“Only in SA”: Taxi Driver Trying To Make Every Petrol Litre Count Gets SA Laughing Amid Fuel Hike

• A young man showed a taxi driver shaking his vehicle at a petrol station that had South Africans laughing and relating
• The petrol price increased by R3.06 and diesel by more than R7 a litre starting in April 2026
• South Africans flooded the comments laughing, with some pointing out that shaking the car at the pump has actually been proven to make no difference at all

With South Africa's fuel prices hitting record highs, people are getting creative at the petrol station. A video shared by @callme_timb on 31 March 2026 showed a taxi driver doing something many South Africans will recognise immediately. While filling up at a petrol station, the driver got out of his vehicle and started rocking and shaking it to help the attendant fill the tank. The person recording the clip summed up the events, saying the petrol increase has got people shaking their cars.

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The habit of rocking a car while filling up is something many South Africans have done or seen done for years. The idea behind it is that shaking the vehicle helps settle the fuel and pushes air bubbles out of the tank so more petrol can fit in. It feels logical, especially when every litre counts. However, according to EP Tyres, the practice is actually a myth. Modern vehicles already have a tank ventilation system that automatically manages air pressure as fuel flows in, meaning there is no trapped air that needs to be shaken out.

Petrol pumps also have an automatic cut-off system that stops the flow once the tank reaches capacity. So the shaking does not help fill the tank any fuller. It can also be risky, as rocking the vehicle can make the nozzle unstable and increase the chance of fuel spilling in what is already a high-risk area. None of that stopped the taxi driver in the video from giving it his best effort, and South Africa loved him for it.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA curious about the taxi driver

People had a good laugh in the comments section, with some not understanding why the taxi driver was shaking the vehicle in TikToker @callme_timb's clip:

@DK CORE asked:

"Why is the taxi shaking?"

@Sushi pointed out:

"The way it was proven this is pointless, a very long time ago ✌️😭 The pump deals with the excess gas created by the fuel being poured in. This is literally a waste of time."

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“I don’t see the point": South Africans slam motorists who queued to beat petrol hike

@DHLADHLA 2.0 wrote:

"You only see that in SA 😂😂😂"

@angelbangila shared their feelings:

"😩😂😂"

@𝓈𝒾𝓅𝒽𝑒💋 added emojis to express their feelings as well:

"🤣😭😭"

More on SA's fuel price crisis

• Briefly News recently reported on all three Tshwane Bus Services depots running out of fuel during the ongoing fuel crisis.
• South African motorists who queued at a Johannesburg garage the night before the April fuel hike were criticised by others for obvious reasons.
• A local comedian went viral after sharing a hilarious wheelbarrow Uber alternative in response to the fuel hike.

Source: Briefly News