# is anyone else getting annoyed at the pay-at-the-pump quiz shows?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-getting-annoyed-at-the-pay-at-the-pump-quiz-shows/617889>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 5, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-getting-annoyed-at-the-pay-at-the-pump-quiz-shows/617889 "2012-04-05T04:52:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-getting-annoyed-at-the-pay-at-the-pump-quiz-shows/617889/81 "2012-04-11T21:01:36Z")

</div>

> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> The OP spins a tale of dawning horror. We do not have any of that here. Yet. It’s just “insert payment card to pay at the pump, or lift nozzle to pay inside”… though I can commiserate with the SLOOOOW beeps and displays.
> 
> I’ll have to ask my sister what her US payment experience is. (What happens if you don’t _have_ a US ZIP code?)

> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#):
>
> You go inside with the rest of the proletariat. Then you listen to the people in front of you complain about gas, despite the fact that gas in the US is dirt cheap by Canadian and European standards.
> 
> Then you explain to the clerk how Canada isn’t part of the US, and we don’t have zip codes. Then you explain how you have letters as well as numbers in your postal code. Then you explain how we have our own money, complete with Queen, but that the credit card will still work - it’s magic!
> 
> Then you say thank you (or ‘_merci_’ if you’re feeling cosmopolitan) when the she compliments you on the fact that you speak English, despite the fact that you have the same accent as Michael J. Fox. Then you buy your gas, and walk out. Maybe you hold the door for some other poor member of the proletariat on your way out, and perhaps they thank you. You might say ‘_de rien_’, so as to complete the experience for the clerk. Perhaps she’ll be inspired to move to Paris and ride a bicycle to the bakery every morning. Maybe she’ll meet **Dag Otto** at the bakery, and they’ll go for a bike ride along the Seine for a picnic with the baguette poking out from the basket and then they’ll fall in love and have a little baby they dress up in a panda jumper.
> 
> You never know.

> [@Antigen](#):
>
> This is exactly true for every Canadian who has ever filled up at an American gas station, ever. Except I don’t think all of the inspired gas station clerks moving to Paris will be able to have babies with Dag Otto, but hey, it’s Europe, so who knows.

This is true of 95% of all US pumps but JUST enough will let a Canadian card slip through that my husband always tries. Always.

> [@Sunspace](#):
>
> Interesting. I’ll have to see whether that holds in Canadian Costcos as well.

It does. Debit and Amex only at Costco and Amex is a fairly newish (2-3 years?) addition.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anyone-else-getting-annoyed-at-the-pay-at-the-pump-quiz-shows/617889.md?page=4)