Some Things Just Really Make You Shake Your Head
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (127563)
Gainesville, Florida
January 13, 2026 9:24am CST
So I'm at the gas station yesterday gassing up my truck. As I'm standing there at the pump, a car pulls up to opposite side of me. I thought something seemed strange about the sound of the car, but I wasn't really paying attention. But then I look over and realized that the car was a Tesla.
Okay, not a big deal, the driver may have parked at a pump just to run inside and grab a snack, or maybe just clean the windshield with a squeegee, or something like that. But no, this little old lady gets out of the Tesla and proceeds to pump gas into her car!!! She was trying to stick the nozzle into the charging port on her Tesla, and seemed confused as to why it wouldn't insert.
I earnestly went around the gas pump to her side and told her to stop, and then explained that she was in an electric vehicle, and it did not need gas for fuel. She seemed very perplexed, and just stood there confused for a second. Then a lightbulb went on in her head, and she said, "Oh, yes, I did recently buy an electric car. How silly of me!"
Give her advanced age, I'm pretty sure she was having a senior moment, or possible suffering from senility. I can only imagine what might have happened if she had started pumping gas into her electric charging port. Anyway, crisis averted!
Have you ever seen someone do something so blatantly stupid, or wrong, that just made you shake your head and wonder how the human species has ever survived to this point?
20 people like this
18 responses
@Marilynda1225 (88931)
• United States
13 Jan
Wow that sounds like more than a senior moment. Good thing you noticed and stopped her from pumping gas into her electric car. Crisis averted for sure!!
5 people like this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
At first I laughed it off as a senior moment. But this clearly was a bigger deal than a senior moment. She could have seriously damaged her car, herself, or even started a fire at the gas station. I hope she does not forget again in the future.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (88931)
• United States
13 Jan
@moffittjc that is really scary and I only immediately thought about ruining her car but the idea of starting a fire is even much scarier. Sounds like she shouldn't be driving at all.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
@Marilynda1225 That's what worried me too, that she could possibly not only start a fire with her car, but also potentially engulf the entire gas station in flames. That would not have been good at all.
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
That's what I was thinking. She was very old, so it could be Alzheimers, senility, dementia or just old age forgetfulness. I just hope she doesn't try to put gas in her car again; I'd hate to know that it short-circuited her electrical system or something.
3 people like this
@snowy22315 (203646)
• United States
13 Jan
Yikes, she needs a keeper. All the time, and sometimes it's me.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
I admit that I have many forgetful moments, but what she did was a pretty big deal, and could have (at worst) ruined her Tesla. I hope that she is not alone, and has someone else in her family or a caregiver or someone who can help her out or be with her when she goes places.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
@snowy22315 I always worry about people who live alone, or do not have anyone to help them. Both of my neighbors on either side of me are like that, and I always worry about them. I try to check in on them from time to time to make sure they are okay and don't need help with anything.
@velvet53 (24420)
• Palisade, Colorado
13 Jan
@moffittjc Probaly both. You were here Angel for sure.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
@velvet53 I'm just glad I could help. I hate when I see people that are confused or unsure of what to do in situations.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
I was thinking the same thing. I don't know much about electric vehicles, but I do know that mixing gas and electricity is not a good thing. I wonder if it would have short-circuited her entire electric system, or even started a fire?
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (130377)
• Marion, Ohio
14 Jan
Glad you were there to stop her. That could have been a disaster
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (130377)
• Marion, Ohio
14 Jan
@moffittjc Let's start at the top. I can't believe some of the elected officials we have
2 people like this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
I really think there should be some kind of intelligence test that people are required to pass on a yearly basis, or something like that. People just don't know how to use common sense anymore, or even use deductive reasoning skills. It's quite scary.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Jan
@JudyEv So, for my health and safety, and mental and physical well-being, I have to keep a vigilant eye on everything going on around me, and all the things the people around me are doing. I don't want the stupidity of one person to inure or kill me. lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
I don't mind helping other people, but sadly for every 1 person out there that knows how to use their brain, there are a 100 others that don't have a clue how to function in this world.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (372811)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Jan
@moffittjc Unfortunately I have to agree. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (83425)
• United States
13 Jan
Poor lady. Someone probably sold her that without explaining things, too.
But then, there are people who think filling up an EV is free. 
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (83425)
• United States
13 Jan
@moffittjc — exactly. I did a calculation with one of the websites designed for such things. To go from my Chuy’s to yours would take $20 more and two more “fill-ups” in an EV than in my regular car!!!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
It does blow my mind that people think filling up an EV is free. Maybe there are some free places to get a charge, but most places nowadays charge money for using their ports. And even if you charge at home, it's still not free; your electric bill will increase.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (169103)
• United States
13 Jan
I have seen something similar here although it was a young lady instead of an older lady... She was driving her dad's vehicle and didn't realize it was electric. A bunch of us at the pumps started laughing after she drove away.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (169103)
• United States
13 Jan
@moffittjc True, but you can laugh about it now.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
@DaddyEvil Yes, I guess I can, but what worries me is that she'll forget and do it again.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
Originally, that's what I thought, that she was driving someone else's car and didn't realize it was electric. But, it appeared that this was her car and she was having a serious senior moment. I would have laughed it off if it wasn't a potential safety issue.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Jan
I would gladly give up my driving privileges if I ever got to that point in life. I don't want to be a danger to those around me. There are so many viable options for transportation these days that independent driving is not always a necessity anymore.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (21637)
• United States
20 Jan
Wow that really is a senior moment. She doesn't need to be driving.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
I agree. She might need to rethink her ability to keep her drivers license.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (49476)
• Staten Island, New York
14 Jan
This could’ve turned out really bad if you hadn’t been there.
