US expats share differences between US and Australian gas stations

But for an American woman, who recently moved to Queensland, it’s our Australian gas stations that have really left her stumped.

In a now-viral TikTok, Katy points out the key differences between US and Australian gas stations, with lack of alcohol top of the list.

She said that while Australian gas stations are not that different from those in the United States, there are a few important things that surprised her.

“At the pump in Australia, you get the oil first and then you go in and pay for the amount you used,” he begins.

“In the US, most of them are pay-at-the-pump payments.

“You can also go in and pay in advance and then go back to the pump and it will still dispense that amount of gas. There are a couple of rare areas in the US where people will pump the fuel for you.”

He then explained how servos in the US are much larger than those in Australia, adding that they even sell alcohol “or at least beer.”

“U.S. gas stations can sell alcohol and many of them will have little cafes or places to get coffee and other things inside,” he said.

“I wish our servos sold beer,” one Aussie responded, to which Katy said, “It’s convenient for a quick or last-minute purchase!”

He also said that in the United States it is called a gas station.

“Gas is short for gasoline, in Australia it’s gas station, petrol is short for petrol, you can also call it a servo,” Katy explained, adding that Aussies get “really salty” when they refer to servos as “petrol stations.” ”.

“I’m sure there is some scientific difference between gas and oil,” she said, but encouraged viewers to look for it themselves.

“Gasoline is sold by the gallon and gasoline is sold by the liter. The unit is a smaller unit of measure, so keep that in mind when comparing price points,” he said adding a gallon equals about 3.79 liters.

Katy’s clip has been viewed 260,000 times and has attracted hundreds of comments from Australians.

“Why would they sell alcohol at a place you’re about to drive into?” an Australian wrote.

“Australian servos can still set a cash limit and some are bigger with cafes and stuff,” added another.

‘As an Australian, a big difference I’ve noticed with some US stations is that you guys only had one mouthpiece and you selected the grade. We have one nozzle per grade,” said a third.

However, the clip also sparked a heated debate about the difference between gasoline and gas.

“Most cars in Australia run on petrol, some cars run on gas (LPG),” one person wrote.

“There is no difference between gasoline and oil, except oil is the correct term,” said another.

“We call it gasoline because it’s not a gas, it’s a liquid,” joked a third.

Last month another expat was left “confused” after struggling to understand why Aussie servos didn’t have “petrol assist”.

“There is nobody here. You basically fill up the tank yourself based on how much gas you want and then go in and pay,” said Mahle Majola, who moved from South Africa to Sydney, in a TikTok.

Mahle said he “doesn’t understand” how Australians are “so confident”.

“Like, why wouldn’t someone just walk away?” she asked.

“The price of petrol is so high in South Africa and in Sydney [it] It’s ridiculous right now.”

In South Africa, gas stations have fuel attendants who fill your tank for you. Customers then tip the attendant and pay at the pump.

The Aussies jumped into the comments section to tell Mahle that there are “cameras everywhere” at Australian gas stations.

“Labor costs are too high here to have assistants. Also, the cameras track every inch of your car, so if you don’t pay, they send the details to the police,” one person wrote.

“There are cameras that monitor the license plates of the cars in case someone leaves,” said another, to which Mahle replied: “But isn’t it so much work now to look for those cars and open a police case?”

“With low crime rates compared to [South Africa] the police here have time to follow petty crimes. To say that most people in Australia are honest,” said a TikTok user.