observation

After observing the Rosemont Avenue Sheetz, it puts into perspective how variety of people come and go from this gas station. Is it a place just for the locals, or a place for people from a far as well? As I pulled into the gas station and parked my car under the giant red and yellow tent like overhang and opened my door, I immediately smelled gas and oil. I decided to take a seat on a greasy feeling red bench sitting out front of the propane tanks. I felt dirty sitting there, around people smoking, coughing, and eating the greasy breakfast meals made.

Looked like a bunch of locals at first, then I saw one car from Virginia, then another from North Carolina. I asked myself, what are they doing all the way in Maryland? Then I realized rt. 15 is a frequently used highway that connects to many other major interstates. These people could have been taking a vacation, or just on travel for work. Sheetz is directly off the exit, which makes for easy access for gas, snacks, drinks, and even lunch.

Cop cars were in and out like clockwork in the short amount of time I spent on the bench. In the thirty minutes I spent observing, I must have seen at least ten cop cars; not to mention a couple undercover cops as well. One would leave, and two more would show up. Three came in the one instance. Sheetz seemed to be the police station to pick up coffee and donuts.

Having knowing some of the people who work for the city, I was waiting on seeing some fellow friends of the family I knew come pulling in. Sure enough the workers were on their lunch break and all headed right to Sheetz. My dad's old friend came walking up, dirt up to his shoulders, body odor a cold could not even block out, to give me a big hug and “Hows the Fam?” They ordered their lunches, and came out to sit on the red benches right beside me. Laughing and carrying on, it was their time away from work to relax and enjoy themselves during the work day.

As I wrapped up my observations, I sat back not to observe any more, but to think about what I just looked at. It was amazing how many different people walked in and out of the door. Even more fascinating how many of the guests who stopped by just paid for their gas using a credit card without leaving the vicinity outside of their vehicle. Neighbors next door, Customers down the street and across down, even travelers from a distant city, all stop at this what I thought was a normal Sheetz on Rosemont Avenue for various reasons.