Our wonderful run in with the cops...

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Over Labor Day weekend we decided to take the girls up to Canada for the long weekend. One last little ‘vacation’ of sorts before the summer ended. On a whim we decided to take the girls and my best friend and head to Toronto to go to The Canadian National Exhibition for the day.

Trying to head out early probably around 9am or so we got on the road and made our way to Toronto, but first we realized we had to gas up the car, so we pulled into the Shell gas station which was located on Centennial Parkway and Queenston Road in Stoney Creek Ontario. As per usual (and we've done this with this station before with no issues) our Visa card being American doesn't process correctly within the Interac system in Canada, it always thinks it’s a debit card when it’s clearly a credit card, so in order for it to be used and processed correctly it must be manually processed via an imprint machine and authorization number.

We have never had an issue with this before at this station or at any other's we've been to and are always upfront with the cashier on why it won't process with the Interac system. On this occasion we did the same thing but the clerk refused to listen to us and kept trying it through the Interac System. My husband once again explained to her what she must do and she said no I won't do that today. He came out to the car and I went in to see what the issue was, she stated we should have passed it through the pump and she tried enough times she wasn't going to do it manually today. I said we have never had an issue before with this station doing it, she said and I quote “well I will not do that today”.

I asked her for her manager or the owner's information and she had stated that she was the manager and the owner and she would not give me information. I then asked her name and then she became VERY rude when I asked for a business card, she said she didn't have one. I then stated that I would like the corporate number and she gave me the local Hamilton number for that gas station thinking I was dumb. When I called her out on it she again got VERY rude and belligerent. I once again asked for the corporate number and she proceeded to literally THROW credit card pamphlets in my face and told me to find it myself.

At this point we were just trying to pay for our gas and get out of there but after this rudeness of being called names, had pamphlets thrown in my face and then told I am not a Canadian because Canadian's do not act this way. I then proceeded to tell her to take her foreign self back to her own country. Rude on my part yes but I was fuming mad, shaking and almost out of breath at this point you'd think I had mesothelioma and after the way she treated me and my husband, it's surprising I didn't say worse.

My husband finally found a bank machine that would work with our Visa card, which is usually a hit or miss, and paid cash for our gas when she REFUSED to give us a receipt. She then told us to GET OUT OF HER STORE and then called the police. As I had two children in the car, and we had done nothing wrong we waited outside for the police to arrive.

My friend (who is Asian and was very upset by the following statements) got out of the car and went into the store to see if she could find out why the police were called and if we needed to stay. The woman then told her to get out of her store and my friend was being very nice to her, trying to find out what we should do. The lady then repeated to her very rudely "get out of my store, do you not understand English? How many more times do I have to repeat this in English for you?" At that time my friend left and we waited for the police.

The police came, we explained the entire situation and they were pretty mad that they were called out for this thinking it was a drive off when it wasn't. They said it was not a police matter; the woman then proceeded to tell the police that my husband threatened her and she was fearful. The police basically laughed at her and told us just to leave and not to bother with that station anymore, that they were sorry and unfortunately they can't fix people with bad business practices and to have a nice trip.

I can’t believe this woman and the way she runs her business and treats her customers. I’ve since alerted all of my family and friends in the area about this station and her rudeness, we won’t be visiting at least that Shell station EVER again. What a day that was, one I’ll never forget! I did contact their corporate office via email once we returned, which basically was a waste of my time since all I really got was a generic we're sorry message.