As gas prices continue to rise, some people are becoming more desperate in finding ways to save money on gas. This may have contributed to an unusual and shocking scene that took place at the Royal Farms gas station after a man left his pump unattended.
In a TikTok with over 2 million views as of this writing, Dee (@Justthedeeway) records an alleged thief apparently trying to pull a fast one at an unattended gas pump.
People were stunned by his brazenness. One viewer wrote, “I literally have $0 to my name and wouldn’t even fathom the thought of this.”
At a Royal Farms, Dee noticed a man being suspicious. He appeared to be lurking around and monitoring a pump where a man was getting gas. When that man left to go inside Royal Farms, the first man made his move.
So Dee started recording.
“POV: When you get caught trying to steal gas,” the onscreen text reads.
In her video, the second man grabs the pump and motions for the car he’s with to pull up close enough to reach it.
“Oh my [expletive] gosh. So this person went inside of the store to pay for the gas. He is having her pull up to get gas. What the [expletive] is going on. Look I told y’all they were up to no good. Up to no [expletive] and he sees me looking at him,” Dee narrates.
The person driving the car, who appears to be a woman, pulls forward but struggles to get close enough for the pump to reach the tank.
“Y’all gotta be down bad to be stealing [expletive] gas,” Dee says.
While she's still maneuvering the car to get close enough, the other man returns from Royal Farms. He immediately confronts the man holding the pump and snatches it back from him. The other man appears to try to explain what he was doing.
Dee doesn’t hesitate. She opens her door and calls out, “He’s stealing your gas. He’s trying to steal. Yeah he’s trying to steal gas.”
She quickly shuts the door. The second man yells at her, again trying to justify his actions. Then he gets in the car and they pull away. As they leave, Dee opens her door and shouts at them, “Get a [expletive] job you [expletive] bum."
"This Is So Bold"
Viewers in the comments section applauded Dee’s willingness to get involved rather than turn a blind eye.
“You speaking up is what more people should do. Instead of ‘minding their business’ because if the shoe was on the other foot they would 100% want someone to say something. To you for saying what needed to be. Situational awareness is on point!!!” one person gushed.
A second added, “Thank you for recording and telling.”
“This is so bold,” a third wrote.
“The boots on the ground journalism we need,”agreed another.
While other viewers were completely shocked by the audacity of the two people Dee confronted.
“Never in my days have I seen something like this,” one commented.
“I literally have $0 to my name and wouldn’t even fathom the thought of this,” another said.
Several were in turns amused and taken aback that the man would try to flip the script on Dee.
“How he calling you a bum and he's the one stealing gas,” one shared.
“He looking at you like you the problem lol,” someone else agreed.
Can You Prevent Gas Theft?
As gas prices rise, thieves are getting creative. Some have even taken to drilling holes into tanks to steal gas.
Historically, the go-to method for stealing gas was siphoning. As Motor1 previously reported, thieves have taken to drilling holes into tanks to steal gas. The victim in these cases doesn’t just lose the fuel, they are faced with an expensive repair. AutoZone reports that replacing a fuel tank that has drill holes can cost between $1,200 to $1,400 with parts and labor.
There are measures you can take to prevent thieves from stealing your gas. Locking gas caps are one way, though these won’t stop thieves from drilling a hole in your tank.
Where you park can make all the difference in the world. Look for well lit areas, high traffic locations, secure parking garages, or parking lots with multiple cars around. Security cameras are a plus. Thieves will want to operate in silence and keep a low profile. By parking in a bright, high traffic, secure area, the chance of someone seeing the potential theft increases—and the chance of someone stealing that liquid gold in your tank decreases.
Motor1 has contacted Dee via email and TikTok direct message. This post will be updated if she replies.
