Well the Exxon station up the road just lost a customer.

[SIMPLYB1980]

So I'm on my way into work today and I stop at my gas station to get a drink and some gas. I pump my gas and head into pay. I have been a regular customer at this store since I got my first car in 1997. Anyway I walk in and go back to get a drink and I hear the cashier talking with the woman at the counter about Obama's Nobel Prize. At first I think cool this could go well...

So I grad a Sundrop out of the cooler and start walking back to the register and I realize that they are bashing the Nobel award. Stay Calm. Stay Calm. So these two are having to much fun to get the damn line moving so I start looking around. It's just me the two talking and another guy making a coffee.

I start tapping my foot and clearing my throat to get the cashier to hurry it up. Then the cashier who was a woman said "I pulled my kids out of school when Osama made his speech." Well that just set me right the fuck off. I looked at the cashier and said "Remember when Bush was talking to school kids and two planes hit the towers!" Dead silence for about five seconds. Then it started right wing talking points galore.

Talking point.
"He wants to give illegals insurance and make me pay for it"

Answer.
"Good!, but you do know that's false don't you!"

Talking point.
"He wants to give black children better education than white children, and I'm to poor to send my kids to college!"

Answer.
"You do know he is for helping bring education to all underprivileged kids not just the black ones don't you."

"God damn it lady just ring up my Fucking gas and this sundrop and I will be out of here and never come back, and you better hope to God that I don't call your supervisor because I would hate to put another person who needs a job out of work!"

She rung me up fuming, and I walked out.

The stupid. It burns!

[liberal N proud]

1. I have boycotted Exxon for a long - long time

[SIMPLYB1980]

3. It's "convenient".

I'd rather not buy gas at all, but gotta get to work.

[Jennicut]

2. LOL. At least you don't have to listen to that crap on a weekly basis.

Sometimes I wonder if I really am the child of my ultra conservative parents.

[SIMPLYB1980]

4. I have plenty of right wing family members.

I know what that's like. I try to avoid them until the holidays when no politics are allowed in the house. Luckily my parents are hippies.

[Jennicut]

6. I wish. I try not to talk about politics with them but sometimes we just get into it.

[SIMPLYB1980]

16. That must be really hard.

:hug:

[Jennicut]

18. Thanks.

They are nice people, just very misguided. They are good to my children, their grandkids. As long as they don't try to force their crazy beliefs on me or my kids I will be friends with them. Thankfully they are not fundie religious types, more like no tax and limited govt. types.

[BootinUp]

5. Hi from Georgia

plenty of stupid here too, probably a little worse down here. Don't blame you for changing to another store.

[Enrique]

7. keep going there and change her mind

apologize to her for threatening her job, because that's out of line, then keep knocking down those talking points and inform her how the democrats are the ones on her side.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Best idea, but understandably hard to do.

[SIMPLYB1980]

9. I would really like to do that, and that would be the

good thing to do. I did a lot of that during the last election. Right now I just don't think I have the energy or the willpower to do that. My life is complicated enough right now that I don't have a lot of willpower to beat my head against that wall. Better for all if I just let out my frustration on the internets.

[Enrique]

10. i understand

I'm glad you already do that, there are people who don't know it's possible to change people's minds one-on-one. I didn't know it until I saw a girlfriend do it years ago. I was amazed. I told her later, I didn't know we could do that.

[bobbolink]

24. You're very wise to know your limits. It hurts to live in this society

as a sane person!

:pals:

[ellenfl]

11. buy your gas at sunoco or citgo.

you're better off not going to that store anyway. why put money into the pockets of middle eastern oil suppliers? sunoco is mostly from canada and citgo from venezuela. of course, i am lucky to have stations close to me home or work. hoepfully, you can find one too.

i also boycott shell because of their death squads in africa.

ellen fl

[SIMPLYB1980]

15. There is a Citgo station on my way to work.

Thanks for the info. Wasn't their a list on DU once of gas stations that were not as bad as the others?

[sandnsea]

12. Ah, but you got straight to the racism

That is exactly what people mean when they say racism is right below the surface of all of this. In the end, all it's about is the threat to the white patriarchal society which includes women who like it that way.

[SIMPLYB1980]

14. Well I didn't want to just come out and say it, but

I do believe that the reason they felt O.K. saying those things was because it was only white people in the station at the time. I'm just a good old country boy with a beard. Surely I would not have a problem with them saying something racist. They got a surprise.

[Phoonzang]

13. I suggest you go to a Mobile station instead....erm

Got to keep my stock up you know.

[bertman]

17. Here's an idea: Continue your boycott, but EVERY time President Obama does something

good or the Democrats pass good legislation, stop in that gas station and buy the cheapest thing in the store (two Atomic fireballs??), then when you go to checkout, be sure to tell the cashier "Wow, isn't that great that President Obama and the Democrats just got XYZ legislation passed!!". Then give her a big "Thank you" and smile sweetly as you walk out.

That oughta really chap her cheeks.

[HopeOverFear]

19. Imagine having to WORK with someone who talks like that

on a DAILY BASIS. And Imagine going to your boss to complain that this person is breaking the in house rules about discussing politics in the workplace...only to get shut down because your BOSS doesn't like Obama either.

Oh, man. :(

[SIMPLYB1980]

20. Yeah I couldn't handle that.

I don't know anything about my bosses political beliefs. I suspect he is a independent. Thank goodness we don't talk politics at work either. It can lead to bad relations with customers.

[Leftist Agitator]

21. Call the owner of the store.

She needs to lose her job over something like this. No store clerk should ever be talking about politics in front of customers, for any reason.

Getting her fired will make her think twice about spreading her hate in the workplace.

[leftynyc]

22. Be sure to actually

call her supervisor and explain why they lost a customer. Nobody expecting service should have to put up with that shit.

[SIMPLYB1980]

23. I may be a mean at times, but with

the economy the way it is I wouldn't want her kids to suffer. I have considered it though.

[Teacher in SC]

25. Reporting politics on the job

I understand your concern and personally believe you could go into any gas station in the south and hear the same conversation. It doesn't have to be Exxon. In SC I am surrounded by ignorant people and find myself feeling very much the exhaustion you seem to be expressing. I considered it success when "they" didn't burn down my house when I put up an Obama/Biden sign before the election. By the same token, I knew I'd lose my job if I put a similar sign on my car bumper, so that's how I came up with the "Thanks Keith Olbermann" because I knew the fools would not know who he was -- at least for long enough!

You might consider writing a letter to Exxon/Mobil HR and telling them of the incident but not identifying the establishment. Understand that Exxon is divesting itself of those gas stations as fast as they can! These people represent a lawsuit to corporations! You should hear the stories of how they talk to and treat each other. I assure you, Exxon has no corner on the market for ignorant employees.

[leftynyc]

26. You're a nicer person than I

When people are in a service industry and expect customers to put up with their political beliefs, they deserve what comes.

[Enrique]

27. we're all in the same boat

we're all working stiffs, we should be talking to each other more, not less. If we're going to talk to bosses, we should do it united as workers. The bosses love it when we're ratting each other out.