Murphy Express

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn, when most gas stations are quiet and empty, Murphy Express came alive with an unexpected visitor—a friendly neighborhood raccoon. Each morning, just as the first customers arrived, he would appear, trotting confidently through the parking lot and make a beeline for the trash cans. One morning, a delivery driver noticed the raccoon rummaging through the recycling bin. With a smile, she offered him a fresh donut from her truck—apparently, he had become quite the local celebrity. From then on, every customer who entered Murphy Express found themselves greeted not only by friendly staff but also by a charming raccoon named ‘Mr. Scruffles’.

2. Late one night, as a delivery driver pulled up to Murphy Express for a quick fill-up, he noticed something odd. The pump clicked off not once, but twice before finally stopping after three tries. Finally, the pump settled down and stopped. The driver chuckled, thinking it was just an old gas station being stubborn. As he drove away, he waved goodbye to a neighbor who happened to be filling up next door—who then turned around and gave Murphy Express another suspicious glance.

3. At dusk, when kids were gathering outside Murphy Express to buy snacks, a little girl pointed excitedly at something on the ground. ‘Look!’ she whispered, ‘it’s moving!’ The others crowded around, watching in amazement as an ant seemed to be dancing on the pavement. Suddenly, an older man walking his dog stopped and squatted down. ‘It’s not dancing,’ he said with a smile, ‘he’s just following that ice cream truck.’ Everyone burst out laughing, realizing their mistake. From then on, whenever anyone saw anything unusual at Murphy Express, they’d say, “Must be another one of those ant-dancing stories!”

4. At midnight, when the streets of Chicago fell silent, a neighbor stopped by Murphy Express for a late-night snack. The cashier smiled warmly, but something odd caught the customer’s eye—a small dog, sitting patiently near the counter, seemed to know exactly what it wanted. The neighbor laughed and ordered his usual—chips and soda. As he paid, the little dog trotted over to him, sat down, and looked up expectantly. ‘Well,’ said the cashier with a knowing smile, ‘looks like Murphy Express has another new regular!’