"That Is Genius, Mate" — Man From the UK Praises This Little Hack in US Gas Stations

In the United States, we've always praised the United Kingdom for doing certain things that we believe to be better than we do. The American side of the internet has long celebrated the UK for having wittier humor in their comedies, better vocabulary, and nicer cities. In many instances, most folks have also often maligned US remakes of popular British shows for being cheap and unfunny imitations of the source material. It's common for certain folks to think that the UK just does it better.

But as is always the case, the grass is always greener when it comes to differences across the pond. If you've ever found yourself envious of how the United Kingdom does things, then you'll be interested to know that UK citizens can feel the same way about the United States.

As a matter of fact, Josh (@imjoshfromengland on TikTok) is a British content creator who often points out how jealous he is that the US has things that the UK doesn't. This was especially true when it came to gas stations.

Josh is no stranger to posting about the differences between the United Kingdom and the United States. He usually praises one or the other, or simply points out some of the more egregious things about the United States that he just doesn't find back home.

One of the biggest differences he's noticed over the summer of 2023 is how different gas stations are between the two countries. In late July 2023, Josh posted a video of himself at an American gas station where he immediately noticed how different pumping gas is here in the States. Spoiler alert: he likes it better in America.

In the United Kingdom, gas pumps have to be operated manually. Much like in the States, drivers are required to get out of their cars and hook up the pump to their gas tank. In the UK, however, a customer is required to keep the pump handle squeezed the entire time while gas flows into their cars. The gas pumps faster the harder you squeeze the handle, but it still has to be done entirely by hand.

However, the gas station that Josh visited in the US has a helpful little hack in their pumps. The pumps at this station each have a little tab within the handle that you can flip when you squeeze the trigger. Once flipped down, it locks the trigger in place, allowing the pump to fill automatically. According to Josh, gas stations in the UK do not have this feature.

"That is not in the UK," Josh claims. "That is genius, mate!"

Folks in the comments are living for Josh's culture shock.

One person wrote, "You're convincing me that the UK just [makes] things difficult on purpose."

Other people even shared their own regional gas traditions. In New Jersey, for instance, it's illegal for people to pump their own gas.

Reportedly, these gas pumps even stop automatically once the tank is full, making the whole experience even more hands-free. Though Josh was all too happy to walk off and do a little dance to celebrate this cultural divide, many people have subsequently warned him against leaving the pump unattended.

"Don't ever walk away from it," one person warned. "I've had pumps fail to stop on their own and gas spilled out."

Another commenter wrote, "You do have to keep an eye out for people snatching it to fill up a gas can and adding $50 to your bill."

One thing's for sure. Josh will never want to go back to UK petrol stations after this.