AITA - Didn't swap parking lot ticket.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Six9GS, Sep 18, 2021.

  1. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    Place: Petro Truck stop in Ontario CA.
    So, when you enter this truck stop, you get a parking ticket from a machine to get in. First 2 hours are free and if you buy more than 60 gallons of fuel, you get 24 hrs of free parking, you just get a receipt and show it to the gate person on your way out. Otherwise, it's $20 to just park there.
    I get there about 3AM for fuel. I get about 150 gallons. Pull up, go in and tend to business and go back to truck. I don’t bother getting receipt, as I'm not staying. As I'm getting ready to leave, a guy comes up to my truck and asks me if we could exchange parking tickets. He said he had got there about 6PM, but didn't buy fuel. So, now he's wanting to swap tickets with me so he can avoid paying for parking. I'm could have gone back in, gotten my receipt and, as long as he hadn't lied to me about the age of his parking ticket, swapped tickets and shown the receipt and been on my way. So, it is something I could have done. But, I didn't. I forget exactly what I told him, but I tried to tactfully tell him, there are conditions to park here, if you don't buy fuel, you pay. And, then I left.
    So, my question, Am I The A--hole for not swapping tickets? To my thinking no. He parked there without buying fuel, so he should expect to pay for parking. I would. It's a business, they try and make money. On the other hand, I could have helped a guy out, but didn't.
    OK, what thoughts from the peanut gallery?
     
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  3. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    Let's ask it another way. Would you have walked out with a couple of 6 packs for him while he distracted the employees?
    Stealing is stealing. Doesn't matter if it's parking time or a six pack of beer.
    If everyone done that how helpful would it be for one of the very few truck stops in the area to go nout of business because they don't make enough to pay property taxes?
     
  4. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    Meh, hes an adult, he chose to be there. He can read the rules, if someone is nice to him, thats nice, but cant EXPECT charity from strangers.

    Nta

    A suggestion, learn a few languages version of "i dont speak english", Dont use spanish in california, french in canada, german is a good one many places.

    It CAN backfire, My favorite was a multilingual reciever that tried messing with me or avoid working when i checked in, he was grumpy and overworked so he tried spanish ("no habla anglais", i gave back "no problema, a que hora se trabajo mi camion?") He moved to french, more difficult for me, but i just gave him back "oh, i speak french" then german, i had to resort to just a standard greeting, then he hit polish and i was lost.
    Ended up being a fun guy and he got to it and we chatted about languages while he unloaded
     
  5. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    Ich spreche etwas Deutsch. Ich habe sechseinhalb Jahre in Deutschland gelebt. (I lived in Germany for 6 & 1/2 years).
     
  6. skallagrime

    skallagrime Road Train Member

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    German is my weakest, i can understand more than i can speak, and never got the hang of conjugation, but rudimentary latin helps with the romance languages for me. Since english is a "child who knows their father not at all" hybrid of the two, i can pick up some though if i stare at it long enough, for instance, the "6.5 years" was what gave me most trouble
     
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  7. buddyd157

    buddyd157 Road Train Member

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    let me ask you this, supposed he then gives you the wrong ticket (bait and switch) and it's a ticket that is a couple of days old, where would you be then..???

    paying more, don't you think..??

    i was never asked to swap tickets. i had been asked for a shower ticket.

    i had been asked for money to buy gasoline (for a traveler that somehow ran out of money)

    i DO NOT give or swap out...

    what's MINE is mine.....
     
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  8. tscottme

    tscottme Road Train Member

    At a truck stop, the answer to every question is "no".
     
    88228822, fairshake, ChevyCam and 11 others Thank this.
  9. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    At it's best, my German isn't very good. Speaking is my best, as that's what I mostly dealt with. But, with the time and effort I earnestly put into learning it and even living there. I learned I'm simply not a language person, so haven't really bothered to try and learn others. Although during the time I spent in Germany I also accumulated about 6 months in Italy and probably knew about a thousand words and I can still count in Italian. If I were to desire speaking a different language, It would be Italian. Spanish would be good and useful, look at where I live. But, just not motivated. I'm a Science and Math person.
     
  10. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    I was taking a trip to Texas (from Michigan) in a vehicle with a broken fuel gauge. Had one of those platform things on the hitch and along with a couple of totes of clothes a 1.5 gallon of gas in case we ran out.
    I was fueling at a gas station, someone said that they ran out of gas a couple miles down the road and can I give them a few dollars. I did the logical thing and offered to drive him to his vehicle and dump that gallon and half of gas in, and to fill up his tank when we got back to the gas station.
    The excuses of why that wouldn't work was epic, but he never tried the logical one of "Oh, its a diesel."
    I love watching scammers try and explain why they weren't scamming.
     
  11. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    Thanks for the feedback folks! I felt a bit guilty about not swapping tickets. IDK, just want to help another trucker out if I can. But, this situation left me a bit unsure in retrospect. I appreciate your feedback!
     
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