Last month, he yelled, "Whoomp, there it is!" randomly for an hour. He panhandles until he has enough money to buy food, and then he sits in the lounge, eating and singing. The typical scam is claiming to have a broken down car. The Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) lists gas stations as one of the top places where panhandlers ask for money. We're supposed to run him off the property if we see him begging, but only one manager ever does. His real name is Jim, and he begs for change throughout the neighborhood. Outside the gas station, I spotted Watchdog's milk crate, but no Watchdog. This is the story of one of my 3 to 11 PM shifts. Shifts are eight-hours long, with two paid 15-minute breaks. It's a mega-store: 16 pumps, made-to-order fast food, and a lounge. I've been working at one of Pittsburgh's busiest gas stations for two months. Some people don't even make eye contact with the gas station employees when they're buying Marlboro Lights. During every shift, they see an America that is constantly craving, yet they're overlooked. Gas station employees don't receive tips, and most earn between $9 and $11 per hour-more than your average Wendy's line cook, but nowhere near what a lot of people consider to be a livable income. After the Mercedes owner buys a bottle of coconut water, the next person in line might buy a bag of chips with food stamps. They interact with people from all walks of life, all of whom seem to be agitated and in a hurry. Because of all this, gas station employees are unlike any other members of the customer service field.
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