I'm not into making political statements.
However, I suppose, in the end, the graffiti I refer to is actually an election ploy/influencer/whatever for the upcoming mid-terms.

I'm referring to those stickers on the gas station pumps - they appear to be professionally manufactured stickers of either the current president and/or the former one applied everywhere on the gas pumps.
Last year, when I performed the gas station site inspections, whether "Blue", "Yellow" or "Green", I observed those stupid stickers. Meaning, of course, I have to report them. At first, when I ignored them, I was taken to task by my editors, instructing me that they are graffiti. That was last year. Then at the end of last year, I was told to ignore them.
Now, 4 months into the new year, and I have duly been reporting the stickers (as instructed in the 2022 new year's guidelines) as graffiti.
I understand that people are upset over the increase in gasoline cost. But, I'm wondering, do those stickers really influence anyone?
To that end, it is now April, 4 months of reporting the graffiti, and gas station employees and even their managers are angry about those stickers and the people who are attaching them.
I'm being told by these people that they are diligent about removing them, yet they continue to appear. I'm being told that their otherwise well kept site gets docked for those stickers. The manager and employees have their incentives decreased or removed entirely due to the reporting of those stickers.

They tell me this and more. I just nod, shake my head and continue reporting them.
What else can I do?

I have never done a gas station audit, however if able, I would give them the chance to remove them in the moment before photographing etc.

Not sure if this is feasible or not.

@French Farmer wrote:

I'm not into making political statements.
However, I suppose, in the end, the graffiti I refer to is actually an election ploy/influencer/whatever for the upcoming mid-terms.

I'm referring to those stickers on the gas station pumps - they appear to be professionally manufactured stickers of either the current president and/or the former one applied everywhere on the gas pumps.
Last year, when I performed the gas station site inspections, whether "Blue", "Yellow" or "Green", I observed those stupid stickers. Meaning, of course, I have to report them. At first, when I ignored them, I was taken to task by my editors, instructing me that they are graffiti. That was last year. Then at the end of last year, I was told to ignore them.
Now, 4 months into the new year, and I have duly been reporting the stickers (as instructed in the 2022 new year's guidelines) as graffiti.
I understand that people are upset over the increase in gasoline cost. But, I'm wondering, do those stickers really influence anyone?
To that end, it is now April, 4 months of reporting the graffiti, and gas station employees and even their managers are angry about those stickers and the people who are attaching them.
I'm being told by these people that they are diligent about removing them, yet they continue to appear. I'm being told that their otherwise well kept site gets docked for those stickers. The manager and employees have their incentives decreased or removed entirely due to the reporting of those stickers.

They tell me this and more. I just nod, shake my head and continue reporting them.
What else can I do?

I can really appreciate your predicament. I wondered about how to address those, too. They've been popular for over a year -well before the latest surge in prices. But of course we have seen prices steadily rising since around November 2020.

I sympathize with the workers and owners.

I imagine the stickers are NOT there to CONVINCE Democrat voters of anything. I imagine they're there to make them mad. Nobody looking at that is going to be like "Oh, you're right, mighty sticker, I've changed my mind. I repent. I made a bad choice." More likely, they'll fume every time they see them. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a 'lottle' and that's why we keep seeing them.

It's a troll.

I like the idea of allowing them to remove them -but fair is fair- if it were gang graffiti we wouldn't patiently defraud the client by allowing the workers to get some Goo Gone or Goof Off and do their best to clean it up. It's not different. Both are trying to get you to notice them.

Do you think the average person
a) thinks they're funny?
b) ignores or doesn't get it?
c) is really mad when they see them?
d) is going to change their behavior because of them?


Good luck out there. I don't appreciate destruction of public or private property.

I don't endorse the stickers but I think they are pretty effective in pushing a certain political/cultural message. To me they are just a nuisance. Honestly it would take too much time to give the station a chance to remove them, even if I thought it was appropriate. If they sent someone out on their own after I revealed, on the other hand, that would be fine with me.

I did feel bad at first reporting these as deductions, simply because they were so hard to keep removed. But now the stations are aware of the issue, and have had a chance to try to control them, so I feel less bad. It's like when we had to start reporting drug paraphernalia at a certain brand. At first I felt bad because many stations were unaware of the change. I would sneak the picture or save it to the very end. Now I just take it matter of factly, like any other photo.

I've been seeing fewer stickers here. I think at least some of the stations are putting in the effort to keep the stickers off of the pumps. They used to be on every pump, but now I only see them on 1 or 2 pumps at any given time.

Found this on Google...

The illusory truth effect (also known as the illusion of truth effect, validity effect, truth effect, or the reiteration effect) is the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure. This phenomenon was first identified in a 1977 study at Villanova University and Temple University.


