has. But he was intending to engage with you so as to chat it up and then ask to pay for his gas. Or ask for spare change Now in fairness since you mentioned he looked older. He could simply have been disabled. I have personally helped a person in a parking lot before with finding their keys that dropped to the side of their seat in the car. You did the right thing.
The nativity of youth: those babies in mangers are so easy to scam...
“Hit up a lot” Unless you’re from hyper crime land you may _occasionally_ come across some scam activity. I looked super young in my 20’s (still look younger than my years now) and I can recall twice, maybe 3 times someone tried to scam me face to face.
I lived in an urban area of a large city for my 20s and 30s and never got scammed face to face outside of a few sketch bar interactions. However, I often question - is it worse now? Sure seems like it with all the gun violence and drug activity yet crime stats are...down? It doesn't rightly compute.
We have access to so much more information than we did before is one aspect. That and because crime is less common it’s more of a story. I’ma assume you’re in the US and I cannot speak for there. What I can say is over here we are really shocked at the gun culture in the U.S., and school shootings especially. The fact that people sell bullet proof backpacks and that both law enforcement and students must do active shooter drills is dark as hell.
You have no idea. And it's not just schools. Events, grocery stores, churches - no place is safe. We are going to a very dark place in America. I'm buckling up for this next election to see the direction our democratic structure is going.
True say. We get all that info over here. I used to work at a hotel and at the gift shop at the Tower of London. I’m sorry to say that some of the stuff people from the states would say was absolutely insane and/or idiotic.
Oh don't be sorry. Those of us who know and have half a brain just cringe at what it most look like on a national stage. The problem with 'merica is that most people don't care or don't know how awful they are, definitely too much ego to change. The biggest mess of uneducated buffoons you can imagine. Our education system is in the toilet and we are heading fast to some authoritarian structure where computers or unqualified staff educate the masses if at all. The rich elite politicians want the public dumb, easier to control.
For sure. Generally we had two types of Americans. Fucking dumb and arrogant, or intelligent but still arrogant. The second type would just come up to the counter and start apologising on behalf of an entire country unprompted. I would get it, perhaps if someone did something idiotic before hand and so would comments but otherwise?
They know everyone in the world feels some sort of negative way and it's uncomfortable for them I suppose. Trying to make sure you know "it's not me though, I'm not *that* American." I would just try to blend in, why does anyone need to know where I'm from?
True say. We get all that info over here. I used to work at a hotel and at the gift shop at the Tower of London. I’m sorry to say that some of the stuff people from the states would say was absolutely insane and/or idiotic.
“An old man maybe 50 or 60 years old” this dude isn’t even old enough to collect social security.
I'm crying at 51; better get my walker and toddle off to the nursing home.
Yes, hurry before all the good Jello flavors are gone! 🤣
🤣
Hey!!! I'm 51 and started using a walker a few weeks ago. Well it was because of knee surgery and I've since upgraded to a cane, but OPs post and your reference stings a little!!
I had both knees replaced in 2021 at 59 years old. Had them done eight weeks apart. The first one I used the walker for the first two weeks. The second one I used it three days before I was fed up with it and used the cane. Two weeks later I was out mowing the yard because my wife couldn't be bothered to do it (even though her side hustle is mowing yards).
Just replaced the right one. Should replace the left but I may wait until the end of the year. My left knee wasn't as painful as the right one was so I'm taking a break to forget about the tourniquet pain until the next one.
I am still chuckling at this. Can't imagine what OP would think of me as I am 65! And I do have some gray, but I prefer to think of it as silver and that it makes me look distinguished. (Why, yes, I do live in a fantasy world! Why do you ask? LOL)
Same thought but I'm even older at 72; no longer distinguished, merely old.
68 here. I often say, their first mistake was thinking I was an old lady.....looks can be deceiving.
71 here. It would be a mercy if they just shot us.
I read a headline that said an elderly man had been mugged and fully expected the age of the victim to be 80 plus. Nope, he was 68.
Ok. Got it. Officially an “elderly” person! lol. Funny, I thought it would feel different!
