One of my sharpest memories of my time as a pump jockey is Mrs. Kim.
“Fill up, checka oil, checka water, checka battery, checka ALL four tire, washa ALL window and mirror”.....every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday....and NEVER so much as a nickel tip.
Almost 50 years ago, but I can STILL hear that voice.
You knew my first wife?
Taxes played a big part in killing the gas station attendant.
There used to be some actual money for the station owner in selling gas but now the profit margin is almost non existent so gas is just the reason for people to stop. The crap inside the building is where the profit is.
One of my first jobs was pumping gas at the Leschi Park Shell station. I started working there at a time when service stations were transitioning to gas stations. My boss had a built-in advantage in that there were no other stations within 4 or 5 miles of his operation.
The other bonus was that the area had gentrified over the years and real estate was too expensive to appeal to gas venders. So, without the direct competition he was able to weather the changes for a few extra years.
We would often get people coming in to have me check fluids and tires, washing windows and emptying ashtrays - and not making a purchase. I asked my boss why he directed me to waste my time on what I considered deadbeats and he replied, “I want these people to feel comfortable coming here”.
What I eventually learned was that those folks did buy gas from him - and also came to him for tires, lubes, and all their general mechanical needs. He had three stalls and always had vehicles on them.
Eventually the heavy hand of government crushed him and he sold out. A couple of years later I drove by to see that someone had converted it to the gas/mini market theme. A few months later on a return trip saw it razed entirely. Now the progressives who voted for dhimmicrats get to drive to overpriced and indifferent gas stations miles away.
LOL