I called Addington Station and spoke to a woman named Pat about old photographs of the town of Addington and old photographs of the old tall red brick Rock Island Depot that once stood on the west side of Addington, Oklahoma. She said she does have old photographs of Addington as it was in its heyday and to come to the shop and take a look around.
I told her I would be there in about 30 minutes. About 40 minutes later, I arrived at Addington Station at 3:50 on a Thursday afternoon in January of 2020. There were people looking at a memorial near the shop. I stepped out of my pickup truck, and walked over to the memorial and asked if Pat was there. An older man in his 70s told me she was in the shop.
As I was walking to the shop I noticed an older woman quickly walk up to the door. I thought she was going to open the door and greet me there. Instead she turned and walked away from the door. When I walked up to the door and turned the handle it was locked. I peered inside the window on the door, but she was nowhere to be seen from my viewpoint.
I stood there in disbelief that someone would lock the door on me when it was only 4 p.m. and according to the Addington Station website the hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Why did she lock the door on me? I understand that business owners have the right to refuse service to anyone, but this was just flat out rude!
There were still people looking at the memorial, and they looked over at me as I slowly walked away from the door and turned to get back in my pickup truck. I drove off in disbelief and shock. I told my wife what happened and she said that she knew of other people who had similar experiences there. To me it was a waste of time and gas to drive to Addington Station to be locked out.
There was no reason for her to lock the door. It was 4 p.m. The website clearly says the shop closes at 5 pm. I told told her who I was when I called and she told me to come to the shop. I told her I would be there in 30 minutes. She knew I was coming, why did she lock the door on me? In my opinion that was extremely rude! Heads up for anyone interested in searching for old photographs of Addington, Oklahoma.