Old lady falsely accused her of bumping her car in the gas line, then her own license plate sent her home without fuel
There's a certain satisfaction in seeing someone who blamed others for their own mistakes finally face the consequences. One driver recalled such an experience from the late 1970s when a brief encounter in a gas station line ended with an unpleasant exchange and an outcome the other person likely did not expect. The story, shared on Reddit, described how an older woman accused them of causing a minor collision even though she had been the one who bumped into their car. Posted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, by Reddit user who goes by u/No_Link9070, the account detailed how a single observation during the long wait eventually played a key role once both vehicles reached the gas pumps.
At the time, the United States was facing an energy crisis, and gasoline shortages were causing extremely long lines at stations that still had fuel available. California had introduced an odd-even rationing system, meaning drivers could only buy gas on certain days depending on the last number on their license plate. The older woman's car had an odd-numbered plate even though it was an even-numbered day. More than an hour after the collision incident, the user told a gas station employee, “Check the plate on the car behind me, it isn’t an even-numbered plate.” The exchange ended with the employee informing the woman that she could not purchase gasoline because her vehicle did not qualify under the day's rationing rules.
The incident began shortly after the woman joined the line behind their vehicle. She lightly tapped the rear bumper of the car in front of her. Wanting to make sure nothing had been damaged, the user stepped out and inspected both vehicles. No damage could be found on either car. Instead of acknowledging the bump, however, the older woman reportedly leaned out of her window and said, “You rolled back into me!” They immediately disagreed with the accusation and pointed out that neither vehicle appeared damaged.
Rather than letting the matter go, the woman allegedly became even more critical. “Pay attention next time and learn how to drive!” she told them. The remark left them surprised, especially since they believed the woman had caused the minor contact in the first place. As the line slowly moved forward over the next hour, they thought about the encounter and eventually realized the significance of the number on her license plate. They later recalled giving a small wave as she drove away, though they were not sure whether she noticed.
Some people know how to drive a car but struggle with the simple courtesy that comes with sharing public spaces. In another incident, a man shared how his neighbor kept ignoring basic parking rules and repeatedly blocked his driveway. Over time, the issue became more frustrating as the neighbor often said it was only temporary, but never changed his behavior.
After one more day of finding the driveway blocked, the man decided not to argue again. He said the neighbor always claimed, “I’m just here for a bit.” After repeated warnings, he finally had the car towed before the neighbor’s Tinder date arrived. Later, when the woman came and saw the situation, she asked, “Wait, you parked in front of his driveway?” and left after calling his behavior “trash.”