A couple spotted something strange at an Oklahoma gas station. Although the lot was packed with parked cars, every single one looked dirty and abandoned. To many observers, it was like something out of a horror movie. TikTok creator @babyykayy444, who says she’s 23, posted that she and her partner were driving through Oklahoma when they decided to stop for gas and noticed something was off. As they circled the lot, they realized that several cars were parked right at the pumps—as if waiting to fill up—but all of them were empty and coated in dust. The two stayed inside their car, filming as they tried to make sense of what they were seeing. “They’re all, literally, dusty, and it’s dark,” she says in the clip. “There’s nobody in their [expletive] cars.” Later, she added, “Ain’t nobody in there.” The eerie scene struck a nerve online. As of this writing, her video racked up nearly 6 million views, with commenters trying to figure out what could explain the ghostly lineup of vehicles. What Was Going On There? In a follow-up video, @babyykayy444 says curiosity got the better of them. The next day, she and her partner drove back to the same gas station—and found the same cars still sitting there, just as dusty and deserted as before. “We went back, and the same three cars are parked at the same pumps,” she says. So they decided to ask about it. According to @babyykayy444, the cashier told them the cars weren’t abandoned at all. They belong to the gas station owner, who parked them there to mark which pumps are broken. FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK Viral bits from across the social media landscape Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking. Not everyone online was convinced by that explanation, but it at least offered a possible answer to the mystery. In the end, the couple went inside, grabbed some snacks and drinks, and says the station was “nice on the inside.” So, Can A Gas Station Owner Do That? In most cases, yes. A gas station owner can legally park their personal vehicles on their own property. But just because they can doesn’t always mean they should. Things such as basic customer access all come into play—and things can get messy if those cars block pumps or make it harder for customers to use the station. Because gas stations are typically on private property, the owner generally has the authority to decide what happens there so long as they follow laws and regulations. Unless these say otherwise, they’re within their rights to leave their cars parked outside. That said, if those dusty cars are taking up space at the pumps, that could be a problem. Blocking access can frustrate customers and violate local parking codes in some cases. Even if it’s not technically illegal, it can make the business look abandoned—or just plain sketchy. To that end, there’s also the matter of appearance. A lot full of dirty, unused cars isn’t exactly great for business. Additionally, vehicles left unattended for extended periods can attract vandalism or theft, which may end up being more trouble than it’s worth. If you do have concerns about safety or legality in a similar situation, it’s often best to speak with the owner first. If that doesn’t work, local code enforcement or the station’s corporate parent can step in and determine whether the setup violates any rules. Does the Gas Station's Explanation Add Up? Even though @babyykayy444 eventually shared a surprisingly mundane explanation for what she and her partner saw, plenty of people in the comments weren’t buying it. To them, the idea that the dusty cars were just there to mark broken pumps didn’t add up. “That is not an explanation. They have to be lying,” one commenter wrote. “Who has extra cars laying around to block just a few of the pumps instead of just using bags or cones? And those Broncos cost like $40-50K!” “He has three cars that he doesn’t use?” another said. “So you leave a spare new Bronco at a gas station indefinitely? Nah, I don’t buy it,” a third viewer added. “Some Jeepers Creepers stuff going on.” Others compared the scene to something out of a horror movie. “Girl, that’s the House of Wax town RUNNNNNNNN,” one woman quipped. “Didn’t the House of Wax start like this,” another said. “It’s giving fake town like the House of Wax movie,” a third viewer echoed. “As a horror writer, there are the details I would have put in there to let the audience know you were about to [expletive] up,” a fourth commenter wrote. Motor1 has reached out to @babyykayy444 via a TikTok direct message. We’ll update this if she responds.
+8 others
