Free drinks at the Gas Station?

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Whenever this happens I tend to wonder how common it is and if it happens to anybody else. Figured I'd ask now that the question is on my mind again after we stopped at the gas station on the way home tonight, I ran in to get a coffee, and the cashier let me have it for free. It's not the first time nor the only place where that's happened. I'll often get a coffee, or rarely sometimes an icee, at a gas station when embarking on a long car ride and on particularly long rides there are often points where we stop again and I get another coffee or drink. It's usually the only thing I'm buying there and sometimes when I arrive at the cashier to pay for it they tell me I can just have it for free. I'm always surprised and a little confused, because one never expects to just randomly get something for free, ask them if they're sure and when they say they are I thank them and leave. Various gas stations, times of day, and cashiers, across two states.
Anybody else have this happen?

A lot of gas stations and convenience stores will often give away free food or drinks if they're about to expire and be discarded anyways. Things like coffee or other perishables with a "freshness" lifespan are only supposed to stay out for a certain amount of time, and once that time passes, even if it's still technically good, they're supposed to trash it. It's not uncommon for them to just give it away at that point till they put out the new batch, or at the end of the night.

Not all places do this, and there can be other reasons for the places that do, but that's a really common one.

I've gotten free pizza slices when I've ordered slices from places that really only sell slices at lunch time. I guess I was late enough that they were planning on tossing them, so they just let me 'take care of them' instead.

And by take care, I mean enjoy.

Me too.

It's better than free drinks at the International House Of Roofies.

The toilet's still free. And most of the gas stations used to have free hot water so you could have a free pee and a free tea on your travels as long as you remembered to take a tea bag and some milk, but those hot water spouts aren't as common as they used to be.

I suppose it's all done in the hope that it'll make people feel good about the place and start buying stuff. Never worked on me though, I'd just take the freebies and run.

I think free drinks and food at the gas station is a pretty good deal, since the price of gas is so high.

I've gotten free or half priced hotdogs & burgers at a nearby gas station a few times because I went late in the evening & they were gonna toss it at closing. I went there mostly to buy snacks(I cant drive) & I always had to pay full price for my chips, candy, &/or beer. I cut down on my snack buying the last few years & I get a lot more options by walking a tad further to the nearby Walgreens & grocery.

When it happens downunder I assume it's part of the "Driver Reviver" program.