I remember once my aunt’s nephew put a whole raw chicken in the microwave. He was going to cook it. We caught him before he turned the microwave on.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
That's almost as bad as someone putting a frozen turkey into a deep fryer full of boiling oil.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
@lovebuglena And yet every year some idiot tries to do it, even though there has been countless warnings, tv commercials, YouTube videos and social media posts advising against it. People just don't think things through before doing something.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (49476)
• Staten Island, New York
14 Jan
@moffittjc I’ve seen that. Crazy thing to do.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (27936)
• Singapore
14 Jan
In Asia it is either petrol or diesel though electric vehicles are making strong inroads and I can see fewer vehicles at gas stations.
Help is at hand generally at gas stations and we have to be alert as they can mix up petrol and diesel.
If that happens, we are in real trouble.
I normally double check my actions not to forget things as that can prove costly.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
It is uncommon here in the US for drivers to mix up gas (petrol) and diesel, as they usually keep the pumps separated so that there is not a mixup. Plus, the nozzles on the handles of the pump are of different sizes, so that a diesel nozzle will not fit inside the tank of a gas (petrol) vehicle. It might be the same way where you live. However, it does sometimes happen where drivers will accidentally put gas (petrol) inside a diesel gas tank.
While electric vehicles have been gaining in popularity over the past 5-6 years, new studies are coming out saying that the trend may be over, and that people may be moving back to gas (petrol) vehicles or hybrid vehicles. Electric vehicles (the batteries) are extremely damaging to the environment, both in production and in disposal.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
@Shiva49 I've read that China is selling more electric cars than any other type. I guess that as long as we continue to have cheap oil (and therefore cheap gas/petrol), people in America are not going to prefer electric cars.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (27936)
• Singapore
15 Jan
@moffittjc Agreed, but just as the lady here had a senior moment we should be careful though safeguards are in place.
America and a few other countries are selfsufficient in terms of fossil fuel but the majority are dependent on imports. So electric vehicles or Hybrids are preferred. I hear China is selling more electric cars than other types and BYD is currently Singapore's best-selling car brand.
Battery recycling is being done and is expected to pick up pace to reduce damage to environment.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (215083)
• United States
14 Jan
Every day. Sometimes I wonder, as you do, how the human species has survived. I'm glad you were able to help the senior lady.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
I think one of the big problems is that people don't think anymore, or use common sense. And deductive and inductive thinking skills are not taught in schools anymore. As an example, at my local grocery store, aisle 5 is the "breakfast" aisle. While the sign hanging over the aisle does not say "breakfast aisle," it lists cereal, oatmeal, syrups, coffee and tea on the sign. Wouldn't common sense tell you these items are breakfast items? Yet every time I'm at the store, I hear people asking questions such as, "What aisle is the pancake mix on?" Come on people, put some thought into it! lol
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (215083)
• United States
15 Jan
@moffittjc Among other things, people are lazy.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Jan
@LindaOHio That is definitely a big factor. I see laziness all around me, all of the time.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55378)
•
14 Jan
I really don't think that it seems she should have been driving any type of vehicle at all. I know it takes away independence to not be able to drive, but unfortunately people don't always stop on their own.
We took care of my ex's grandfather as he had vision issues and later on, severe dementia. Before he got hit with the dementia, he still drove...we were trying to get him to stop and had contacted his doctor. But he walked in to my kitchen the next day and told me, here's the keys. I almost hit someone today and I don't want to kill anyone. Do not give me back the keys, no matter what I say...poor old fellow. It's hard to get old.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
@MarieCoyle My mom suffered from dementia, but I think it was more of her choice of lifestyle and destructive habits than it was hereditary. But because she had it means there is always a chance it could hit someone else in the family.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55378)
•
14 Jan
@moffittjc
No one in my family has ever had dementia or Alzheimer's, but we know it can hit anyone. I told my kids if I am able to drive with no problems, fine. If I get to be a safety issue, I hope I am smart enough to turn in my keys.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55378)
•
15 Jan
@moffittjc
Yes, it does sometimes run in families, from what I have read. Maybe it was lifestyle choices with your mom.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (167912)
• United States
14 Jan
I have seen too much stupid to even count. I am glad you were in the right place at the right time to avert a disaster.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 Jan
Sadly, I lose more and more faith in the human species with each passing day. And we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We quit teaching critical thinking skills in schools decades ago, and instead rely on memorization or technology to answer everything for us. Unfortunately, when people encounter problems in their daily lives, they don't have the skills necessary to think through the problem and develop solutions. They just sit there dumbfounded waiting for someone else to tell them what to do.
@AmbiePam (113798)
• United States
13 Jan
You know what’s sad? There have been videos of young people pulling up to gas stations with Teslas trying to figure out where to put the gas. I have to think they borrowed or rented them or something. I mean, that’s so bad!
I’m so glad you pointed out to her what she was doing wrong because in those videos I saw, people were more interested in laughing at them than getting them to stop. You’re a good guy!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
I was thinking the same thing about people not knowing about the Teslas they were driving. They had to be borrowing or renting the vehicle, because there's no way the dealership would let them off the lot without explaining to them how to charge their car.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (94797)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Jan
Plenty of times remember my hometown was NYC and some of the things I've seen are really something,
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (127563)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 Jan
In a place like New York City, I'm sure there are crazy things to be seen on every street corner and block in the city.
1 person likes this