I would say it doesn't matter if it's true or not. If it's repeated or shown enough, people will start to believe it.

The more things are said (or seen), the more they become believed whether true or not. It's not just with these stickers. It's with everything. How many things have we believed because we have been told it was so many times over (only to find out it's not really so).

I have had a TESLA since 2018 so I really don't get gas often for my other vehicles. My wife hasn't really said anything about seeing the stickers. But she gets gas at Costco usually. Maybe the typical Costco customer isn't putting stickers on pumps, but I don't know.

Has anyone seen the sticker at Costco gas pumps?

People think the stickers “trigger” Democrats but mostly we just think they’re stupid? Like, every reason folks come up tying Biden directly to higher gas prices doesn’t pan out, so at this point it’s just willful ignorance on their part. And there’s nothing we can do about that!

I see very few Biden stickers that have not been partially removed but apparently they are difficult to totally remove especially in colder weather. That is a problem for the gas station attendant and for me. Are the remnants of a sticker still considered graffiti? Does graffiti have to be bigger than 3x5 inches as described on page 37 of the guidelines of one brand? According to the editors the answer is yes to remnants not no to larger than 3x5. Therefore, I have been reporting both as graffiti violations.

Regarding whether or not "he did that" my feeling is when we where energy independent the price of a gallon of gas was $2.00 and change. Now that we have limited drilling the price is $5.00 and change. My conclusion is yes "he did that" but I don't need pump stickers to remind me.

I am seeing them less often. Some stations are doing a better job removing them, and people have probably gotten bored of putting them on. The lowering of gas prices helps too, I'm sure.

Those stickers are no less graffiti than a gang tag and the people applying them are no different, either.

@Grokie63 wrote:

Those stickers are no less graffiti than a gang tag and the people applying them are no different, either.

@Grokie63 wrote:

Those stickers are no less graffiti than a gang tag and the people applying them are no different, either.

I'm not sure what a gang tag is but are you comparing people who are unhappy with gas prices and inflation to, say, MS-13 members?

Has there been any variety to the specific stickers you see?

I've been seeing mostly two types (and yes -nearly every station in every city I visit daily):

1: "I DID THAT" with Biden pointing with both hands at the user's pumping total
2: "DEMOCRATS DID THAT" with Kamala and Biden pointing and laughing

Bonus:

Occasionally I see an "I HELPED" with Pelosi

@chrisg0619 wrote:

People think the stickers “trigger” Democrats but mostly we just think they’re stupid? Like, every reason folks come up tying Biden directly to higher gas prices doesn’t pan out, so at this point it’s just willful ignorance on their part. And there’s nothing we can do about that!

You sound triggered! lol Not one thing is better under this President.

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Found this on Google...

The illusory truth effect (also known as the illusion of truth effect, validity effect, truth effect, or the reiteration effect) is the tendency to believe false information to be correct after repeated exposure. This phenomenon was first identified in a 1977 study at Villanova University and Temple University.

Has anyone seen the sticker at Costco gas pumps?

I only saw them at Costco once.

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Has there been any variety to the specific stickers you see?

I've been seeing mostly two types (and yes -nearly every station in every city I visit daily):

1: "I DID THAT" with Biden pointing with both hands at the user's pumping total
2: "DEMOCRATS DID THAT" with Kamala and Biden pointing and laughing

Bonus:

Occasionally I see an "I HELPED" with Pelosi

Actually, I see those Biden stickers, but also the "Brandon" stickers and lately, F@@k Biden stickers. and also the "Miss me yet?" sticker. All look very professionally manufactured.
It surprises me since I see the cameras aimed at every pump. I'm sure the station managers, if they wished, could get the license plate number of the individual(s) attaching the stickers.

Sigh - it is so depressing to see such vehemence in the use of that formerly taboo word now used with such eagerness. Makes me wonder what parents tell their kids.

@French Farmer wrote:

@Tanischri87 wrote:

Has there been any variety to the specific stickers you see?

I've been seeing mostly two types (and yes -nearly every station in every city I visit daily):

1: "I DID THAT" with Biden pointing with both hands at the user's pumping total
2: "DEMOCRATS DID THAT" with Kamala and Biden pointing and laughing

Bonus:

Occasionally I see an "I HELPED" with Pelosi

Actually, I see those Biden stickers, but also the "Brandon" stickers and lately, F@@k Biden stickers. and also the "Miss me yet?" sticker. All look very professionally manufactured.
It surprises me since I see the cameras aimed at every pump. I'm sure the station managers, if they wished, could get the license plate number of the individual(s) attaching the stickers.

Sigh - it is so depressing to see such vehemence in the use of that formerly taboo word now used with such eagerness. Makes me wonder what parents tell their kids.

