If you’ve ever travelled overseas, you’ll know that local life’s small, everyday details often catch your attention the most. From simple habits to quirky customs, these little discoveries can offer fascinating insights into how people live and think, making travel all the more memorable.
A routine stop at an Australian petrol station became a jaw-dropping cultural revelation for one American visitor. What seemed like an ordinary pit stop quickly became a moment of surprise that has since captured the attention of millions online.
Russell Richardson, an American marketing expert and car salesman, recently shared his astonishment on social media after discovering a uniquely Australian approach to filling up at the servo.
His video, which has racked up over 1.7 million views, captures the moment he realised that, Down Under, you fill your tank before you pay. That’s right—no prepayment, no swiping your card at the pump, just good old-fashioned trust.
‘In America, you just pay and it starts pumping,’ Richardson explained, still reeling from the experience.
‘But here, you go in and ask the guy, “How do I pay?” and he tells me, “Go fill up, then come back in and pay.” You are trusting people to fill up their car and then come in and pay, like an honour system. I am blown away that people of Australia do not steal gas.’
Richardson’s disbelief didn’t stop there. He even quizzed the servo attendant whether anyone had tried doing a runner.
The answer? ‘Not that I reckon.’ For Richardson, this was almost unthinkable.
‘People in America would steal petrol left, right and centre if we had an honour system,’ he said. ‘What’s gone wrong with us in America that we can’t adopt a concept like this?’
So, what’s behind this difference? In the United States, the fear of ‘gas and dash’ is so strong that most petrol stations require you to pay before you pump.
You swipe your card at the bowser or prepay a set amount. This system was introduced to combat kerb fuel theft, which can be costly for station owners and, ultimately, for honest customers.
But there’s a twist: in New Jersey, it’s illegal for drivers to pump their petrol. Only trained attendants are allowed to operate the pumps, and station owners can be fined hundreds of dollars if customers are caught handling the nozzle themselves.
Is the honour system working in Australia?
Richardson’s viral video paints a picture of Australia as a land of trust and decency, but is it all sunshine and honesty at the servo? Not quite.
New South Wales (NSW) alone recorded 11,673 incidents of fuel theft in the year leading up to June 2023. While that’s a drop in the ocean compared to the millions of transactions yearly, it reminds us that the system isn’t foolproof.
And the penalties for getting caught are no joke. In NSW, Victoria, and the Northern Territory, stealing petrol can imprison you for up to 10 years.
Queenslanders face a minimum of five years in prison, while in South Australia, basic theft can mean five years behind bars and aggravated theft up to 15 years.
Western Australia isn’t far behind, with a maximum of seven years, and in Tasmania, you could be fined over $20,000 or spend a year in jail. The Australian Capital Territory takes it even further, with penalties of up to $160,000 and/or 10 years in prison.
Despite these risks, most Australians still happily fill up and pay afterwards. Maybe it’s a reflection of our laid-back culture, or perhaps it’s just that most people are honest. Either way, it’s a system that works, most of the time.
Have you ever had a surprising experience at a petrol station, here or overseas? Do you think the honour system is something we should keep, or is it time for a change? Share your stories and thoughts in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you!
Also read: Petrol station glitch charges customers up to 134 times
Some years ago at a rural petrol station I had just pulled up by a bowser when my baby started crying in the back seat. Choosing to feed him first then fill up with petrol after, I drove a few metres forwards into the service station car park space out of the way of the bowser, and came to a stop.
A young male staffer immediately came rushing out and accused me of trying to drive away without paying. In vain did I try to explain I had not taken any petrol and was just parking. For some reason he could or would not verify on his equipment that I had not taken any petrol. He threatened to call the police and I said go ahead. Nothing more happened.
Drive-offs were an infuriating part of being a cashier at a service station, however one occurrence lingers in my memory. The night was young at about 6:30 on a Saturday night when we noticed a rather attractive blonde lady in a sportscar with the roof down stopped at Pump8.
She put fuel in her car and promptly drove off. We had not taken her rego number as we were watching her (not her car). She had done a drive-off after putting $2 of fuel in her car. Surely, if you intend to drive-off, then a smart person would fill it to the brim. It’s still stealing whether it’s $2 or $50 ??????? This is not a blonde joke!!
My local Metro is a pay-at-the-pump. You activate the screen, enter the maximum amount you want to spend, put your card in, confirm with your PIN, then pump the fuel. Which ever comes up first will be the amount you’ll be charged – the actual price or the amount you entered. You can ask for a receipt from the machine, get in your car & go. My account is charged within 2 days of the transaction.
No drive-offs, no ‘temptations’ to purchase anything else.