Gas Station Hell: Having Your Foot Run Over By a Teenage Custy

I just spent the day at the hospital.

Ugh.

Not for myself, or for my kids. Not even for Tank or my parents.

Instead for one of Tank's employees, Papa. Very long and tiring ordeal, but figured I must share it with you.

Tank decided to get a new desk because his was old and falling apart. One of his other employees had a sister who was looking to sell her old wooden desk, and offered it to Tank for a very nice asking price. She asked that he have it picked up today because her new one was coming tomorrow. However, Tank had some big important meeting to attend today so he asked me and Papa to go get it. I was only asked because, like the good boyfriend he is, put me on his insurance for his cars, and he is the only one with a pickup truck. So I was driving, Papa was doing the heavy lifting. (Lady had a boyfriend or husband who was willing to help get it onto the truck.)

Well, her house was over the state border, about a hour drive from our workplace. Tank gave me the cash for the desk, plus some gas and food money. So we stopped before we got the desk to fill up and get some drinks and munchies.

As we were filling up, we noticed a younger girl looking rather confused about how to get the gas into her car. New teenage driver, driving mommy or daddy's car. Though how she got through driver's ed without figuring out how to fill up a car, I don't know. Papa, being the sweetheart he is, offered to help her out by showing her.

Well, of course, the girl wasn't going to learn how to do it for her own, but decided to wait in the car. However, she was dumb enough that she thought it was instant or something....started the car while Papa was still trying to put the gas in her car.

She started to pull away and in the process RAN OVER HIS FOOT! >.>

She didn't even stop or anything, but peeled out of the gas station.

I hope her car ran out of gas and died. 

I come rushing over going OMG!!! It's not like he was wearing steel toe boots, rather normal gym shoes. So, it had to hurt. I never had my foot run over, but I can assume it's painful. (Plus it wasn't a normal size car, rather a mini van.) I help him to the car and then run inside and tell the employees. Luckily, Papa being an ex cop and all, he got her plate number. Police were called, etc etc. 

I call Tank telling him what happened, said I think Papa needs to see a doctor. Tank agrees and got the lady's brother (the other employee) to go pick up the desk. I drive Papa to the ER where he got poked and X-rayed, and a shiny new cast. Bitch broke his foot. (Small fracture, but still, bitch broke his foot!) Papa was in a good mood about it all though. If it were me, I would be livid. 

Tank met us at the hospital (he had my car.) He was offering to put it on the company's insurance, but Papa refused. Since he got the plate number, he states he's making the girl pay (or at least her family.) Tank also told me that it seems like I never have a dull moment in my life. No kidding. 

On the plus side, Tank asked me to be his date for an upcoming charity ball event type thingy.

So I get to go looking for a formal dress sometime in the next few weeks. My own Cinderella moment, though hopefully I get to keep both of my shoes and my "carriage" doesn't turn into a pumpkin at midnight. 

Hopefully next week I can go one week without having to talk to the police for something. I fear they are going to start knowing me by name soon!! 

Cheers!

--Karebear

 

 

Comments

[The Last Archimedean]

Great Caesar's ghost! What about you is giving off the "let's make my life inconvenient" vibes?

Thank Zeus for Tank. I am so happy he's treating you like the wonderful person you are.

[Skittles]

How the hell so you keep ending up in these situations? Have you considered sacrificing a chicken or two just in case it helps? In all seriousness Tank is really lucky he is built I'm assuming like a tank, just for his own safety. There are much worse reasons to know the police, it will probably benefit you actually. Like you call the dispatcher says it's Karebear again, and they're all oh better hurry we know what it's like when she calls.

[CharlieWhiskyMike]

Please keep us Updated about the stupid Girl and if somebody Pays for papas medicine. Did she Prepaid the Gas or did she steal it too?

[Humor_Me]

Nothing like a little hit & run to start off the beginning of your driving career. Kids these days... *shakes head in disgust*

I'm glad Papa is okay. Don't let him go all macho and do anything stupid on that foot. I'm glad he's a former cop and therefore probably fairly fit, but guys have a tendency to think major things are minor... like my ex who waited 4 days before finding out he had a spiral, green-stick fracture.

Please don't sacrifice chickens. I hear burning sage is better.

I hope you and Tank stick together. It sounds like you're going to need each other.

[Karebear]

Papa has a walking cast for now, but his girlfriend has been making sure he takes it easy. Tank and I visited him this weekend, where she and I were babying him.

Papa also said they found the girl and family. Her parents seem to be better in the head than her, and are thankfully paying for Papa's medical bill. Not like they couldn't deny it was her and their car, she was caught on video. They told Papa she won't be driving for a long while, so I feel slightly better about being on the road.

So far nothing major has happened over the weekend. Hopefully it stays that way during the week, but it is only Monday morning. Might have to wrap myself up in bubble wrap to be safe though.

[Nomnom]

Good lord you do attract drama like crazy.

And Tank had BETTER ask you to be his date for the charity ball! You're officially dating now after all, that should be a given.

[Nomnom]

PS - still really jealous - I want my own Tank.

