While a recent viral photo showing large bags of fuel sitting in a trunk has turned out to be a misleading image taken years ago, there is still a real concern about people currently hoarding gas.
“Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline,” the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission stated this week as people became worried about a new gas shortage.
According to NBC2, the concerns surfaced after a Russian criminal group known as DarkSide cyber-attacked the Colonial Pipeline, which is responsible for 45% of the east coast’s fuel supply. As the Colonial Pipeline took certain systems offline to mitigate the attack, some anxious people hoarded fuel in plastic bags and makeshift containers.
This lady put gas in a plastic bag!! ???? pic.twitter.com/NidOlCzaVh
— ????~~SHEILA~~???? (@sdr_medco) May 12, 2021
But one viral image of a trunk holding several bags of fuel has turned out to be a photo which was published two years ago in a Mexican publication known as Quintana Roo Hoy. According to the 2019 article, the items seen in the photo belonged to two men who were arrested in the state of Puebla after being found with thousands of liters of stolen gas contained in 67 plastic bags.
I'm crying at how every time something happens, Americans turn into the cast of the office pic.twitter.com/P0coDp6JfX
— | (@shOoObz) May 12, 2021
Still, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a statement on Twitter to warn people about the dangers of putting fuel in plastic bags.
"We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly," the agency stated. "They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it's dangerous."
We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly. They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it's dangerous.
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) May 12, 2021
Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg also gave a warning during a White House press briefing, CBS News reported.
"This is a time to be sensible and to be safe," Buttigieg said. "Of course, we understand the concern in the areas where people are encountering temporary supply disruptions, but hoarding does not make things better. Under no circumstances should gasoline ever be put into anything but a vehicle directly or an approved container, and that of course, remains true no matter what else is going on."
About 1,800 stations in the country are out of fuel, according to Gas Buddy. But experts say the panic buying is the main factor leading to the shortage.
