A woman recently recorded what she says was a strange moment at a gas pump. It has her convinced it was a scam..
Sarah (@sarahsig) filmed a man she knows filling up in Bossier City, Louisiana, where gas prices are averaging $3.79 per gallon as of this writing. At first everything looks normal.
In the TikTok Sarah posted, the man is holding the pump, but not actively squeezing the nozzle. The pump isn't even in the tank and you can clearly see that nothing is coming out. When he first picks it up, the display shows $34.23.
Then the numbers start to change. Moments later, while the nozzle still isn’t engaged, the total jumps to $40.52.
Sarah and her companion watch it happen without saying much, letting the moment speak for itself. She jokes about it in the caption.
“Gas” was “gaslighting” them, she writes.
As of this writing, the clip has pulled in more than 8.3 million views.
Why Did The Gas Price Change?
What’s likely going on here is something called meter creeping, or when a gas pump keeps ticking up in price even though it doesn’t seem like any fuel is being dispensed.
It’s not how the system is supposed to work, but it’s affected a number of drivers and can happen if something inside the pump isn’t fully shutting off.
Over time, parts wear down. A valve might not seal all the way, which can cause the display to keep climbing even when the nozzle isn’t being actively used. There have been several reported cases of meter creeping across the country.
That said, not every situation like this is a true malfunction.
Sometimes the nozzle is still slightly engaged without it being obvious, or the latch is holding it open just enough to let a small amount of gas through. In those cases, fuel is technically still flowing, even if you can’t really hear or feel it.
Sometimes what you’re seeing comes down to how the pump measures flow. The display is tied to a flow meter, and if something is off or slow to respond, the numbers can briefly look out of sync with what’s happening at the nozzle.
The key thing to watch is whether gas is actually coming out.
If the numbers are rising and there’s clearly no fuel being dispensed, that points more toward a problem with the pump itself.
If you find yourself in this situation, the safest move is to hang the nozzle back up and let an attendant at the station know so they can take that pump out of service and have it inspected.
Situations like this aren’t common, but they’re not unheard of either. That’s why gas pumps are supposed to get regularly checked and calibrated to make sure you’re only paying for the fuel you actually get.
Viewers Call Out Strange Instances At The Pump
People in the comments sounded just as alarmed as Sarah, with many saying the clip mirrored things they’ve noticed at the pump or while driving.
“I drove 7 miles tonight, and my mileage dropped by 25 miles,” one woman said.
“Wait, I’ve been putting in the SAME amount regardless of price, and my gas fills to a different amount EVERY TIME,” another added.
“We’re being… gaslit,” a third person quipped.
Some took it a step further, floating their own theories about what might be going on.
“I lowkey been wondering why suddenly not only did the gas prices go up, but my car was eating it up in 2 days vs 2 weeks,” one person said. “Now I’m sure they pumped air instead of gas.”
“Now we just paying for air,” another echoed.
Others urged Sarah to escalate the situation rather than let it slide.
“File a complaint with the state department of [weights and] measures,” one said.
“Now go file a lawsuit against that station,” another suggested.
A handful of viewers joked that they were sticking around in case it turned into something bigger, suggesting a lawsuit could follow.
“Can’t wait to get my $4.37 from this class action lawsuit,” one commenter quipped.
“I don’t know how to join a class action lawsuit, but I’m here,” another wrote.
“Need that lawsuit,” a third added. “My gas used to be $30 to fill my tank. It’s now $30 to fill HALF my tank.”
Motor1 has reached out to Sarah via a direct message on TikTok. We’ll be sure to update this if we hear back from her.
@sarahsig #gas #gaslighting #aintgotnogasinit ♬ Hell To Da Naw Naw Naw - Bishop Bullwinkle
