Gas Stations

[StallionGuy86]

There have been a lot of stories on Unsolved Mysteries about gas station robberies and some workers that have been abducted while working at them. I dont think I would ever feel comfortable working by myself at a gas station from the 11pm - 7am shift. Im sorry, but when a store is open this time of night, there should be 2 or more people on that shift in case of a robbery or some other type of disaster. At our gas station a few years ago, they had a robbery by knife point. The guy working that shift quit after this and the store closed at 12am from then on. Also when me and my family where traveling to Florida years ago, we stopped at a gas station about 1:30am (around the South Carolina area) and this young girl was working all by herself. It made me sick. I think that gas station had one of those bullet proof windows where you have to slip the money under a little cubby-hole to pay for your purchases.

[crystaldawn]

Originally Posted by StallionGuy86

There have been a lot of stories on Unsolved Mysteries about gas station robberies and some workers that have been abducted while working at them. I dont think I would ever feel comfortable working by myself at a gas station from the 11pm - 7am shift. Im sorry, but when a store is open this time of night, there should be 2 or more people on that shift in case of a robbery or some other type of disaster. At our gas station a few years ago, they had a robbery by knife point. The guy working that shift quit after this and the store closed at 12am from then on. Also when me and my family where traveling to Florida years ago, we stopped at a gas station about 1:30am (around the South Carolina area) and this young girl was working all by herself. It made me sick. I think that gas station had one of those bullet proof windows where you have to slip the money under a little cubby-hole to pay for your purchases.

Yes I agree and would never work at a convenience store at night. Plus just having one employee on duty then is just asking for trouble.

[Titan826]

I agree as well. I would never work graveyard shift at a convenience store, and there should be a law requiring 2 or more people working at night.

[justins5256]

Having been to my share of gas stations/convienence stores at late hours, I can report that a lot of them are now locking up after certain times. There is a glass partition (sort of like the box office at a movie theatre) where the attendant can interact with the customers. You tell them what you want, and they have to go get it and bring it back. You pass the cash to them through a slot and they hand you the item. I presume the glass is bulletproof. I'm not saying that this is the best safety measure, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

[James T]

Is it not actually against the law to only have one person working? over here it would contravene health and safety regulations- what if the person were to have say a heart attack and no customers came in for 30 minutes afterwards? must be pretty hard to work that many hours and not be able to go to the toilet as well.

[Drakken]

Originally Posted by James T

Is it not actually against the law to only have one person working? over here it would contravene health and safety regulations- what if the person were to have say a heart attack and no customers came in for 30 minutes afterwards? must be pretty hard to work that many hours and not be able to go to the toilet as well.

Not in Canada IIRC, and certainly not in Quebec. I have worked the graveyard shift in a convenience store for two years and a half, all alone 40 hours per week from age 19 to 22 at minimum wage (around 7.25 CAN$ per hour at the time). So yeah, I was doing the exact same job as Debra Poe when she was abducted.

I can confirm it is not a safe job at all for the salary they get paid. I got holded-up only once, by three teenagers aged 14-16. I got my share of spooky strangers and lurkers, but most of them were inoffensive. The real problem were teenage bums who went out to party, some of them who knew me came to cause trouble or pick a fight with me because I am a cashier and due to this I supposedly cannot hustle back (save for self-defense, of course). When I was robbed it took the police a good 15 minutes before arriving on the crime scene. All that time until they arrived I was to remain inside, all accesses locked, with the instruction not to touch anything and go to the back store.

As for the toilets we were able to go to bathroom any time we needed, the door was locked and had to be unlocked by the inside. If someone wanted to come in he would have had to ring from outside to signify that there was a customer present.

[Drakken]

Originally Posted by Titan826

I agree as well. I would never work graveyard shift at a convenience store, and there should be a law requiring 2 or more people working at night.

The Sacramento Thrill Killer case demontrates very well that such laws do not make working the graveyard shift anything safer for employees.

IMHO, it should be forbidden to work during the graveyard shift at all, except for public services and factory workers. If you need your coffee at night, just bring it in a thermos.

