On April 11th, a black Audi sedan in Hefei, Anhui Province, filled up on gas and then drove away without paying, marking the second luxury car gas station drive-off incident in Mainland China in three days. The incident quickly went viral on Weibo on April 12th.
According to surveillance video circulating online, around 1 p.m. on the 11th, the Audi sedan was seen at a gas station in Hefei, with the staff filling up the tank. As soon as the gas was refueled, the car owner closed the tank lid and drove off without intending to stop, leaving the bewildered staff members chasing after the car in vain.
The incident took place at a gas station on Nanfeihe Road in Baohe District, Hefei, as reported by mainland media. Mr. Wu, a gas station employee, mentioned that the situation seemed deliberate as the car was parked strategically. After unsuccessful attempts to chase the car, the employee had to cover the unpaid 632 yuan gas fee out of his own pocket, equivalent to four days’ worth of his salary, all gone to waste.
In the afternoon of April 12th, the Hefei police announced that on April 11th, around 1 p.m., Ma Qing (male, 21 years old, from another province) drove a black Audi sedan, refueled at the gas station on Nanfeihe Road in Baohe District, and left without paying. Ma Qing has been administratively detained.
Prior to this incident, a similar case occurred in Jiujiang, Jiangxi. On April 9th, a man driving a white Land Rover SUV at the Yongquan Service Area North gas station on the Hangrui Expressway in Jiujiang refueled nearly 500 yuan of gas and then falsely claimed he would pay via QR code in his car before driving off without settling the bill.
The consecutive drive-off incidents sparked widespread discussion online. Netizens expressed their outrage, commenting that “It’s disgusting! They can afford an Audi, a Land Rover, but still want to dodge a few hundred yuan for gas. It’s not about the money, it’s about basic human decency!” “It’s so infuriating, the gas station attendant looked so helpless.” “If you can’t afford the gas, why buy the car in the first place?” “This is comical, probably scraped together the money for a down payment.” “Even the lowest spec cars from these luxury brands reflect on their owners.” “Audi is losing face too.” “Making the employees pay for it all seems a bit unfair.”