In a viral TikTok, a gas station customer says a couple pulled up directly behind her at the pump and tried to steal her gas after she paid for it inside. This is surprisingly common.
Marci (@footballmom.2) has reached over 2.3 million views on her video. She added an on-screen caption that helps to explain her point of view. She says, “POV: pumping gas and this guy pulls up so close just to steal our gas! Wtf, wouldn’t believe it if you didn’t see it, smh.”
Marci’s clip is 12 seconds long, and she starts filming as she is standing beside her car and the gas station pump. She first records her gray SUV and then shifts to show a white SUV that is parked behind her, facing the opposite direction, so that both fuel tanks/the rear of the cars are facing one another.
She explains how she had pulled up to the gas pump, got out to pay for it inside, when a woman parked behind her and “started pumping gas.”
“And her husband,” she adds, they “stole our gas.”
Before ending her video she exclaims, “WTF?” to her friend.
A viewer in the comment section told Marci, “slice their tires. make that stolen gas the most expensive they get.”
Viewers can relate
One comment with over 13,000 likes wrote, “Once I pulled up to a pump and the lady on the other side snaked her arm around and grabbed my pump. The attendant came over the intercom and said “Ma’am, I expect you to come inside and pay for that.’”
“I’d go inside and have them cancel the transaction and start a new one,” another suggested. “They most likely have cameras. They can take it up with the other vehicle and the police.”
If you detect gas theft outside of a gas station, this is referred to as siphoning. “Thieves insert a tube into the target vehicle’s gas tank and create suction to draw out the gasoline, using the tube like a big straw,” Progressive states. “Most modern cars have locking fuel doors, caps, or other anti-siphoning measures, making this technique more difficult.”
Relatedly, authorities in Beaumont, Texas this summer put out a warning over an area “gas goblin” who regularly steals gasoline.
What are signs of fuel theft?
CNET states that four signs of fuel theft could be “Odor of gas or diesel near your vehicle, fuel puddled underneath your vehicle, fuel gauge is noticeably lower or vehicle fails to start.”
@footballmom.2 ♬ original sound – Marci H
If you are a victim of fuel theft, experts at CNET suggest, “File a police report immediately, contact your insurance agent, and have your vehicle taken to a dealer or service shop for repairs.”
The Daily Dot reached out to request a comment from Marci @footballmom.2 via TikTok comment section and direct message.
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