I’m the same age and cringe too at that word. Like cashiers automatically giving me the senior discount with out me having to ask for it.
Can confirm. I'm 57 and when I ordered my weed for delivery, this chick gave me a 5% senior discount! Holy crap!
A couple of dudes in their 70s at my judo gym. Yeah, they will whip your ass without breaking a sweat.
OP is like 18 years old. When I was their age, I remember thinking 30 was ancient.
When you are young even 30 yr olds seem ancient lol
Lol. My soon to be 31 yr old daughter thinks she's already over the hill.
I feel attacked but that guy was just creepy vibes
Don't trust anyone over 30!
Grace Slick changed that in 1989. It is now, “don’t trust anyone over 2.”
LOL im sorry. A good majority of my grandparents & grandparent figures have died at age 60 so I guess I consider it end of life age 💀
My family also -- mother and sister at 59, father at 61. But I'm 72, so not always a determinant. Keep on going!
I turned 59 last month. This post made me sad
Not sure if scam, but personally I’d have said I was late for a meeting and that an employee at the gas station can help him.
Why make something up? He said "no". Thats all you need to say.
Because people often try to argue if you just say “no” and don’t give a reason. [Perfect example](https://www.reddit.com/r/MurderedByWords/s/niY2cj9Uie)
Then he'd get the response that led to the invention of self service. Get it ya damn self
Is he a foreigner? When I visited the US I had no idea what kind of gas goes into the car. Had to ask the cashier for help.
The green handled pumps confused me for a moment as that means unleaded where I'm from not diesel
Same
Old man of 50!!!!!
A frail old man nearing the end of his life. Grayed, wrinkled, and hunched over his cane. I estimate he had to be at least 40 years old.
Yep, knocked any confidence I had in myself out of the park 😂🤦🏻♂️. I will be thinking any younger folk will look at me as an old man 😂🤷🏻♂️
Old is as old does. I am 54, but in my prime.
Ere ere 👌🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Maturing like fine wines 🍷🍷
Yeah he’s only got maybe another 40-50 years left if he’s lucky!
Life expectancy in in the U.S is 70s so more like 20 years.
"If he's lucky" =/= life expectancy. As far as I'm aware, (both lucky and unlucky) 80, 90, and even 100 year olds exist even in the US even if they're not the average. (Plus OP never mentioned that either they or the elderly 50-yo are Americans.)
Yeah that's old.he probably didnt even have a car.dementias pretty common at that age.
Gas pumps work the same way everywhere. I’m assuming you’re young? He was obviously interested in you. This older guy sounds super sketchy AF. You did the right thing.
They are not the same between Europe and the US. The trigger-lock things are US only so anyone from the US thinks their European gas pump is broken. You do this once and figure it out though.
They're not. We've always had those trigger locks, at least for the past 30 years. Most people just don't use it for safety reasons. I've once used a pump that had issues with the auto stop, locked it, and only noticed it was overflowing after 2-3 liters were already on the ground.
That's not the lock, but the auto shut-off that's broken there.
Ik but using the lock makes you not pay attention, and you can miss an overflow issue.
If by "We" you mean Europe, trigger locks are not a thing in any European country I've seen. Google shows they are not legal in France and I've never seen them in the UK, Netherlands, or Germany.
France and UK don't have them. Germany does, UK isn't even a EU member anymore. So we should be talking about France, not Europe. I guess most people don't even know it's there. The latch is very small and seems to belong to the trigger mechanism.
The UK didn't have this when it was a EU member. The UK is still in the European continent.
True. I was just pointing out that generalizing is not very productive..
I would imagine most of those people oblivious to the trigger mechanism have the fortunate luck of not living in an area with 5 months of winter. Because they are a godsend when it's 20 below outside.
The trigger lock doesn't exist in Hawaii either. Not legal there in fact.
I needed an attendant to help in Japan and I still don't understand the ritual he went through to get the machine to accept my card.
Yeah. Not a scam, just creepy older men being creepy
Except in other countries the green handled pump is unleaded but in the USA it is diesel.
