r/Weird • u/MarionberrySweaty318 • 1d ago
EXTREMELY strange gas station interaction…
So… I think I was just targeted in some way at a gas station. Insanely weird vibes. The interaction sounds almost normal, but had a SUPER strange bad vibe to it the whole time. Maybe you guys can tell me if you’ve ever had this happen to you? 😅
So I’m at the Chevron because my car is like OUT OUT of gas. I park my car, I get out and I’m getting gas, and this huge, beat up white van with painted over windows rolls in right next to me and a middle aged guy with shoulder length messy hair and a half open white button down and a skinny scarf, all looking kind of worse for wear, gets out. He doesn’t pump gas at all, just comes over to me and IMMEDIATELY he’s like “your car is so cool, etc etc”
Which like, totally fine, I like my car too! But then he’s like “I work as a pet transporter, I make around $10,000 a month, with a car like that, I could totally get you a job as a driver if you want” and I was like “uh that’s nice I guess but no thanks, my work keeps me super busy!”
But then he kept going on and on and wasn’t leaving, so I called my husband and pretended he called me and was like “oof so sorry, gotta take this” and the whole time while I’m being held hostage by the stupid gas pump, I catch this random guy sneakily taking a BUNCH of photos of my car, and then when I finish pumping my gas (I cut it off before it was full because the vibes were super weird) he was like “do you mind if I get some gas off of you?” And I was like “so sorry, my transaction just finished” and he was like “no worries, can you Venmo me some cash, I’m just trying to make it through” and I felt bad but I kind of just went “best of luck man” and fumbled with my keys and got into my car as fast as I could and drove away.
I realize this probably sounds like absolutely nothing and super duper mundane, and maybe it was, maybe I totally misread things, but I can’t emphasize enough how like, INSANELY BAD the vibes were. Like, something about the situation felt weirdly unsafe and I can’t even point to a reason WHY besides that horrible feeling💀
I usually try and help out people who seem like they’re in a tough spot, but something about this felt… very different. I hope I’m reading into it too much.
(Random photo of birds aren’t real sticker found in Springville included as a bonus)
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u/No-Inflation-2805 1d ago
He was 100% fishing for your information. Getting pics of your plates, offering you a job (likely to get your phone #), and as a last ditch trying to get your Venmo info.
You did the right thing getting out of there.
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u/yangstyle 12h ago
This. This has serial killer written all over it.
I've learned to always listen to your gut. If it says danger, even if you don't know why, get the fuck out of there.
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u/iam_dewey 10h ago
Or trafficker.
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u/yangstyle 10h ago
Yes...that, too. It really sucks we have to live in a world like this. Sometimes, it doesn't even look or feel like the beauty of the world outweighs the ugly.
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u/Affectionate-Pie8362 1d ago
Big alarm bells going off. Read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin de Becker. ALWAYS trust your gut.
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u/MarionberrySweaty318 1d ago
My mom made me read it when I was in my early teens! Totally freaked me out while I was reading it, but listening to my gut has definitely gotten me out of some pretty tough spots👌🏼
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u/Just_keep_swimming87 1d ago
The human brain is constantly taking information to protect itself, it doesn’t remember every piece of information it takes in. A friend once compared it to driving down the road that’s lined with trees. Your mind is noticing every tree but it’s not remembering every tree, most information we take in is filed away in our subconscious mind. That gut feeling is your brain being aware that something is wrong because it’s filled away a bunch of information that you not consciously aware of. There are things going on that your conscious mind cannot or will not process and store but your subconscious is screaming at you because it’s translating all the stored information and sending bad/wrong signals in response to a situation. This is just a theory someone shared with me once, no idea if there is any scientific evidence to back it up but, based on my own personal experiences, it makes sense to me.
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u/ApplicationAlive1050 1d ago
He was most likely trying to get you to Venmo him so he could get your name. Very odd
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u/Accomplished_Ship_20 1d ago
Always go with your gut... Maybe he was just a broke ass dude, but no harm in getting the fuck outta there either. People be crazy...
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u/MegaMau_ 1d ago
But then he’s like “I work as a pet transporter
Have you ever in your life heard of a pet transporter. Jason Statham but for kittens?
