Econogas

mad props to the gents that run this place. it’s on a troubled corner. i am on amber alert when i arrive here, and leave my car running if i’m not pumping gas. even my African roommate is very cautious here and he grew up in a country plagued with really bad crime.
it’s located on the same corner where i come across a crackhead on a daily basis. the same corner where i see people openly dealing drugs. people hang at this gas station like there is some sort of party i am oblivious to… a party i don’t care to be invited!
i couldn’t help but laugh when i saw a guy walk into this place with his shirt off and belly overhanging his pants — an image juxtaposed by the signage he passed that said «no shoes, no shirt, no service».
i even took a picture of an instance where a car ignorantly parked to take up TWO parking spots. i’ve witnessed this more than twice already. there’s not that many parking spots here to begin with.
every store in this plaza has thick bulletproof glass protecting their workers. even microphones in some to communicate between the glass to their patrons. i think this a really sad — i feel like an animal talking through the windows and i am sure the workers hate the working condition!
but if i am not getting gas in Indiana at my work then i most likely am getting it here… then i run into the convenience store on occasion for a drink or snack. sometimes i opt not to just out of fear of the people that stumble into this place.
but the moment i walk into this plaza i somehow feel comforted by the fact the gents working behind the window PROBABLY have a nice shotgun back there if shit went down. and despite the crap they likely witness in a day, they still manage to give a warm and friendly smile to me. it goes a long way.