The Editor, Sir:

I went to a service station in Portmore recently and ordered $1,000 worth of petrol (87) for my Suzuki Swift. I watched the attendant punch the number in and then opened my bag for the money. It took less than 10 seconds to take the money out and when I looked up I saw that the figure punched in was still on the screen (the pump hadn't started running).

The attendant was, in the meanwhile, busily writing in a book and when I tried to get her attention she seemed to ignore me. Then when she was through she went and took out the hose, closed my tank and held out her hand for the money. I told her that she had not run the amount but she tried to convince me she had.

Just to give her the benefit of the doubt, thinking that peradventure I really took longer than I thought to take the money out or was so caught up I didn't hear or feel the gas going into the car, I paid her the money. Though I was in a hurry I just simply drove around the block to observe the needle and of course it didn't rise.

I drove back into the station, pulled up at the same pump and demanded the gas I had paid for. She said she would have to talk with her supervisor, who later came out to tell me that the system showed that I had received the gas. God alone knows what system that is, because the amounts are entered and run by the pump attendant! So, pray, tell me how do they match amounts entered to the vehicles?

Furious

By this time, I was furious. I restarted the car to show the supervisor that the needle was still on 'E' after I had driven around the block. Now would you believe she said she didn't know what to do, she would have to speak to a manager?! They both re-entered the office/shop building.

Some time after, the pump attendant emerged alone saying that she was instructed to give me the gas. She ran the amount and I watched the pump, this time, run from $0 to $1,000 and then started the car and showed her the needle rising to show that I had actually now received the gas.

Even though the error was obvious neither the attendant, nor the supervisor, nor the manager had an apology to offer. So you know who will try never to shop at this station again, unless its just to see whether or not that attendant still has a job there.

I am, etc.,

CARLA BARRETT

carlabjm@yahoo.com

Golden Spring

St. Andrew