One of car owners’ biggest expenses is gasoline. While gas prices are still significantly lower than their peaks in 2020 and 2021, drivers still find themselves paying an incredible amount of money at the pump—all at a time when other expenses are also reaching new heights.
According to J.D. Power, the average American spends about $150 to $200 on gasoline every month, while the average American family spends around $5,000 on gasoline annually.
As transportation is a necessity for many jobs, and public transit infrastructure can be lacking in many places, it’s not surprising to see what TikTok user Kayla (@bariatrickayla) observed while filling up at a Canadian gas station.
Why did this person only put $1 of gas in their car?
In a video with over 2.3 million views, Kayla shows a pump that has a recent charge of $1.37 CAD, which equals approximately $1 USD.
“Whoever just left pump 2, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” she asks in the video. “Like, you didn’t even get a liter of gas! You got .97 of a liter!”
0.97 liters equates to about a quarter of a gallon of gas.
“I would have given you $20!” she concludes.
Immediately, commenters began speculating as to why this person only filled up less than a liter of gasoline.
“Do these people not realize that sometimes we just need a little gas for our lawnmowers?” asked a user.
“I don’t have a gauge on my bike so I fill the tank every 2 days of riding, sometimes it’s 2 gallons, sometimes it’s .2,” offered another.
“Maybe it’s for a gas can,” suggested a third.
However, Kayla countered that she had observed the person who used the pump, and they had used it to put gas in a Dodge Grand Caravan.
@bariatrickayla Things are getting rough out here y’all! I would of helped this person too😭. **UPDATE: For everyone stating below “Probably a Gas Can” or “topping up a Bike/Moped”, the man who left this pump before I pulled forward to use it was putting the gas into a Dodge Grand Caravan. If I would of known he only put $1.37 in, I would of given him the $20 I had left in my wallet** #fyp #gasisexpensive #canada #gasprices ♬ sad SpongeBob music – michael
Commenters share their own stories
Kayla isn’t the first to spark discussion after seeing a small pump purchase. For example, one internet user recently shared that he saw someone put just $2 on their pump.
Several commenters recalled their own experiences of putting together just enough money to fill up their vehicles.
“Growing up I watched my parents scrap together quarters just to get this amount of gas to only be able to make one trip to the grocery store,” said a user.
“I remember this too, getting a few bucks just to make it home during a long cold winter night drive,” added another. “I look back and think we had a good time but d*** we were poor.”
“One time i got $.50 worth of gas because i thought i had more on my card,” detailed a third. “Its rough out here.”
That said, some offered some alternative theories about the small charge.
“I drive around for a living and I need to return the vehicle to a full tank,” stated a commenter. “If I don’t come back with a receipt I get in trouble. I had no jobs to do so I only had to put in $1 once.”
“I would do this when I ‘borrowed’ my parents car so that they didn’t realize I ‘borrowed’ it,” laughed a second.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kayla via TikTok DM and comment.
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