It's about 12:40am on Sunday morning right now, and I'm just back from getting some petrol. I'd
used pump 2, so I indicated this with two fingers (palm outward, I hasten to add) as I approached the
counter in the petrol station's forecourt shop. The girl behind the counter (blonde, perhaps 20) just
smiled widely at me, not attempting to ring up the sale. A little bemused, I said "Er.. pump 2?", and
realisation dawned on her face: "I thought you were giving me the peace sign!"
I could only laugh, saying that peace would be great too, but I only intended to pay for the petrol. Conspiratorially,
and by way of explaining her misinterpretation, she told me that "you see a lot of strange things in here at night".
I paid, and she complimented me on my card-holder (a gift from Fiona, made from laminated circuit-boards). I thanked
her and left.
Once I'd got back into the car, I glanced at the sales receipt; it seems that her name was Jacqui, as she had written
it on the receipt beside "PUMP 2".