We hate to say it, but just becoming a mom doesn’t make it true. In this case, listening to a mom’s advice could have fatal consequences.
Sometimes, when you’re about to pump gas in extreme heat or cold, you may think it’ll be better for you (and anyone else riding in the car with you) to leave the car running so the vehicle can stay at a comfortable temperature.
No one wants to be unnecessarily hot or cold when there’s a perfectly good A/C or heating system at your disposal.
But you shouldn’t place comfort over safety, even if your mom is the one egging you on to do it.
Mom gives bad advice
In a viral video with more than 1.9 million views on TikTok and 2.6 million on Instagram, content creator Alexis Wyborny (@itslazylexx) shared the startling instructions her mom gave about leaving your car on while pumping gas.
“All this because I told my mom to turn the car off while pumping gas,” Wyborny wrote in the text overlay.
In the video, you can hear her mom stating that “you are not in control of when you die.” Based on the rest of the video, it seems she was making the point that it doesn’t matter if you leave the car on while pumping gas (despite this being a known safety hazard) because if something fatal happens, it just means that was God’s will.
Wyborny pointed out the flawed logic behind her mom’s statement, saying that it wouldn’t be “Jesus’ fault” but her mom’s fault if something happened directly because of her mom’s actions or carelessness.
“It would be your fault,” Wyborny said.
“It would be God’s will,” her mom retorted.
“No, it would be Donna’s will,” Wyborny fired back.
The other person in the car (likely Wyborny’s sister) chimed in and compared the situation to jumping out of a plane without a parachute and chalking up the consequences to “God’s will.”
The mom just got increasingly frustrated, saying that the young ladies should know better since they went to Christian schools.
The video cuts off mid-argument, but based on how the exchange was going, we doubt either party dropped the issue right after.
Fact check: Do you have to turn your car off when pumping gas?
The answer is a resounding yes; you should turn your car off when pumping gas.
When gasoline vapors come in contact with static electricity, it can cause a fire that can lead to an explosion, JD Power reported.
Local fire departments responded to about 4,150 service or gas station property fires each year between 2014 and 2018.
Other don’ts, according to Firestone Complete Auto Care:
- Don’t leave charging cables plugged in.
- Don’t smoke by the pump.
- Don’t top off the tank.
- Don’t use your cell phone.
Commenters weigh in
“I think Donna just lost babysitting privileges for future grand kids,” a top comment with more than 80,000 likes reads.
“It’s called weaponized faith. People use it to refuse accountability,” a person said.
“This is a sick way to think,” another wrote.
“Jesus telling me to put her in a home,” a commenter suggested.
“so every murderer should be freed. they just fulfilled gods will,” a viewer reasoned.
@itslazylexx ♬ original sound – lex :)
The Daily Dot reached out to Wyborny for contact via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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