Comics I Don’t Understand

I Just Hope The Kid Doesn’t Smoke

Cidu Bill on Sep 2nd 2008

Filed in Bill Bickel, CIDU, F-Minus, Tony Carrillo, comic strips, comics, gasoline, humor | 15 responses so far

15 Responses to “I Just Hope The Kid Doesn’t Smoke”

Rough Sep 2nd 2008 at 01:13 am 1

My first reaction was ‘Oh my god, there must be $85.00 worth of gasoline going to waste!’ I hope the little turd DOES try to smoke.
Hunt Sep 2nd 2008 at 07:44 am 2

I think the kid is PLANNING to torch the trike.
Dave Van Domelen Sep 2nd 2008 at 11:52 am 3

My first reaction was, “Hey, who gave the kid a credit card?” Not that he’s tall enough to swipe the card in the pump. And even the dimmest gas station counter worker wouldn’t manually authorize the pump for a kid.

A cartoonist stuck living in bygone days? Heaven forfend!
ty Sep 2nd 2008 at 01:40 pm 4

Around here, most pumps are pump first, then pay. No credit card or attendant needed to activate the pump. Some are pre-pay after 6:00 pm.
Singapore Bill Sep 2nd 2008 at 03:04 pm 5

The guy is happy to see this kid is gtowing up to be a true American and sqandering resources needlessly and without regard for the consequences.
Size Sep 2nd 2008 at 03:24 pm 6

I dunno about all that, but this was an LOL for me. Just the absurdity that the kid doesn’t have a place to pump the gas, so he just sprays it all over the place.
David Sep 2nd 2008 at 05:28 pm 7

I’m with Size on this one, the kid just wants to be like the adults, so he’s pumping gas too.
Dave Van Domelen Sep 2nd 2008 at 05:48 pm 8

Wow, ty…such a trusting place you live! I’m in podunk KANSAS, and they require prepay or credit card at every station because of the problem of drive-offs.

Aside: I am reminded of the old joke about how you should never let a male porn star pump your gas, since at the end he’ll pull the nozzle out and spray it all over the place.
Bob Sep 2nd 2008 at 08:24 pm 9

Dave Van D - some pumps have a lower credit card reader so people in wheel chairs can swipe their cards.
Rain Sep 3rd 2008 at 12:42 am 10

I’m with Singapore Bill on this one . . .
March Hare Sep 3rd 2008 at 08:18 am 11

I’m with Singapore Bill as well. True, the kid does want to be like the adults, but the adult is actually praising him instead of scolding him.
Andrew Sep 3rd 2008 at 07:26 pm 12

I’m on the other side of the pond, and I’ve yet to see a filling station where you pay at the pump, and I wonder why they haven’t caught on here - besides being more effective at preventing people stealing fuel than the CCTV most British stations rely on, they’d presumably prevent cars blocking the pumps while the driver goes to the shop to pay. On the strip, not much to add, just the assumed contrast between the man’s reaction and the boy’s mother’s expected reaction when he gets home wiht his tricycle and clothes stinking of gasoline.
Renard Muldrake Sep 3rd 2008 at 09:27 pm 13

I’m not sure, but my only thought is that the comic is meant to
kind of madden you. With gas prices so high, here’s a kid just wasting gas/money, and the guy’s reaction in the strip is to call it adorable.
Beatriz4 Sep 6th 2008 at 03:03 am 14

I think a little bit like Renard Meldrake, the kid is just wasting VERY valuable resources and the adult who is supposed to watch over the kid’s action it’s all “awww how cute” and is doing nothing to prevent it. And the title about smoking is going for the same line, kids are out of control and adults do nothing.
Jack Sep 8th 2008 at 09:15 am 15

I cringed because the kid is probably going to have cancer before he’s a teenager, 1) breathing in all of those gas fumes, and 2) soaking his clothes and body in it when he sits back down on the tricycle