IAmA UK Shell Nighshift Petrol Station Worker AMA

At what time do you think the night crowd sort of turns into the day crowd?

I would say weekdays around 4:30am weekends around 8am also on the weekends to be honest when they start walking straight

Do you ever stick your head under the slurpee machine and just drink?

Slurpee American by any chance? It's slush puppy's over here lol but to answer your question I do fiddle the coffee machine=) unfortunately no slushes/Slurpee machines on site

Canadian.

Assuming there are cameras in your store, what do you consciously have to tell yourself to do (or not do) because of them?

Good question vape, pick nose, scratch arse, make sure arse crack ain't hanging out while sitting down, and get caught making the odd free cuppa.

Walk straight - I'm guessing you mean when they are no longer drunk? Do customers every drive dangerously through the station? Are you ever you scared you might get hit?

I have had one drink drive hit a pump next to me on my first week at work thank god it's not like the movies =D

Time to ask a question in your questions how do I make the little number next to my name go up I want to take part in snack exchange lol.?

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A pregnant woman urinating in a sand bucket lol. A man filling the car in gold Y fronts sorry for all the edits using swift keyboard so it's auto correcting and serving customers in one go lol

Full service or self service?

Full service unfortunately fill up come in and pay, we give forecourt attendants ago but it did not work out.

Do you actually let them come in on the night shift?

Nope use nighthatch 11pm-5am

Coolest or worst car youve seen? Also who are some cool people youve met?

Coolest car would be a bugatti veyron worst a Vauxhall jetter poor bloke lives in it uses garage for a shit and a wash, Coolest people Newcastle football players managers and Sunderland ones, chicco, Carol voderman and Chris tarrant

Meeting those Football players would be very cool.

There all really nice they're all interested in some houses that have been built up the road so there in often now

Newcastle and Sunderland players? You don't work at Whitemare Pool shell do you? That's my "Local"

Nope but the franchise I work for owns that one =)

I used to hate the night shift, but really started to like it after a few years. What's your favorite part of the job?

Been able to go my own pace =) but the best and most sadistic one would be sending all you fuckers to work with a full tank in the winter snow knowing I can wrap myself up and die lol

Right guys you have kept me entertained through my night so thank you all very much I am off to the land of nod thanks goodbye=)

What is the best area specific insults? Things customers have called you that we wouldn't say in canada? I'm always looking for new things to call people.

Sket, skank, tosser, twat, Geordie scum, pleb, nonce, Damn the list would not stop

Right guys busy now feel free to leave questions will answer at 7am when done thanks

How do you feel about Shell's actions towards the environment? Do you worry that your company could be causing irreparable harm that could destroy the livelihood of millions?

If I'm being honest my punctuation grammar and the fact I'm working where I am should answer the question in my eyes a jobs a job, I just wish other company's would give people a chance I know I'm not the brightest and dint have grades but if given a chance I would love to train myself to do anything but it's all about grades and who you know.

At around midnight shell garages lock their doors and use the night window. I see you still let certain people such as taxi drivers, police and ambulance workers inside to browse at their leisure. How do I become part of this elite crowd without wearing a uniform?

Good question, taxi drivers I don't let in its to easy to go get a white car stick a taxi thingy on top pretend to be one and Rob me, police I will let in of they arrive in a marked police car and some of the people that I have served for years are allowed in early.

From your answers it sounds like you are from the north-east of England.

Since no one in that part of the world seems to own a coat, do you not feel the cold or is it just a macho thing?

I'll pop back to answers this, this was started due to girls going out clubbing in barley nowt people do wear coats=) just the lady's like to advertise themselves while drinking =)

I did night shift at a Caltex servo in Perth, OZ. Imagine doing what your doing but in the middle of a red light district.

The stories I could tell....

But, how do you find nights?

Personally, I loved them. If I hadn't called the police a few times in a night, it was a quiet shift.

I find them great I enjoy watching and learning stuff online and with two customers a hour on a weekday it's a great time to better myself and man I feel for you, it's the customers that make the job hard most of the time

What are the demographics of your customers?

Mine were mainly drunks (the worst, too unpredictable), stoners (they were the best, just bought food and left), backpackers, pimps and prostitutes.

Ahh weekdays I will have the guys traveling down the country at about 3am trying to get to London for around 9am, in between them I have the taxis filling up for the morning rush 5am the average factory workers, after that it's a steady flow. Weekend is mainly drunks getting dropped off from taxis looking for alcohol after the clubs have closed, then that leads to the abuse people spitting at me hurling abuse as we only have a 5am-11pm alcohol licence=/

What do you think when people only put 8 quids worth of fuel in and then proceed to do a mid-week shop for 20 mins?

Just makes me think man I wish I could afford to shop in a petrol station

How many little Lego ferraris have you built?

Tbh none sick of the site of them, people. Go crazy for the things

Why do you think you'll have any unique insight you can share through this AMA?

Retail drones are the most plentiful wage slaves out there.

Plentiful wage 6.70 a hour for nighshift?