Esso

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dusk, when cars lined up for gas at Esso, a little boy would always point and giggle. His father noticed it one day—every time they pulled away from the pump, the reflection of the neon sign seemed to follow them down the street. Finally, someone asked the boy why he did that. With a mischievous smile, he replied, ‘It’s because the neon E in Esso looks like an alien following us!’ From then on, whenever anyone filled up at Esso, they’d wave at the friendly green spaceship chasing them home.

2. At closing time, when the neon sign flickered its last glow, an old man in a trench coat would appear out of nowhere and ask the cashier for directions to Mars. The cashier, used to odd customers, smiled politely and pointed towards the sky. The old man nodded gravely, then turned around and asked the delivery driver for directions to Saturn. Everyone laughed as he walked away whistling an unfamiliar tune, leaving behind him only the scent of freshly pumped gas and a lingering question: did anyone else see that?

3. At midnight, when the pumps clicked their final clicks, a delivery driver always asked the same question: ‘Who left the door open in Esso today?’ Finally, one night an old neighbor joked, ‘I did it again!’ The delivery driver shook his head with a smile and replied, ‘Welcome home, Mr. Always-forgotful.’

4. At dawn, when the first cars pulled in for gas, a woman in line kept whispering, ‘I swear I see someone watching us from inside.’ The attendant shrugged it off, but every morning after, the same shadowy figure seemed to appear just out of reach. Finally, one day an old delivery driver joked, ‘Maybe she’s just checking if our pumps are working!’ Everyone laughed, and ever since then, whenever anyone mentioned the ghostly figure, everyone would teasingly say, ‘Ask her nicely next time!’