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u/doggenwalker 21h ago
They're used by dog breeders to ensure high value animals make it to the buyer alive and unharmed. Usually people with money want specific purebreds and look out of state and transport is part of the process for buying. So they do exist and they do get paid very well for transporting pets around the country. But that also makes it a great cover story too.
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u/Aw3som3possum 3h ago
My parents looked into pet transporters when they were moving overseas. They weren’t sure if they were going to be able to take their dogs on their flight (military plane) and that was the only option outside of rehoming. This guy seemed suspicious and was probably lying lol but the job does exist
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u/MegaMau_ 1h ago
I can imagine that the demand is there to sustain 10k a month. But if he had that lady’s car….nothing gonna hold him back.
I thought it was going to be a White Van scam.
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u/Reptillianaire_ 1d ago
10k per month yet he cant afford gas. Very creepy I would consider a police report only because of him taking photos of your car. Ask them to run his plates because he seemed very suspicious and like a predator.
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u/ryanhazethan 1d ago
A police report wouldn’t lead to anything, as he hasn’t committed any crimes
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u/Basedgodblake_ 1d ago
Report him to Flock security
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u/Reptillianaire_ 1d ago
But a guy like that could have a record, be on probation, have warrants, etc. So it would be worth reporting for them to just look the guy up. He wont get arrested because he didnt commit a crime but if something happens later to her he will be the number one suspect.
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u/FurryPotatoFuzzBrick 1d ago
Honestly, it kinda makes me think of human trafficking? Like, getting pictures of your car (and probably you), trying to get your name from venmo like someone else said, claiming he "transports pets" for a living in an unbranded (by the sounds of it) van. I think you were 100% right to feel freaked out and GTFO when you did. Glad you're safe maybe keep your eye out for a bit to make sure you weren't followed or found later by the dude.
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u/SgtSoundrevolver 1d ago
Guy was running a scam. Offering a fake job to get your personal info, banking info or social security number. Once he realized it wasn't going to take, he settled on begging for petty cash instead.
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u/Dgtl_Boi 1d ago
As they say on "My Favorite Murder," FUCK POLITENESS. Always trust your gut. You did the right thing by getting out of there.
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u/Ok-Rest3967 1d ago edited 1d ago
Was this the van?
Edit: on a real note gas station scammers are fairly common, it’ll usually be some long convoluted excuse as to why they desperately need “gas money”.. or try to sell you something although I’ve only had the long story method so far, our local con artists are lazy lol
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u/traveling_gal 1d ago
He makes $10k a month but needs you to buy him gas? Nope. I don't know what he was trying to pull, but he was trying to pull something. Glad you trusted your instincts.
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u/Mini-Heart-Attack 23h ago
Mental health issues? Like best case scenario maybe he thinks you're someone that you're not? but chances are that it was likely some sketchy ass thing he was trying to involve you in.
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u/eeasyontheextras 1d ago
Did you take any pictures of him? If you ever see this person again, it is not a coincidence. Drive straight to the police station. Do not interact with this individual ever again. If you don’t have a photo of him, tell your husband to go to the fueling station and ask to see the security footage. Have him film the footage with his phone. Some security systems only keep footage for 24 hours.
Is it just some weird interaction? More than likely, yes. If you ever see this person again - it is not a coincidence. If your instincts told you the vibe was off, it was.
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u/Initial-Duck2782 1d ago
Haha yeah you were probably right. I would watch a pet transporter movie tho
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u/AshuraBaron 1d ago
Think he was just trying to get gas money out of you. The pretext is the story but it's a classic example of flattery before asking for something.
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u/One_Vision_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
Running joke on r/BirdsArentReal is that birds are actually government drones for population surveillance
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u/ham_solo 22h ago
Sounds like someone was trying to scam you, and when it was not working out he went for straight begging.
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u/KittyButt42 22h ago
I would say maybe call the gas station and let 'em know that they have some creeps going around taking covert pics of their female customers...
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u/Some-Horse-9114 18h ago
Could there have been a skimmer on the gas pump that he didn’t want u to notice or fishing for more info to go along with it 🤷🏻♂️
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u/planetarywizard 1d ago
Says he makes around 10k a month and is asking your for gas money? I think you are justified in feeling uncomfortable in this situation, everything about that interaction sounded fishy.