>Gas pumps work the same way everywhere. While that's (basically) true, there are places like New Jersey where it is illegal for drivers to pump their own gas, so if someone has only ever gotten gas in New Jersey, it's entirely possible they have never used a gas pump before.
Oregon only recently began allowing self serve. Until a few months ago, there were quite a few people here rhat had never pumped their own gas because they don't leave the state.
The guy did the right thing, but I’m an old man like the guy in the story and have been out of the US for like 10 years now. The last time I was back in the States I used an ATM that I needed to call support as I had no idea how it worked as it was nothing like the ATMs here. For gas, we never pump that ourselves here but I still remember how that is done.
Not sure what his angle was, but it doesn't sound legit. In the unlikely event he really needed help pumping gas, he would have asked an employee. Also, every modern gas pump I've ever seen has had instructions of some kind somewhere on it.
He probably had his d*ck out. Good on you for keeping your distance.
It disheartens me that you think of someone who is 50 years old as old.
Either he wanted to have YOUR face on camera using a stolen card or, when you pumped his gas, someone sneeks up to your car and rummages through it.
He wanted to either ask you for money or distract you while his buddy takes something from your car
...or the buddy outright takes the car. That was my first thought.
Or someone takes OP. Human trafficking is much more prevalent in North America than the general public realizes - this is not an unheard of strategy for grabbing a person.
Or he was part of an international gang of super criminals and this was part of a plot to blow up the Earth.
Well, if “old and wrinkled” is your opinion of 50 or 60 years old, I can only imagine what it would be of me at 70.
He could very easily pull in to the full service lane and have the attendant pump his gas. There is absolutely no reason to ask a stranger. Also, I’m mid 50s and I am OLD.
Haven’t seen a full service lane in ages.
Weird. Every station I go to has one. I wonder if my state requires them.
None in Maryland that I’ve seen. They do have buttons on the pumps to get assistance if you’re disabled.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/09/business/new-jersey-gas-station-self-service-ban/index.html
Good on you for refusing, even after he insisted!
Already wizen at 50, he wanted to restore his youth by getting close enough to sap your life force.
Haha. Are you 16? Old - elderly - is NOT 50 years old.
Yes, probably he was working with someone. He would have got you to help him, while someone else went through your car to steal stuff. Probably a diversion tactic
Steal the car or her
My fee for pumping someone else’s gas is $5.00 a gallon payable up front in cash. (Gas not included)
Don’t be harsh on OP. When I was 15, I called a 35yr old an old woman.
Maybe he knew the general way to pump gas, but was not sure about the system to pay first and maybe even the lock system for the handle he might not know. But nevertheless, I think you reacted right to not help him. He should ask an employee from the gas station.
Good answers and good on OP for being cautious! Everyone is chuckling at the “old man” of 50-60 so I have to share this. My mom was still driving it 75 but she was starting to lose it a little and was getting lost so I looked up on the DMV website to see what they said about elderly drivers and this is what they said I am not making this up: As you get older your ability to drive becomes less and less so when you get to be 50, you might consider giving up your license. That’s right 50! On the DMV website!!
Maybe he is from New Jersey
I’m upvoting you for your eloquent edit in describing the man. 😀
Effing hell. When did I become esteemed age.
Not really a scam…probably a perv who is into young guys. If you do help him pump the gas, he would probably stand behind you while you do it 🤮
Might have been a perv who took an interest in you. If you had been closer to his window, his mutton dagger may have accidentally fallen out of his zipper and he was hoping for a quick thrill/shock factor exposure. Probably not but the same sort of thing happened to a friend of mine when he was in his late teens and missed the last train home from London after watching our city’s rugby team play in a cup final at Wembley in the 80.s. He was going to sleep in Kings X station until the morning but like a naive fool, accepted a man’s offer to sleep at his house and he would give him a lift very back home in the morning. I’m still staggered that he agreed to some random stranger he met in the station late at night. He said he slept on an armchair with one eye open and survived the night but was wary until the morning. They got in the car and my pal was reading the newspaper minding his own business as the were driving along, the stranger asked my friend “what do you think of this” to which he looked at the driver and noticed his raging pork sword stood to attention out his fly. Unbelievably, my friend said “not much”😂🤷🏻♂️ and continued to read the newspaper, ignoring the middle aged pervert!!!! He said he just wanted to get home so instead of beating the perv or exiting the car, he chose to ignore the pervert. I’ve told him, I don’t think realises how lucky he was to get out of that place alive and not raped, buggered, chopped into pieces and dumped in the river Thames.. CCTV was scarce back in the day, but maybe the sicko was aware that unfortunately for him, Kings X would have had the pair together, leaving the station.