I was wondering if it is a small number of people, but it sounds like it isn’t. It’s every station I go to. I fuel up daily. I live in Southern California.

In California they mostly decriminalized all crime below felony. They’ve reduced many felonies to misdemeanors. I imagine this sort of thing is less than even a traditional misdemeanor. So the gas station owners probably shrug and think it’s the cost of doing business.

I’ve seen some bathroom stalls that are coated to resist any sharpies or normal tagging. I’ve even seen some that are mostly anti etching. Fuel pumps are neither. I frequently see etched graffiti and regular graffiti. Now most of the stickers are torn, but there’s always more.

@LIJake wrote:

Regarding whether or not "he did that" my feeling is when we where energy independent the price of a gallon of gas was $2.00 and change. Now that we have limited drilling the price is $5.00 and change. My conclusion is yes "he did that" but I don't need pump stickers to remind me.

This country has not been energy independent or oil independent since before the OPEC embargo in the 70's.

When I left California, gasoline was close to $3 per gallon, as I drove across country to where I am now, the price of gasoline gradually dropped. When I got to Alabama the average price of regular gasoline was a $1.69 per gallon. That was 2015, President Obama was still in office, and it was well before the election. While the former president was in office, gas prices gradually rose, It was a little over $2 per gallon before Covid shut everything down. We were spoiled by low gas prices because there was no demand for gasoline because nobody was going back-and-forth to work we're off to work for almost a year.

And then when people started going back to work the gas companies didn't increase production to keep the prices low. The gas company's wanted the price of gas to go higher, so it did... The cause of the higher gas prices prices is because of increased demand because people are going back to work, and the gas companies not increasing production to artificially keep the prices high.

The sanctions on Russia and not being able to buy Russian oil is only a very small percentage of the increase in the price of the gasoline. The main cause of the increase in the price of the gasoline is because the oil companies will not increase production (they have the ability, even without russian oil). They know that if they keep us uncomfortable and cause uncontrollable inflation that we will blame the current administration.

President Biden is currently releasing 100 million gallons of oil from the strategic reserves every single day to try and bring down the price of gasoline because the oil companies won't do anything to help. It's helping a little, the price of gas here has gone from $4.25 per gallon to about $3.50 per gallon.

Everything I have said here is verifiable fact, NOT my political opinion.

I've seen a couple of versions of the Biden sticker and 1 Brandon sticker but no Democrat, Harris or Pelosi stickers. And I did hear of someone being arrested for applying a sticker and coating it with a spray so it was more difficult to remove. But that is hard to believe that the culprit would wait around for the police to arrive. I also heard that Biden stickers are available for $8.00 for a hundred on Amazon. That's more plausible because Amazon sells most everything.

@Morledzep wrote:

@LIJake wrote:

Regarding whether or not "he did that" my feeling is when we where energy independent the price of a gallon of gas was $2.00 and change. Now that we have limited drilling the price is $5.00 and change. My conclusion is yes "he did that" but I don't need pump stickers to remind me.

This country has not been energy independent or oil independent since before the OPEC embargo in the 70's.

When I left California, gasoline was close to $3 per gallon, as I drove across country to where I am now, the price of gasoline gradually dropped. When I got to Alabama the average price of regular gasoline was a $1.69 per gallon. That was 2015, President Obama was still in office, and it was well before the election. While the former president was in office, gas prices gradually rose, It was a little over $2 per gallon before Covid shut everything down. We were spoiled by low gas prices because there was no demand for gasoline because nobody was going back-and-forth to work we're off to work for almost a year.

And then when people started going back to work the gas companies didn't increase production to keep the prices low. The gas company's wanted the price of gas to go higher, so it did... The cause of the higher gas prices prices is because of increased demand because people are going back to work, and the gas companies not increasing production to artificially keep the prices high.

The sanctions on Russia and not being able to buy Russian oil is only a very small percentage of the increase in the price of the gasoline. The main cause of the increase in the price of the gasoline is because the oil companies will not increase production (they have the ability, even without russian oil). They know that if they keep us uncomfortable and cause uncontrollable inflation that we will blame the current administration.

President Biden is currently releasing 100 million gallons of oil from the strategic reserves every single day to try and bring down the price of gasoline because the oil companies won't do anything to help. It's helping a little, the price of gas here has gone from $4.25 per gallon to about $3.50 per gallon.

Everything I have said here is verifiable fact, NOT my political opinion.

Obama inherited the “fracking revolution” that lowered prices by increasing supply. He hated it. He didn’t want it.

@LIJake wrote:

I've seen a couple of versions of the Biden sticker and 1 Brandon sticker but no Democrat, Harris or Pelosi stickers. And I did hear of someone being arrested for applying a sticker and coating it with a spray so it was more difficult to remove. But that is hard to believe that the culprit would wait around for the police to arrive. I also heard that Biden stickers are available for $8.00 for a hundred on Amazon. That's more plausible because Amazon sells most everything.

