February In The Gas Station

Didn't know I worked in one? Sure did, and here's a story or two about it.

First, the most forlorn month of the year is February. Hardly anybody gets their cars fixed during that month, so you do one of two things: hang around waiting for the two little bells to go “ding-ding,” or clean the place up. A dirty, cluttered service station (not what you have these days) is a busy place and a good one.

Second, there is nothing like an oil change during the cold months to make a grease monkey happy. When the warm oil is pouring down to the catch funnel, you just let your hands luxuriate in it. After pumping gas for a while, it’s great to be assigned to a grease-and-oil. You’d like to bathe in it, but that’s not going to happen.

Third, you run into people who have used STP oil treatment, which comes out in white streaks when you change the oil. Useless junk which only makes owner and racecar driver Andy Granitelli rich. If you drive your car 100mph for five hours straight, it can be good; otherwise, we told people to forget it.

Then there was the extended Chevy.

Someone brought one in, a nice big boat. When you lifted the hood, there was at least a foot of empty space in front. No reason for it; just a façade to make it look longer than it needed to be. Your price included twelve inches of air.