Gas Prices

Can a gas station be cited for vandalism if stickers are put on the gas pump? No, that's not true: A claim that putting stickers on the gas pump would hold the owners responsible is false, according to the sheriff where the claim was made. "I've never heard of anything like this," Marion County, West Virginia, Sheriff Department Chief Deputy…

Does Bob Cratchit, a character from the Charles Dickens classic novella "A Christmas Carol" make the equivalent of $530.27 a week, which is more than the current weekly federal minimum wage in the United States? Probably not: The novella, set in Victorian-era London, states that Cratchit is paid 15 "bob" -- a colloquial term for British shillings -- per week…

Did Joe Biden promise a gas price hike when he said "We're going to ensure the American people are paying their fair share for gas"? No, that's not true: The excerpt circulating on social media clipped off the rest of what he said: that his administration wants to ensure Americans are not being "gouged for gas." The claim appeared in…

Do fact checkers never fact check posts and photos that attack conservatives? No, that's not true: If you conduct a search of fact checking sites like Lead Stories, you'll find examples that disprove the claim. The claim has appeared on several social media accounts, including this October 17, 2021, Instagram post under the title "Ever notice how the so called…

Is the carbon footprint of mining the materials for electric car batteries greater than the carbon footprint of one year's U.S. air travel, are those batteries impossible to recycle and is this proof electric vehicles are worse for the planet than internal combustion vehicles? No, that's not true: The claims are made without providing credible sources of information. Plus, it…

Are California gas stations pricing gas at over $6 per gallon? No, statewide the average gasoline price is $4.39 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. But there are exceptions. An AAA spokesperson said that $6-plus prices may be accurate for some stations in Los Angeles or San Francisco. And an industry analyst said the station whose $6-plus prices…

Did the prices of lumber, gas, wheat, coal and corn suddenly increase in 2021-- ever since President Joe Biden took office? No, that's not true: The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on national and international economies. This, coupled with other issues unique to each item, has produced many unprecedented swings in prices. The five commodities featured in…

If the gas station is out of gas, can you put diesel in your car as long as you water it down? No, that's not true. "Water and internal combustion gasoline engines are not compatible," Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, told Lead Stories. Amid the gas shortage due to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, Americans are being warned not to water down…

Is the Keystone Pipeline closed and is that causing a gas shortage? No, that's not true. The gas shortage on the East Coast of the United States in May 2021 was triggered by a cyberattack that caused the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston to New Jersey and supplies 45% of the gasoline to the East Coast.…

Did a Japan-based startup company come up with a new, innovative and inexpensive fuel-saving device that not only helps lower a vehicle's fuel consumption but also reduces the carbon footprint? No, that's not true: The three men pictured -- purportedly at a Tokyo tech expo -- are not founders of an automotive tech company called Effuel. The men were spearheading…