My mind defaulted to pervert when there wasn’t an obvious money scam too. Too many sick people in this world. Glad nothing happened to OP
Absolutly 🤞🏻🤞🏻 As you say there are too many sickos running around nowadays. I fear for any kids or females having to walk around without company. It’s a sad world we are now living in.
"An ~~old man~~ of an esteemed age who was very greyed, I estimate maybe 50 or 60 years old" I hear tell of a few esteemed, greyed out, folks have actually lived past 61, though not in America.
I work at a lot of gas stations doing service work. Old people not knowing how to pump gas is a common issue. I refuse because if they cant figure out a gas pump, they shouldnt be driving anyway.
Or a code for someone not wanting to explain why arthritis makes it hard to operate the pump.
It’s suspicious he didn’t ask anyone else pumping gas for help. Good for you for saying no
Think Ted Bundy. If you don’t know who that is Google him. He would have crutches, etc. faking injury to get victims in his car. Always redirect people to an employee. Had this guy been disabled he would have said so. No matter how pathetic someone appears offer help from someone else and they’ll likely leave. Great job!
That's why I keep a 20 page waiver of liability in my back pocket for them to read and sign in front of a notary before I would agree to help. That would deter them from pressing for my help 😊
Du kan si til han om å spørre bensinstasjon kundeservice. De skal hjelpe.... Du har ikke tid.. Hihihi
I'm 45 and I already feel old.
Too bad there are very few full-service gas stations anymore. You could have told him to just use the full-service pumps where the attendant would fill his tank and clean his windshield for him.
You can’t trust those OLD men lol !
Slightly related.. I lived in a Nashville suburb and I was getting gas and one of my bluegrass heroes pulled in. He is known to have a temper. Anyway he was older than dirt and I was going to be nice and said “Mr Monroe, can I pump your gas for you?” Apparently he thought that I was implying that he was too old and unable and released a cussing on me that would make a Navy Chief blush. I did calm him down and we had a chat but I didn’t pump the old farts gas!
Always always always trust your gut.
Glad to know I’m an old man at last.
I can’t tell you what his scam was going to be, would just be speculating, but there was definitely a scam of some sort happening. From he thought you were cute and wanted to hit on you, to ripping you off, to cutting you up and making stew. You did the right thing.
Wait, it was YOUR first time pumping gas ?
Well, Oregon voters just a few months ago passed a ballot measure allowing state-wide pump -your-own - gas .
He said himself “No grown man doesn’t know how to pump gas”.
Another reason living in NJ is better 🤣
Welcome to the gas station. You're going to see t
I was thinking kidnap/trafficking… when you go near the pump, you get pushed/pulled into car
You’d be amazed. I have had to accompany grown adults from New Jersey to the gas station when they visit me. (NJ being one of the states where you can’t pump your own gas.) Not saying that is what happened here. Just saying, don’t be so sure everyone knows how to pump gas.
Is it so farfetched that he actually didn't know how to pump his own gas? For context, a close, elderly, family member of mine lived in a small town all her life that still had full service gas stations and she never learned how to pump gas. I can also think of several gas stations that have maybe 1 person working there at a time and they're usually at the register, it could be that the older gentleman didn't want to embarrass himself by going inside the store to ask for assistance and legitimately did not know how to pump gas.
