Story time (09/25/19)

Story time.
I pull in to a gas station, swipe my card, and start pumping. Around the amount it's usually full, the pump turns off, but not with the normal click but rather like the pump died. I notice the screen says "pump has been turned off". That's odd. I print my receipt, pull my car into a parking spot and head in to use the restroom. Standing at the door of the store is the cashier, a lady, probably mid 20s, looking rather confused / concerned. She asks me if I was just at pump #3 and I say I was. We start walking into the store together as she is telling me that someone else had just put $30 on pump #3 and that I had stolen her gas and that she would really appreciate it if I paid for the gas that I just stole.
I look this lady in the eyes and see 2 things, clear as day. She is terrified, like, a rabbit cornered by a Rottweiler kind of terrified, and "stole" in this context means "unauthorized consumption". As she's talking, the other driver walks in, looking almost equally as timid. That's when I realize that I hadn't been asked for my PIN or zip code before I started pumping. It was already on.
I apologize to the other driver, pull out my wallet and hand my card to the cashier who charges the amount that I had just pumped. She is visibly relieved, and when I ask to use the restroom, she emphatically assures me they are open and available.
The moral of this story is, when people are expecting a fight, they get really defensive and say things they don't mean. I love diffusing situations like that. I love watching the relief flood someone's face when they realize that they misjudged me and / or the situation. In cases like this, facts don't matter. Putting the person at ease is the primary objective. Once they realize you're not the enemy, you can resolve the situation and move on.

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