Gas prices have been to all kinds of extremes over the past few years, from the lowest lows to the highest highs some areas have seen in decades.
That familiar ache at the pump is a real pain point for many drivers—except, apparently, the ones leaving their cash behind at the register.
One gas station employee says she frequently has customers who will walk in and put a certain amount of money on a gas pump—in this case, $20—and not use that full amount of gas.
Instead of going back into the gas station to ask her for their remaining funds, TikTok user and gas station worker @strawberry.shortcak33 says she keeps the change.
In a video that has drawn over 99,000 views, the poster says she waits until the end of the night, and if the customer does not come back for their change, she takes it home.
“Do y’all know so many people be leaving—like, they put gas on their pump, and they don’t come back for the extra money?” she says in the video. “Like this person, it was $9.98. I was going to give them a $10 (bill), but there’s no one here. So, I guess it’s mine.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to @strawberry.shortcak33 via comment on the video.
Several viewers commented on the video that they do exactly that, not because they intentionally want to leave money behind for their cashier, but because they genuinely did not know that they had to go back inside and ask for their change.
“I didn’t know I could get that back LMFAO,” one commenter wrote.
“I didn’t know whole time we were able to go back for it,” another shared.
“I’m so glad my dad taught me this as a little kid, cus grown up me wouldn’t have known that,” a third said.
@strawberry.shortcak33 I wait till the end of the night and if they don't come back, 10 dollar tip???
♬ original sound – strawberry shortcake 🍰🍓
Many viewers warned her about sharing this information online, as they had known many businesses to fire cashiers for keeping change for themselves.
“Girll don’t let your job find out you can get in trouble,” one user commented. “I worked at chevron and would be over a lot for that exact reason.”
“Your gonna end up fired smh and what if the people come back because you’d be surprised how much doing this is coming from a store owner this is sad,” another commenter wrote.
“Could be one of those pieces of shit company set ups and get you fired for keeping the change,” a further user shared.