Gas station workers deal with customers on a basis of trust, which some people do not hesitate to exploit by driving away without paying for the gas that has been pumped into their car. At the end of the day, workers have to pay the difference from their own salary. They say such things do not often happen, but when they do, some workers manage to get the license plate number of the car to report to the authorities while others simply try to forget it and pray to Allah for compensation. Most workers are reluctant to throw stones at fleeing cars saying it does not make sense to break the window of a car for SR10 or SR20, not to mention the fact that it is illegal to do so. Mohammad Erdeer Abdulsalam, 30, has been working at a gas station for more than five years. “There are only a few cases of people who fill up their cars and then drive away without paying and most of them are young.” “Even though I lose some money, I am satisfied with my job,” he said. Abdulqader Abdulaziz, 37, said he has been pumping gas for about 16 years and people who fill up and run away without paying are few and far between, but it does happen. “Just yesterday, I filled a man's car with SR17 worth of gas and he drove away without paying. The SR17 was deducted from my salary,” he said. Taj Addeen Sulaiman, 36, said the station owner asked him and his fellow workers to obtain the money from the customer in advance. “Yet we do not do that unless we suspect the person,” he said. “Our station owner is an understanding man and does not charge us for these incidents, and we really appreciate it,” Sulaiman said, adding that he once called the police as soon as someone had driven away without paying, and they caught him. Mohammad Abu Mohammad, 50, said, “Some people let you fill up their car, and then tell you they forgot the money at home. Some are honest and come back and pay what they owe; others don't.” “Working late at night, especially during school vacations, is really quite scary. Youths stay up late and come to the station often with no money,” said Borhan Saif Razan, 41, adding that he only once faced a fill-and-run situation when a group of young men filled up their car and drove away. “The same car came to me a few days later with an old man behind the wheel. I told him what had happened, and he summoned his son whom I recognized. The man apologized and paid the required amount,” Razan said. Ibrahim Muhiuddin recalled a time when a group of youths broke his arm with an iron pipe in an attempt to take the money he had. “They could not finish the job because another car happened to stop for gas. They were tempted to rob me by the fact that the station was located in a remote area. Now police patrols are always around, but I will never again carry the station's money in my pocket,” he said. There are other negative aspects to working in a gas station according to Zakariya Kayeet, 40, who said his health suffers from working at the job. “The gas fumes are harming my eyes, not to mention the effect on my chest from inhaling them all day,” he said. However, Mohammad Naji Hashed, 44, said that he has such a good relationship with his customers that he fills some of their cars on credit and they pay him back when they get their salary. “I pay the difference from my pocket because I am sure that they will pay me back.”
