My First Time Experience with Pumping Gas

 

Not long ago, I pumped my own gas for the first time alone and it was embarrassing even if there were no other people present during that early morning.

Back in the Philippines, where most things are being taken care of. I was used to just telling the gasoline boy/ girl or the Ates and Kuyas the amount I'm gonna gas up and give the money and my reward points card at the same time. I just open the tank, tell the amount and what gas and hand the money and they input the price and put your preferred gas and go to the cashier to give the payment and add points to the card (if there is any) then they proceed to cater to other motorists while you wait for your car to fuel up and then you also wait if your Ate/ Kuya will be coming back anytime soon.

Most of the time, it takes a few minutes for them to get back which I understand but sometimes it is actually frustrating as well, and lined-up cars start to pile up and some people even start honking.

On the other part of the spectrum, here in the U.S., people are more inclined to be independent in a way that it is quite expensive to get a cleaner (stay-out/ stay-in), or let alone a driver because people are used to doing things in their own and if they can, they don't hire people to do the service for them. The fact that some teens, as early as 16 are planning to move out by the time they turn 18. Which is not the case in the Philippines, because the culture is different and Filipinos tend to stay with family and help not until they get married, some even stay with their parents even after they get married. Going back, malls don't even have security guards at the entrance but there are still security roaming but rarely.

In a nutshell, if people can do it here, they wouldn't have to hire someone for the service. Even now with the advanced technology that we have, self check out has been made possible and I even heard of a place where you just merely grab anything and you can go straight out and it will be charged on your card.

When I pulled up at the nearest gas station from our house, I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to do it and end up spilling the gas and such. My Mom and Brother have taught me probably 3x by that point prior, and during that early morning, I had no choice but to try it all by myself with no help because I am running out of it and there was no way I could get to my destination and at home without having to fuel up by myself. I was even praying at that time for the gas station not to be full, so I would probably be judged less by some people inside their cars just waiting for finish or just really not to be completely seen at all, other than the person behind watching the CCTV of that gas station.

As I insert my card and choose my gas, I lift up the nozzle and inserted it to my tank and it won't lock. It has to come to a point wherein the handle should be heavy enough and hard to pull for you to lock it and automatically fuel up till it gets full tank. After 20 minutes or so, you would think I was able to lock it right? sadly, no. I was even waiting for someone to arrive to ask for help, so what I did was I held on to the handle with both hands for a good 2 minutes because I couldn't lock it and mind you, it wasn't straight up going in, it goes from being heavy to light once in a while and the struggle was surreal. 

I was beginning to sweat and held on to it and read on the words on the nozzle to be careful not to spill it up and that's when I got even more stressed. So I looked at the numbers and how much I was able to put through and I decided, okay maybe that's enough. The price is quite close at how much we gas our car usually when I'm with my family does so, if my memory serves me right. 

I finished fueling up to which I decided it's already done and my car can't get any more. PHEW! I begin to reverse and I realized, I haven't closed the tank which I immediately went out of the car and went back, another PHEW! right there and finally when I am reversing out of the gas station, cars started on arriving (morelike help that I was deprived of by faith? or it's destiny saying I wouldn't be humiliated by my own self today) and boy, it was a memorable 1st time