Thank you

About ten years ago, when it started to become standard to pay at the pump with a credit card, one particular gas station I frequented had a pump with an interesting feature. Since actual people rarely pump our gas today, and since paying at the pump removed all human interaction from the gas-pumping experience, their pump would beep at you after you finished filling your tank.

The goal was to make you look back at the pump to see why it was beeping. When you looked back, you would see a flashing screen that read, "Thank You!" In a strange way, that seemed nice.

I was reminded of that last night as I pumped gas into my Miata. Habitually, I always look back at the screen once I put the nozzle back to see if it says, "Thanks." I'm happy to say that the pump at Sheetz does just that.

Of course, when I come across the occasional pump that doesn't say "thanks," I take the liberty to place a plastic shopping bag over the nozzle so potential customers will assume it is broken.

And truthfully, it is broken if it hasn't learned to say "Thank You."