Customer Shares Glitch at Popular Gas Station That Could Cost You
Next time you go to purchase gas, make sure you keep an eye on the meter while pumping.
In a video posted to TikTok, user @brinaaababee revealed that a meter at a gas pump at 7-Eleven kept going up, even after she stopped pumping gas.
In the video, she could clearly be seen holding the gas pump in her hand and outside of her gas tank, yet the meter kept running. Once she returned the handle to the pump, the meter stopped.
"Y'all better start watching these damn gas stations!!!" she wrote. "I wonder how long I left it in my car 'finished.'"
There is actually a term for this, and it's called "meter creep."
@brinaaababee #stealing #gasstation #gas #whatthehell #wtf
♬ WTHELLY - Rob49
According to the Petroleum Equipment Institute, meter creep is "an event where the dispenser meter display indicates an increase in volume when the pump is on, even though no fuel is being dispensed. "
"Meter creep is generally indicative of a leak in the liquid-carrying components downstream from the meter," PEI added.
It is important to note that meter creep is not intentional, but rather a malfunction in the equipment.
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Other instances of meter creep have been reported at different gas stations across the country over the years, so this is nothing new.
Even still, many people may not be aware of this, so it's important to sound the alarm on, especially considering gas is already expensive enough.
Experts urge victims of meter creep to report it to the gas station, as well as to the local weights and measures department.