Please Pay Me Before Reading This

Today I tried to buy gas. I lifted the nozzle, put it in the car, and then I waited for the screen on the pump to tell me to select the gasoline grade. I know that may sound submissive, but in the past when I do things out of order or before the pump expects it, it freaks out.

This time, it seemed to take forever to ask for the grade. I was starting to wonder it something was wrong, when I heard the attendant from the office saying something about Pump 4. I realized with a sort of horror that it was my pump. I pressed the button on the intercom and asked her to repeat herself, but it was useless trying to communicate over the din of the traffic on the subway-P.A.-quality speakers. So I headed to the office, in front of all the other motorists, like a kid called to the principal's office.

She explained that it's a pre-pay pump; you have to pay before getting the gas. Since I had declined to pay-at-the-pump with a credit card, I had to pay in the office first.

I'd seen some gas stations institute that rule, but it was usually only at night. I'm guessing they were doing it here because the recent spike in gas prices had lead to more people driving off without paying.

So I paid - thanks to her promoting me to guess how much I'd want - and returned to actually pump my newly-purchased gas. Of course, I want to check and see if there was some indication on the pump telling me about their new policy, a notice I had somehow missed. Sure enough, there was a sign on top of the pump explaining how little they trust us, in the friendliest way possible.

It was a bit embarrassing. But I feel a little justified in missing it for a few reasons:

• That's above most people's eye-level.
• It's nowhere near the screen, or anything else a customer is likely to look at.
• Honestly, when has anything important been placed on top of a gas pump?

But especially the last one: I'm sure I noticed the sign, but unconsciously ignored it. Usually any sign up there is just an invitation to get their points card, this month's special on antifreeze, or an explanation of why the high gas prices are really the government's fault.

So now I'm worried: what other important things have I missed because they were in some place I've learned to ignore? You know, pizza flyers, phone vendors at the mall, downtown lampposts, the Weather Network.  The secret to happiness could be right under our noses, but we miss it, because they printed it on the public washroom hand-dryer instructions.  Now I'm going to pay attention to everything, even if it takes me twice as long to do everything.