It must be a popular item! A good opportunity for some of these complainers to merchandise on Amazon with their own sticker design.

I started seeing the Go Brandon message and took it as a favored player on a high school football team. Until I realized that it was quite unlikely that so many different towns would have Brandons as star players. Still don't know who that is. Don't care. But the I Did That stickers seem to have given others the "right" to tag pumps with their own stickers, such as rap artists, clubs, weed activists, etc. I feel so sorry for the station managers. They have cameras though, maybe they should start pressing charges on people that damage property.

I equate the behavior of defacing someone else's property, either by stickers or by spray painting, the same. Regardless of the motivation, be it political or gang tagging, it's still a crime.

@marnette...I agree with you. It's a lack of resect for something that belongs to someone else. the same people trashing other people's property with spray paint, stickers, vandalism, etc would be pissed if you did it to their belongings. But today we have moral relativism where everyone has their own truth. Sad to see people sitting in jail not getting a trial (Jan 6th insurrectionists) and others are committing acts of violence and being let out of jail early to wreak havoc on society.

I'm in SoCal and thank God I don't live in the cesspool of LA County, but George Gascon is the DA and he's not prosecuting people who are gang members. He's dropping those charges that were put in place years ago to keep the public safe.

@Bidenflation wrote:

@chrisg0619 wrote:

People think the stickers “trigger” Democrats but mostly we just think they’re stupid? Like, every reason folks come up tying Biden directly to higher gas prices doesn’t pan out, so at this point it’s just willful ignorance on their part. And there’s nothing we can do about that!

You sound triggered! lol Not one thing is better under this President.

Again:

@chrisg0619 wrote:

People think the stickers “trigger” Democrats but mostly we just think they’re stupid? Like, every reason folks come up tying Biden directly to higher gas prices doesn’t pan out, so at this point it’s just willful ignorance on their part. And there’s nothing we can do about that!

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

@marnette...I agree with you. It's a lack of resect for something that belongs to someone else. the same people trashing other people's property with spray paint, stickers, vandalism, etc would be pissed if you did it to their belongings. But today we have moral relativism where everyone has their own truth. Sad to see people sitting in jail not getting a trial (Jan 6th insurrectionists) and others are committing acts of violence and being let out of jail early to wreak havoc on society.

I'm in SoCal and thank God I don't live in the cesspool of LA County, but George Gascon is the DA and he's not prosecuting people who are gang members. He's dropping those charges that were put in place years ago to keep the public safe.

In fact, studies show that criminal justice reform, such as that espoused by "liberal" DAs, does not contribute to an increase in crime.

@chrisg0619 wrote:

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

@marnette...I agree with you. It's a lack of resect for something that belongs to someone else. the same people trashing other people's property with spray paint, stickers, vandalism, etc would be pissed if you did it to their belongings. But today we have moral relativism where everyone has their own truth. Sad to see people sitting in jail not getting a trial (Jan 6th insurrectionists) and others are committing acts of violence and being let out of jail early to wreak havoc on society.

I'm in SoCal and thank God I don't live in the cesspool of LA County, but George Gascon is the DA and he's not prosecuting people who are gang members. He's dropping those charges that were put in place years ago to keep the public safe.

In fact, studies show that criminal justice reform, such as that espoused by "liberal" DAs, does not contribute to an increase in crime.

“Studies show” lol ok. We won’t believe our lying eyes.

@LIJake wrote:

That is a problem for the gas station attendant and for me. Are the remnants of a sticker still considered graffiti? Does graffiti have to be bigger than 3x5 inches as described on page 37 of the guidelines of one brand? According to the editors the answer is yes to remnants not no to larger than 3x5.

This becomes a tough judgement call that I would love to see more guidance on from the MSC. Personally, if the remnants show either Biden still, or "I did that" still, I will report it, but try to use infractions from other pumps, if there, in the two pump infraction photos. But will still report it in that instance. One of the stickers in the April update (where it mentioned showing a pump number in the infraction photo shows a partially removed sticker and calls it graffiti.... though it's a bigger sticker). If the sticker is removed enough to the point where the message is not visible, I don't report it, but note that there were minor remnants of the sticker in comments so the editors know that I had at least observed it.

I have not seen stickers at either Costco or Sam's Club.

@hbbigdaddy wrote:

Has anyone seen the sticker at Costco gas pumps?

@Capurato wrote:

I have never done a gas station audit, however if able, I would give them the chance to remove them in the moment before photographing etc.

Not sure if this is feasible or not.

No, don't do that. It's a surprise audit, not an open book pop quiz.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/2022 10:00PM by AZwolfman.