[wiseguy182]

I have worked the 11pm-7am shift alone at hotels for most of the last 8 years. You are allowed to go to the bathroom when you want, but sometimes when you return the guests wonder where the hell you have been, and also grossly exagerrate how long you've been gone. I tell them "I had to assist another guest", because it sounds alot better than "I was taking a dump"

I work in the Lansing, Michigan area. I am comfortable with my current hotel's security. Other hotels I have worked at in the area, uhh, not so much. In fact, their security was non-existent. The manager of one of the hotels that had no security turned around and put out a college textbook on hotel security. He also put out a college textbook on hotel human resources management, but when I worked there, I found a petty cash slip that stated he had purchased the idiot's guide to retaining employees after losing 4 front desk employees (half of that department's staff) in a week. Now how's that for messed up?

But going back to me formerly working for hotels with no security, let's just say I was younger and not so wise Watching Unsolved so much in the last few years definitely keeps you alert. But management and guests have praised me for my security measures.

The no-break thing irritates me, after all I believe it is law for employees working an 8 hour shift to get at least a half hour lunch, and a couple 10 minute breaks. I can usually get those in, unless there are guests to tend to. I usually try to take my break in the dead of the night, like 3 a.m. Unfortunately, sometimes guests rationalize that this is the best time of night to ask for extra towels sent up to their room, etc., so, you know.

But even when I worked during the day, I still rarely got a lunchbreak. Is this just a Michigan thing, or does this happen elsewhere?

What worries me about people working at convenience stores on the 11-7 shift, is the dead of the night time period, like 2-4 a.m. Usually, there is enough traffic at the start and end of their shift, that people with bad intentions will avoid those times. But egads, 2-4 there is hardly no one.

[synthisislab]

Yeah, because of this show, (specifically the episode where the older lady whose name escapes me in Florida gets abducted late at night by a punk in sunglasses) is the reason I wouldn't work anywhere that you would have to be alone with the public at night.

[SitcomsAreTheWay]

After hearing about Trudy Darby's abduction and murder, you (generally) couldn't even pay me a generous amount to work the graveyard shift.

Besides gas stations, are truck stops another?

[kirbivore]

I remember seeing this UM segment and the part that really creeped me out was the dude who killed the girl was seen at the store and pretended to be an employee.

[JRA2000TL]

Oooh wiseguy, you're a hotel night auditor huh? I spent my 4 college years working 3-11s on the front desk of a few hotels.

I remember a couple of robberies taking place at some of the neighboring hotels through those years but never where I worked. I was pretty lucky I guess. At the last hotel I worked at, we could lock/unlock the lobby door from the front desk and we had an intercom and a card key lock for guests already registered.

I do remember a time or two when we'd have a shady looking person try to walk-in and get a room really late. If they looked sketchy, I locked the door, buzzed them on the intercom and told them we were sold out. One guy just wanted to use the restroom. I said registered guests only. This was when I worked at Fairfield Inn.

I wasn't paranoid but I was cautious. I didn't work in a bad part of town but there was crime. Watching UM only adds to being cautious.

[ididn'tdoit]

Originally Posted by kirbivore

I remember seeing this UM segment and the part that really creeped me out was the dude who killed the girl was seen at the store and pretended to be an employee.

Ah yes, the Megadeth guy, I think it's really weird they didn't find him because of his somewhat unusual appearance.

[wiseguy182]

Originally Posted by JRA2000TL

Oooh wiseguy, you're a hotel night auditor huh? I spent my 4 college years working 3-11s on the front desk of a few hotels.

yep. I'm going into work in a few hours. It's the busiest weekend of the year: MSU grad weekend. MSU being the countries' premiere party/riot school, and no doubt they're goint to get really drunk. They sure know how to make the community proud.

[browneyes106]

Originally Posted by justins5256

Having been to my share of gas stations/convienence stores at late hours, I can report that a lot of them are now locking up after certain times. There is a glass partition (sort of like the box office at a movie theatre) where the attendant can interact with the customers. You tell them what you want, and they have to go get it and bring it back. You pass the cash to them through a slot and they hand you the item. I presume the glass is bulletproof. I'm not saying that this is the best safety measure, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

I have been to a few gas stations that have those kinds of partitions. It does give the attendants some protection. My sister worked at hotel during college and she was robbed a couple of times. I have also been to gas stations were there are two people on duty usually one person is stocking or removing old items or preparing money for deposit while the other is behind the counter.