A holiday prank making the rounds on TikTok is bringing laughs to families and friends while inadvertently highlighting the risks of fueling mistakes.
Dubbed the “Christmas gas” prank, participants call loved ones pretending to have mistakenly filled their car with a fictional holiday-themed fuel.
Hannah Crawford, a 31-year-old family counselor from Stockton, Alabama, couldn’t resist pulling the prank on her husband, Clayton.
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She secretly called him from her coworker’s office and pretended to have put “Christmas gas” in her car after stopping at a station that was allegedly out of regular fuel.
“You used the what now?” Clayton asked in disbelief during the recorded call, which Hannah later shared on TikTok. “Don’t play with me. What are you talking about?”
Hannah, stifling laughter, explained, “It was a green handle instead of black.” Clayton’s reaction escalated quickly: “I’ll kill you. You better go run that car off a bridge somewhere if you did that. You better find a way to total it is all I’m telling you, because it’s ruined.”
When Hannah reassured him that the situation was being resolved, Clayton responded knowingly, “You put diesel in your car. There’s no helping you.”
@hannahcrawford_ Christmas gas prank on my husband. He’s so sick of me 😂😂 #prank #christmasgas #funny #couple #couplecomedy ♬ original sound – Hannah Crawford
The video garnered attention online, with viewers amused by Clayton’s mix of frustration and suspicion. “Love that his first thought was insurance fraud,” one commenter wrote.
Another remarked, “Why did he give off Rip from Yellowstone vibes when he said, ‘I don’t have time for you today.’”
The “Christmas gas” trend reportedly started in 2023 when TikTok user Karsen Holloway Ward tricked her father into believing she had purchased the fictional fuel.
Ward’s video amassed 2.9 million views and showcased her father’s calm yet exasperated response: “This is why kids don’t have a clue about life.”
Other videos have followed a similar pattern, with pranksters often targeting family members who are less likely to be familiar with TikTok trends.
The reactions have ranged from humorous disbelief to patient explanations about the impracticality of such a mistake.
While the prank has provided laughs, it also sheds light on the serious consequences of putting the wrong type of fuel in a vehicle.
According to Paul Sadosky, owner of Valvoline Express Care in Waco, Texas, mistakenly filling a gas-powered car with diesel can lead to significant damage if not addressed quickly.
“It’s going to start up because there’s still gas in the line,” Sadosky explained. “But once that gas in the line runs out and it turns to diesel, it’ll probably start running rough. It’ll start smoking and the car will start to misfire.”
The damage could escalate to the point of requiring a new motor.
However, Sadosky noted that catching the error early can minimize the impact. “If you catch it in time, it could just be flushing out all the lines and a new fuel filter. You might have to replace some fuel lines.”
Interestingly, Sadosky added that putting gasoline in a diesel engine is an even bigger issue due to the differences in fuel composition and combustion requirements.
As the “Christmas gas” prank continues to spread, it has provided moments of humor while also inadvertently educating viewers about the risks of fueling errors.
While the trend is entertaining for many, the underlying message remains clear: always double-check the fuel you’re using to avoid costly repairs.
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