There's an Ongoing Sticker Battle at Gas Pumps, Tesla Owners Joined It Too

Right now, the national average for gas prices is under $5 a gallon. It’s a healthy and expected departure from what we have all seen just last month when Americans in some states ended up paying even $9.79 a gallon. Californians actually saw these prices, and it came as a total shock. Many people ended up carpooling or asking for more work from home hours because the cost of going from one place to another rose sharply.

Fortunately, things are cooling off a bit now. But this downtrend isn’t making anyone think the worst is over. It feels like just another small step in the right direction before we will all experience the magnitude of global geopolitical instability, domestic unrest, and climate change. It’s not looking good, and almost everyone knows it.

Official data shows inflation sitting at 9.1% - it quickly jumped to this level. Some Americans believe the federal numbers are right and are going with the flow, while others are trying to make ends meet by even changing their eating habits. A recent survey made by The Harris Poll and quoted by the American Society of Animal Science shows that the majority of respondents are now visiting grocery stores less often. Healthy options that are generally more expensive are being ignored in favor of items that can be bought in bulk. The latter option, of course, isn’t that good for the individual’s wellbeing.

Don't be discouraged

Even though there’s enough interest in electric cars, vans, and pickup trucks, deliveries aren’t happening as fast as possible to curb the oil demand. At the same time, the output is barely moving in the right direction. The general state of international relations between certain nations isn’t helping as well.

All in all, things aren’t looking well. We will overcome this because we have done it in the past, but it will not be an easy year for most of us.

But that doesn’t stop Americans from laughing at it. Silent protests sometimes speak the loudest. With meme culture being a thing now, Joe Biden, Elon Musk, and some sketchy drawings that involve these public figures (or show something else entirely!) are spreading like wildfire.

Given what we know now about inflation and the general situation of the economy (now it would be best to imagine someone gesturing broadly at everything), it’s no wonder that people are trying to vent about their struggles. Putting a sticker on a gas pump might just help you to cope a tiny bit better with what’s going on. Or, some Americans may be using these moments as a political opportunity to turn people against the incumbent and provide their favorite challenger a chance to gain some popularity percentages.

Those mad at the Biden-Harris administration have plastered random gas pumps with images of the President pointing at the gas prices, which also contain the text “I did that!!!” implying that he’s to blame for what Americans are paying to keep on moving. Others that disagree made their memes mocking people that think Joe Biden is to blame for the high fuel prices.

Naturally, everyone has different opinions on the matter. But what nobody expected was to see Tesla customers joining in on the fun. With electricity still being pretty cheap when compared to gas and the possibility of charging at home overnight, the zero-emission vehicle owners used the Supercharger network to picture Elon Musk and the change he brought for Americans and others worldwide.

Unlike the message people are trying to send with the Joe Biden stickers, Tesla’s CEO is portrayed positively.

It's important to keep a level head

All in all, it’s just another clever way of communicating. A message is being sent. Now let’s see if someone hears what’s going on.

And if you are wondering what can be done about gas prices and how can they be lowered to put out the fire that is inflation, then you should know there are some interesting ways in which the federal government can intervene. The good news is that these ideas don’t require visits to states that have been helped by the U.S. to reach their current international status.

The sticker battle may continue. Maybe we’ll even end up seeing Rivian owners joining in on the fun with their dedicated Adventure charging network. Just remember to enjoy these little moments.

There’s no need to be upset over some pictures or memes. Everyone’s affected in one way or another by the current economic outlook. Let’s keep our unity in the face of adversity. After all, we’re all sharing the same roads even if we’re burning gas or using kilowatt-hours (kWh).