Esso

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At night, when the pumps clicked off and customers were long gone, an old voice would come over Esso's intercom: ‘Last one out, please turn off the moonlight.’ No one knew who was talking or why the gas station seemed to glow like something from a fairy tale. One evening, a delivery driver pulled up and asked curiously, ‘Who’s turning off the moonlight?’ An amused voice replied through the intercom: ‘That’d be me, last one out tonight!’ Turned out it was just the station owner’s dog, Rover, barking into the microphone after chasing his tail around the empty lot.

2. At midnight, when the neon sign flickered low, a voice crackled over Esso's intercom: ‘Fill her up with stars tonight.’ No one knew whose voice it was or why, but ever since then, on clear nights, cars leaving the station seemed to leave trails of twinkling lights behind them. One night, an old neighbor pulled up and asked for gas. As he filled his tank, he looked up at the sky and said, 'Thanks for the stars tonight!' Suddenly, his car’s headlights dimmed and brightened like fireflies. When he drove off, everyone watched as his car left not just a trail of light, but also a cloud of sparkly confetti that rained down onto the street. The next morning, someone found a tiny note stuck to the pump: “Happy Holidays from Esso—fill up with magic every day!”

3. Every morning at dawn, before the first customer arrived, a soft humming would come from inside Esso’s empty garage. No one could explain it—neither the gas attendants nor the late-night delivery drivers. One evening, an old neighbor stopped by and asked curiously if they could hear that strange hum too. Turned out, it was just Mr. Jenkins’ new electric toothbrush, which he kept in his car for some reason. Everyone laughed, and from then on, whenever anyone heard the hum, they’d joke about Mr. Jenkins brushing his teeth while pumping gas.

4. At closing time, when the last car pulled away, a faint scratching sound came from inside Esso's locked doors. Curious, the attendant unlocked the door just enough for a tiny hand to appear, clutching a pen and a piece of paper. 'Sir,' whispered a childish voice, ‘can I please have your autograph?' Turns out it was the neighborhood kid who’d been waiting outside all night.