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The scene was a Sunday morning, and I felt sufficiently irritable, topping off my mum’s car. It was one of those petrol stations that also functions as a grocery store, meaning there's a chance of ending up in line customers carrying goods of slightly overpriced groceries. It's an awful situation to occur when the sole aim is to complete a simple refueling. Dreadful.

I was fourth in the queue. Just one person serving, a young woman. A peculiar quality about her. Once the slowpoke at the front of the queue had at last settled for his Viakal, his sausage roll, and some breakfast items, It seemed to me overhearing the cashier tell him a wonderful day. Strange. Maybe it was a mistake, or possibly she uttered it and meant it ironically. I wondered if she might actually be a supporter in my battle with dithering, echoing my disdain for individuals slowing down people just getting gas such as myself.

I moved up, becoming the third customer. The person ahead of our line finished pumping gas with commendable speed. And there it was again: “Have a wonderful day.” No, actually, it was “have a wonderful day”. Someone from the US? In Stourbridge? Her tone suggested it, and no British person says to others a wonderful day, or even just a nice day. Very rare. You don’t get people from America visiting this town, certainly not working in petrol stations or elsewhere.

I was second now. Behind a poor older woman dealing with a right old battle with her carryall, her food items, her wallet and her membership pass. This took an eternity. Once completed, she too received the wish a wonderful day. Clearly an American. I might have verified it by saying something hilarious at the cashier, to check for that thing their typical stare, stoically, and reply with genuine earnest: “That’s really funny.” However, nothing occurred of a jest to say.

In the end, I embraced the heartfelt tone – or a performance of it, essentially the same as identical in effect – with which she looked straight at me, to my very core, and told me to have a great day. It improved my mood. A positive experience.