Over the years, businesses have taken what some would call extreme measures to curb theft. Certain retail stores have locked up their merchandise behind cases that only employees can access. But an Alabama-based woman shared a rather unusual item that was locked up at her local gas station: the octane-level buttons. Now TikTok user Lacey Coan’s TikTok is causing people to wonder, Are people really stealing those?
“It is really sad when your local gas station has to put a rack thingy over the buttons,” TikTok user Lacey Coan says, referring to the octane-level buttons.
The buttons are essentially behind bars.
“Because people like to steal these things,” she adds, pointing to the buttons.
The Daily Dot reached out to Coan via TikTok comment and direct message.
Confusion ensues
Her video racked up over 173,000 views. And viewers are confused as to why people would steal the buttons.
“I have never heard of people stealing those buttons,” one viewer wrote.
“Excuse me, ma’am, did you say people steal the buttons?” another asked.
Roan claimed the buttons are getting stolen due to a TikTok trend, writing in the comments section, “They were being stolen cuz a TikTok trend.”
@lacey.de.fuck.it ♬ original sound – 👄Lacey J Coan👄
When did people start stealing octane levels of gasoline buttons?
It’s true. There have been reports of these buttons being stolen. The theft of these buttons was reported back in 2021 when a police department in Acadiana, Louisiana, urged people to stop stealing them.
“The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office has received reports from local business owners regarding the theft of fuel grade indicator buttons from gas pumps. The theft of these buttons prevents merchants from being able to [sell] fuel to customers. These acts of theft and vandalism are very costly for local businesses,” the post reads, reported by KATC ABC.
Is TikTok to blame?
And then in 2023, a barrage of thefts of these buttons was reported in the same area. A Reddit user stated this could be a TikTok trend. “I work on gas pumps. We have been getting a lot of calls to replace the yellow buttons. My boss said it was a TikTok thing,” they shared.
Another user claimed this was part of the “Devious Licks” trend, where people would steal and vandalize school property and post about it online.
However, there is no direct evidence that the “Devious Licks” trend or TikTok is tied to this.
Update Oct. 31, 10:28am CT: “They put the bars on back in 2021, I think that was the year. They are still on there today,” she shared via TikTok direct message.
On the other hand, this was the first time the content creator saw this at a gas station.
“I’ve never seen that at a gas station before so I asked why and they said it was because of a TikTok trend,” she said. “They were stealing the buttons.”
However, this was the only gas station in Croan’s area to have barred octane selection buttons.
“I do go to the gas station. We are not in the hood. It’s just a small country town. None of the other gas stations in the area have it it’s just that one,” she said.
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