A few years ago, I pulled into my local petrol station. All the pumps were occupied, so I parked behind one, waiting for the van in front of me to finish up. Minutes passed, and the driver casually strolled out of the shop, clearly in no hurry despite the queue of vehicles behind him. He ambled to his van and started chatting with a friend at the next pump.
The two of them stood there, fully aware of the growing line of cars, but instead of moving, they deliberately lingered, laughing and chatting. At one point, they even turned to mock the driver waiting beside me, who had asked them to move. This went on for another five minutes before they finally drove off, smug and unbothered.
Here’s the kicker: the van plastered (pun intended) with his name and phone number, advertising his plastering business. Oh, the temptation to be petty was just too strong. I made a note of his details and waited for my opportunity.
A few weeks later, I called him up, pretending to be a homeowner looking to renovate a house. I told him I had a large project—boarding and skimming the entire property—and he jumped at the chance, eager for a big job. We discussed his availability, and he agreed to come out and provide a quote. I gave him the address of a rundown house a few streets away that had recently sold at auction.
The next day, he called me repeatedly, leaving voicemails when I didn’t show up. Eventually, I called back, apologizing profusely, saying my “husband had fallen off a ladder, and I had to rush him to A&E.” He was annoyed but agreed to reschedule.
A few days later, we set another appointment. Once again, I didn’t show. This time, he left me even angrier messages, clearly irritated. When I finally called him back, I apologized again, expressing how awful it must feel to have his time wasted. Then I casually added, “You know, it reminds me of the time I was sitting at a petrol station waiting for someone to move, but they just stood there laughing and chatting while holding everyone up.”
I could hear the penny drop. Then came the swearing and raging, which only made me laugh harder. I calmly hung up, feeling triumphant. For the next few weeks, I received abusive texts from various numbers, but I just blocked them until he got bored.
Did he learn his lesson? Who knows. But I certainly made my point—actions have consequences!
