Peter Lehnard has been a gas station attendant for 18 years. The 52-year-old differentiates between different periods of time, because recently so much had changed in his job as a night shift in the Allguth gas station on Fürstenrieder Strasse that he had changed only wrote on Twitter in response to the murder in Idar-Oberstein: “What I had to experience in the last two years cannot be told to anyone.”
SZ: Mr. Lehnard, what has changed in the past few years?
Peter Lehnard: In the past, of course, there was also something going on at night, when a lot of people came from work, subway drivers, taxi drivers or police officers, and still went shopping with me. But since the clubs have been closed, I’ve been really crazy. My gas station is still a smaller one.
What exactly is different?
The gas station is a meeting point today. Some come in threesome by car, park at the petrol pump, buy a bottle of Spezi and stay for an hour. But sometimes 40 people meet in my yard, drink and smoke.
And block the gas station.
Yes. This means that normal customers often have to drive back out again. Or they can’t even get to the gas station because everything is parked up.
Then what do you do?
When a customer is parked in, I have to go out and, in the worst case, ask 40 people who owns the car at pillar five, so that it please drive away. You can guess the answers after a few beers and late at night.
You could call the police.
Do you think they send a patrol because I say: There are some standing around or someone is smoking at my gas station. They don’t have the capacity for that. And that’s the way it is at all petrol stations. Some do a real hopping.
How do you know?
Because sometimes in the chat with colleagues we find that the one group that was with me for an hour appears shortly afterwards at a colleague’s and an hour later somewhere else.
Are they also in the parking lots?
Did they stand, yes. But we have to cordon it off at 8 p.m. because there were residents’ complaints.
How do you deal with customers who do not wear a mask?
There are still many who don’t get it. Some people hold their T-shirts in front of their mouths with one hand, but want to hold six bottles of beer with the other hand. What pieces of broken glass I’ve mopped up in the past few months …
Peter Lehnard has been working the night shift as a drinking attendant for 18 years, and things have changed over the years: “Since the clubs have been closed, I’ve been really busy.”
(Photo: private)
At least they are still trying in your example. What do you do if someone isn’t wearing one?
I don’t care now. I discussed this with my boss. The reactions are so extreme that it’s just not worth it to me. Not only at night, also during the day. A colleague told me that a man didn’t want to wear a mask but would pay with a credit card. The police had to come and bring in the credit card. That’s just absurd.
Do you operate someone without a mask?
No, because otherwise it’s my turn. In extreme situations, when people are very aggressive, yes. As I said, it’s not worth it.
Have you experienced extreme situations?
There was only one critical moment in 18 years. Somebody attacked me and jumped over the counter. Fortunately, the stature was similar to mine and I was able to throw him out on my own.
They say it has gotten worse recently. What exactly?
The aggressiveness. For example, I had a customer who was not familiar with the deposit principle. He freaked out because he was supposed to pay 2.50 euros instead of two. In a moment like that I say to myself: If he should take the beer with him, I won’t risk my health for that. Because it’s like this: I’m always alone at night.
Sometimes there are other customers.
That’s correct. It also depends on the situation whether or not I face someone. At four o’clock at night, not quite alone with a customer. But earlier in the evening, if there’s still something going on, I tend to enforce the rules.
Are you scared sometimes?
No not that. Since I just stopped taking action when in doubt, things are going well anyway.
When would you intervene?
For example, when I am insulted. What people throw at you is insane. Asshole is the most harmless thing.
Why are they complaining?
When I tell you not to be too pissed off with the lady who is entering her PIN. Like everyone else, we have the spacer stickers on the floor. Some are already exploding. The inhibition threshold has dropped so much, it’s crazy. The other day a customer was supposed to pay 20.02 euros after refueling, and when my boss asked for the two cents, the man reaches into his pocket, takes out a handful of coins and throws them behind the counter with the words: “Take yours two cents! “
In the worst case, would you have the opportunity to flee or to defend yourself?
No, I could just go into the bistro kitchen, but it doesn’t have a door. I have already seriously considered, also in conversation with some friends who are with the police, whether I should not get a small gun license so that I can have a gas pistol ready in case of emergency.
Do you still enjoy your work at all?
Yes, and I wonder about it myself sometimes. But this is my life, many customers have become friends. 200 people come every night, and I can take the 20 idiots.