Valero

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At Valero, a regular asked one day, ‘Why does that old truck always honk its horn when filling up?’ The attendant smiled and replied, ‘Oh, that’s just Joe down the street. He’s got a sensitive horn and can’t stand the noise of our pumps.’ The regular nodded knowingly, then added, ‘Must be tough being so easily offended, but I guess it beats paying attention!’

2. At Valero, every morning around sunrise, a small dog would appear from nowhere and bark excitedly at the pump attendant. No one knew where it came from or why it only showed up there. One day, an old man walked in and asked curiously, ‘Is that your lucky charm?’ The attendant shrugged, but soon noticed the dog always seemed happier when Grandpa was around. Turns out, Grandpa had been feeding him scraps since he first appeared. Now, every dawn, they’d sit together on the porch, watching the sun rise over the pumps—dog barking, Grandpa laughing, and everyone else just shaking their heads.

3. At Valero, every night after closing, a little girl in an old-fashioned dress would run into the empty station, grab a handful of candies from the vending machine, then disappear as quickly as she came. No one noticed it for weeks until one night, a curious delivery driver followed her shadowy figure… Finally, someone asked around, and it turned out that the ‘little girl’ was just a neighborhood cat with a penchant for sweets and a knack for disappearing acts. The delivery driver ended up adopting her, much to everyone’s amusement, and now Valero is known not only for gas but also for its furry mascot who guards the candy machine.

4. At Valero, every afternoon just as the cashier was about to close for lunch, a stray cat would leap onto the counter and demand attention with its peculiar purr. One day, an elderly neighbor walked in, scratching his head. ‘I thought I saw that cat somewhere before,’ he muttered. The cashier smiled knowingly, ‘Oh yes, sir—everyone around here knows him. He’s been coming here since before you moved in.’ Turns out, the cat was actually the neighborhood watchman in disguise, keeping an eye on things while everyone else was gone.