[HeavyP]

Best wishes for him! Also, it's actually for the best that he wasn't wearing steel toed boots - they're made to protect your feet from normal impacts like you'd get in a machine shop. Something as heavy as a car can actually bend the steel plate inside the boot and could potentially cut off your toes or the end of your foot. You're not advised to wear steel toes when doing stuff like rock climbing for the same reason - broken toes are easier to fix than massive foot lacerations.

[Karebear]

@Nomnom I'll clone him for ya! lol Really looking forward to the charity thing, but I have nooo idea what to expect or how to act.

@HeavyP I never thought about that. I probably would of freaked at that. I squirm at the sight of blood!

[NC Tony]

Sending you good vibes so you can go at least one week without something weird/bad/strange/creepy happening.

[photoslave]

Good gravy! You can't seem to escape! Hope all is good for you this week (and the next, and the one after that, and the next one after that, etc.)

[Jami]

Poor Papa. :-( Glad that the parents are being reasonable though.

[Ariana]

I love your stories, Karebear. I feel bad that they happen to you, but I love reading them!

As for the girl not knowing how to pump her own gas, I will say this - I was never taught in drivers' ed how to do that either. Have you ever noticed on the pumps it says "licensed drivers only"? Well, I wasn't technically licensed during drivers' ed, so they wouldn't let us get out of the car when we had to stop at a gas station. And I guess my dad just assumed drivers' ed taught me, because he didn't show me either. And so, my first time pumping my own gas, by myself, took me almost 20 minutes to figure out how to open the door and get the gas-cap "unstuck" (off).

[angie]

I wasn't taught that in driver's ed either but I sure as hell learned quick when I got my first car in college. Unless you live in oregon you're going to have to pump your own gas.

[weldrwomn]

You sure do seem to have a field of chaos around you - glad that the girl was caught on video!

Being from Oregon myself, I know that you can always tell who the out-of-state Oregonians are because we generally have no clue about pumping gas lol!

[KitKat]

It was the same in PA. We pump our own gas plus my parents taught me how to do it. It wasn't taught in my driver's ed either. The signs around here say '16 and over.'

[witcheypoo]

I had an advantage, my dad ran a gas station/garage. I've known how to pump gas from the time I was tall enough to reach the pumps! :D I have had to teach some of my high school girlfriends how before, one girl I had to teach her how to check the oil. She had no clue where the oil even was/went.

[LadyLatte]

Mythbusters actually debunked that steel-toed boot myth. The force necessary to bend the plate would actually CRUSH your entire foot so your toes wouldn't be severed, the whole foot would be pretty much flat. I happened to see that episode last year.
Laughing at the girl. Um, the pumps say right on them step-by-step what to do! How stupid can people be? I mean, I can understand fighting a gas cap (my husband's truck has a doozy) but not knowing how to pump??
Humanity is doomed. DOOMED!!!

[m.]

Your real name isn't Lucy Ricardo is it?

[Karebear]

I guess ya'll are right. I never learned how to pump the gas in driver's ed either. My mother taught me though. But still...she made sure to ask BEFORE sending me off in a car that would need gas.

And I made it through Monday without any problems!

[The Last Archimedean]

I learned by helping my parents as a kid. They had me hold the handle after they put the pump in place.

Hopefully the rest of the week goes well, KareBear. Have Tank give you lots of hugs.

[Raikana]

...now I feel like the odd one out. I don't think the pumps around here have any age or licensing restrictions. My mom always made me pump the gas anytime she didn't feel like getting out of the car. Like in the winter. And usually go pay the cashier, too. No one seemed to bat an eye.

[TechTiger]

Ladylatte; it shows how to use the pump, but if you're not familiar with the car, you may not know where to PUT the pump. I used to work for the #2 car rental company as a driver, and the rental people said the most common call was 'how do I put gas in'.
A car you're not familiar with can be tough. Even being as savvy as I am, I once could NOT find the headlight switch on a car, and drove half an hour holding the turn signal stalk to keep the high beams on. (Turns out it was way down on the underside of the dashboard, and as tall as I am I never saw it.)

I'm a technically inclined male, so when I was big enough to hold the pump I put gas in the car for Mom. Back then, there were still full service stations in Florida, but they cost extra.

[Nurse Maggiella]

Oh dear lord!!! People like that teenager drive me absolutely insane!!! Not to be rude, but pumping gas isn't rocket science. Also, any vehicle that still has the vehicle book in it will show you where the gas goes.

@Karebear: Good luck and enjoy your dance/ball!!!

[Book Baby]

I live in Oregon; NO self service here, so many people don't know how to pump their own gas.

[Skittles]

@Karebear I've been to a few charity events and have always found that basic politeness pretty much works anywhere, and in every situation. One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is just folks so to speak, no need to feel intimidated or offer anyone special treatment.

[maya marie]

this is why I was so excited when I pumped my own gas for the first time and didn't embaress myself at it.

[HeavyP]

@LadyLatte - Duly noted. I never questioned it as it was a point I was taught in both Scouts and the various shops I worked in. Thanks!

[cyano]

Why would anyone even think of rock climbing in steel toed boots? Rock climbing shoes are closer to rubber ballet slippers than boots.

[Foot Podiatrist High Point]

Why does a pretty gal like her want to land herself in trouble? Lindsay please stay clean and healthy, drinking will ruin your life and future...