Today, you could live out of a gas station if it became absolutely necessary. Besides snacks such as pizza, nachos, supersized drinks and candy, they sell everything from tweezers and bug spray to greeting cards and Milk Bone dog biscuits. Most operations make more money off their convenience-store business than they do from gas sales. Occasionally you run across a station that still insists on service. Pull into the Chevron at K and 30th streets and the smiling attendants come running.
Regular customers know their names.
When they ask how your day's going, they really expect an answer. Such behavior can get you gently chastised. They might even order you inside to partake of a free cappuccino. Just two years ago, I knew of two other stations that still manned their gas pumps. Both are gone now.