2343 Sign of Confusion

I got confused recently by a sign I saw next to a gas pump. It was one of those old-fashioned printed signs mounted in a frame next to the pump proper. I say old-fashioned because the pump proper had a video screen embedded in the body of it with all sorts of flashing messages.

The confusion started with the button pushing I had to go through to get my gas. One of the buttons I had to push was about whether or not I was a Safeway club card member. Just one more impediment to the free movement of my busy life. Answering what is to me an irrelevant question before I can get my gas.

Apparently, if I was able to answer yes, I would be able to use my points that I'd built up shopping at Safeway to lower the price of my gasoline. A noble effort by both Safeway and Chevron to save me money. Or in this case, since I don't shop at Safeway, waste my time and make me resent them so I never will. 

But here's where the confusion grew. The old-fashioned sign said if I spent more than $30 on gas during this fill-up, I could go into the Chevron station's food-mart and get a free 32-ounce soft drink. 

Dilemma. If I was a Safeway member should I not use my club points since then I'd be more likely to spend $30 on gas? Obviously they wanted people to get into the store instead of just pumping and running. And spend money on their groceries and snacks by offering a quart of soda to go with 10 gallons of fuel.

So. If they need more business in the food-mart, why are they sending people to Safeway for discount points? 

America, ya gotta love it.