Man Heroically Fights Back Against $2 Tip Prompt at Gas Pump

ORO VALLEY, AZ — In what local witnesses are calling “a powerful act of bravery,” a man declined a $2 tip prompt after filling his own gas tank at a local station, setting off a chain of events that would shake him to his core for the next several minutes.

TJ Ferguson, 51, reports that he was simply trying to buy gas “like a good citizen,” when the touchscreen at pump #3 asked if he’d like to add a tip.

“I was like... tip who? The machine? Am I tipping the gas for flowing faster? Should I slide an extra $2 under the nozzle for emotional labor?” Ferguson recounted, eyes still scanning the horizon for hidden cameras. “At this point, I’m not sure if I’m buying fuel or sponsoring a GoFundMe.”

Sources confirm the screen offered three options:

• Yes ($2)

• Of course ($3)

• Make it monthly

There was no clear “No thanks” button, though there was an option labeled “Remind me later”, which experts say will follow him to the grave.

TJ stood firm.

“I hovered my finger over the ‘Of course’ button, out of guilt. But then I remembered I’m also tipping the Home Depot checkout screen, the self-serve frozen yogurt bar, and a squirrel who glared at me behind the Taco Bell dumpster last week.”

After finally encountering and bravely declining the tip, Ferguson was overcome with a confusing blend of shame and liberation.

“It's this awkward mix of guilt and excitement," he explained. "Like I just skipped church to attend a Bible Study. I know I shouldn’t feel bad... but Terry's making pancakes.”

Experts say tipping culture has reached “tipflation” levels, with digital prompts appearing everywhere from vending machines to library book drops.

“Pretty soon your thermostat’s going to ask if you want to throw in a few bucks for staying at 72 degrees,” said Dr. Linda Thornbrush, a behavioral economist who specializes in modern shame spirals. “We’re seeing a trend of customers carrying tip anxiety into other areas of life, like apologizing to doorbells and Venmo-ing the sun.”

When asked if he planned to continue resisting guilt-tipping culture, Ferguson hesitated.

“I mean, I’m not a monster,” he said. “But I’d like to tip humans who bring value—not LED screens that passive-aggressively imply I’m cheap.”

He paused.

“I hope someday I can get the option to tip myself at the self-checkout lane for how fast I looked up all my own vegetables."