r/nosleep
u/PossumTaco
Be careful pumping gas alone at night
This happened to me shortly after I got my first car when I was around 18. Years later it still shakes me to my core and I avoid driving at night as much as possible because of it. I don't even like to talk about it but I feel like it can serve as a warning for those other late night travellers. The car was a piece of crap 4-door. One of those ones with squeaky breaks, roll down windows, where you have manually lock each door. It was summer and I was working at a mine. The mine was in a small town about a 5 hour drive from my home town. During the work week I stayed near the mine at my aunts but on my days off I drove home as the town was very small. This story happens one of the nights I was driving home.
My shift ended around 8pm and instead of waiting until the next day I decided to push on and get home early. I open the back door and throw my work gear in and I start my engine. I notice my gas is getting low but figured I can make it about half way at least, so I start driving. I am pretty tired so I decide to blast some tunes and roll my window down for some summer air. My car doesn't have AC which just adds to my fatigue but I am excited to spend my hard earned money at home with friends.
11 o'clock or so and the inevitable happens, I see the familiar bright glow of the low fuel light. I squint my tired eyes as I pull into the next gas station. I just want to be back on the road so I hop out, swipe my card and start to pump. I am finishing up and turning to put the nozzle back when I hear over the PA "Ma'am your creditcard has been declined, please come inside to pay." The voice startles me as I replace the nozzle. I look around and am suddenly all too aware that I am the only one around. No other people parked at the station or even driving by on the country road. Reluctantly, I proceed towards the small building's entrance. I can see through the glass doors that the clerk is standing right next to them, which gives me a sinking feeling. He is a large bearded man and I am a petite female. Still I feel compelled to go in and finish paying, I mean there are cameras everywhere right.
As soon as the door closes behind me, he shoves past me and locks the door with a set of keys. I could almost cry when he says shakily to me, "get behind the counter and crouch down, we need to call the cops." I can't even comprehend the words as he says them and before I know it he is leading me roughly by the arm behind the counter. He throws me down, grabs the phone and squats next to me. He stares at me wide-eyed with a look of terror and states "While you were filling your car, I saw a man over the CCTV crawl into your back seat." I immediately burst into tears and he calls the cops.
It felt like an eternity until they got there and me and the clerk just sat in silence, bewildered at the events that just took place. We both jumped as we heard knocking on the glass. We peered over the counter and to our relief it was the police. They told us they had the guy and took both our statements. After it was all over I assured them I just wanted to continue driving home even though I was still hysterical. Before leaving me the cop said something I will never be able to forget "You're lucky the clerk was looking at his camera when he did. The guy who crawled into your back seat had a knife and a back-pack full of rope and duck tape. Be careful driving alone out there."
▶Source:https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/b7ja5m/be_careful_pumping_gas_alone_at_night/
▶Author:https://www.reddit.com/user/PossumTaco