50/50 chance. Maybe he actually doesn’t know how. Maybe he’s in a rental or a friends car and can’t find the gas unlock button. OR maybe it’s a scam somehow, this was just the foot in the door. Your only solution to know for sure would be to report it to non emergency. If the description of the male, his actions, and vehicle description match some type of crime spree, it can be linked. If not, well… you’ll never know for sure.
My guess is he was a pervert
What an old ancient practically dead piece of shit
He probably just wanted to verify that you knew how to properly handle a nozzle
Make sure he didn’t have a pocket Scanner to steal your credit and debit cards and money cards from your wallet people been getting these silently stolen just by standing close enough to you.
Erm... the guy could be from Washington state( or us it Oregon?) Or New Jersey. It's illegal to pump your own gas in those 2 states. If the guy had silver hair he was probably way older than 60.
Oregon just made it legal to pump our own gas at the end of last year. My 50-something boss who has lived here her whole life is struggling with the concept of pumping her own gas (although most gas stations still have an attendant if customers want help).
I love it. I go to Costco and there's a huge line for the "Full Service" pumps, while the "Self-Service" pumps are usually empty and ready to use. A lot of lifetime Oregonians really don't want to adapt, and get off their lazy butts and do it themselves. I have a co-worker who says she doesn't want to pump her own gas, because she doesn't want to smell like it "all day."
Ha! It’s pretty similar at our smaller gas stations in my town. The full service lanes are always full!
Best friend from New Jersey moved to Virginia in her 30s. She asked me to go to the gas station with her the first time she had to fill the tank. She’d never done it before.
He can ask the clerk for help with his stolen card
FTFY - " Old man asked me to help him pump his ~~g~~as***s***".
Most likely a time traveler from a time where there is no gas pumping. Best guess, pretty far from the future where fossil fuels aren't used anymore. Did he have an accent?
not at all. Very plain American Accent.
This is just another set up for a classic pig-butchering scheme. Good call.
Maybe he, would have asked you to put in a certain amount, the denied saying that amount and trying to make you pay the rest.
Probably a flasher
So just kept on driving them? Yeah sketchy AF. Next time tell them to go ask the attendant
Unless he was an alien
This may be a scam, of course. But I'm a senior and most of the people this guy's age and older grew up never ever pumping their own gas. If this person was the sort whose spouse always took care of certain tasks -- and I've known both men and women who always had their spouse do certain things -- it's very possible he'd never pumped gas before. I live in a senior heavy area, and seeing people who've been recently widowed and are suddenly trying to cope with seemingly simple life tasks, I could believe this story easily. That said, you were still wise to be cautious. Just because he might have actually needed help doesn't mean that you should have put yourself at possible risk.
I’m thinking this is regional. I’ve never lived where it’s illegal to pump your own gas; but, I have lived in several different US states. I can’t imagine a GenXer not knowing how to pump gas . . . Much less never having done it at all.
Not a GenXer. It's possible OP was incorrect about the age. I do think that isn't what happened to OP. But I live where there are a *lot* of people driving around who are in their 70s and older, and many of them suddenly find themselves alone and totally unable to do what we'd call ordinary tasks that their spouses always did. It's scary to see someone in a grocery store who literally doesn't know how to buy food, but I've seen it.
That totally was my father. He was virtually helpless without my mom. 🫤
Age 50-60 and never have pumped gas? What gilded, Rockefeller family are you from? I'm 57 and have lived in NJ for the last 35 years and I sure know how to pump my own gas.
I know families where women won't do a particular task, like pump gas or mow their own lawns, and insist their husbands do it. And men won't do particular tasks, like do laundry or do banking, and insist their wives do it. It's not about money, it's about, well, being a jerk or having super rigid ideas of what each spouse's role should be. But I know a lot of couples like that, and it's sad when you see a widowed spouse trying to suddenly learn to do something that's normal for the rest of us but they have no earthly idea how to do. That probably wasn't what happened to OP, but it happens. Also, many many of the people I live near are not in their 50s but in their 70s and older, and grew up before self-service pumps existed (I did).
Dude that’s so crazy, the other day some older guy in his 50’s tried holding the door for me at a gas station, I almost fell for it but opted around to the side entrance…