in which we break for something lighter...
I can't believe it: The New York Times has covered the Sheetz v. Wawa rivalry.
This is exactly the truth:
Convenience stores are supposed to be interchangeable, selling low-priced gas and self-serve coffee based on the proposition that when you need a pit stop, you turn in to the first you see, right there.
But in Pennsylvania, two convenience chains stir tribal loyalties, a commitment as deep as bonds with the Philadelphia Phillies or Pittsburgh Pirates.
And, being the Pittsburgh-side-of-the-mountains person that I am, I am also a Sheetz loyalist. Moreover, I will pass dozens of regular old gas stations on the highway if I know there's a Sheetz coming up. For one thing, they have consistently clean bathrooms. For another, they have decent food. These are two very important things to one who's on the road. When I came back home from Iraq in September, I literally cheered when I saw my first Sheetz again.
I'm not so much of a loyalist that I'll spurn Wawas, though. Some folks from southeastern PA are fierce in their fealty to one brand or the other, but fortunately the competition means that both of them beat the heck out of every other convenience store/gas station you're going to find.
But I still like Sheetz better.
This is exactly the truth:
Convenience stores are supposed to be interchangeable, selling low-priced gas and self-serve coffee based on the proposition that when you need a pit stop, you turn in to the first you see, right there.
But in Pennsylvania, two convenience chains stir tribal loyalties, a commitment as deep as bonds with the Philadelphia Phillies or Pittsburgh Pirates.
And, being the Pittsburgh-side-of-the-mountains person that I am, I am also a Sheetz loyalist. Moreover, I will pass dozens of regular old gas stations on the highway if I know there's a Sheetz coming up. For one thing, they have consistently clean bathrooms. For another, they have decent food. These are two very important things to one who's on the road. When I came back home from Iraq in September, I literally cheered when I saw my first Sheetz again.
I'm not so much of a loyalist that I'll spurn Wawas, though. Some folks from southeastern PA are fierce in their fealty to one brand or the other, but fortunately the competition means that both of them beat the heck out of every other convenience store/gas station you're going to find.
But I still like Sheetz better.