Don't Believe This Costco Gas Price Meme

It's fairly safe to say that nobody likes to pay money for anything — with perhaps the exception of charitable donations. If all the essentials of life were free, people would be able to spend their hard-earned dollars on all of their wildest dreams — flying unicorns exempted, of course.

Unfortunately, reality doesn't allow for such freedoms — unless you happen to be a millionaire, obviously. A particular issue is the seemingly ever-increasing cost of buying everyday essentials, such as groceries, clothes, and fuel. Gas prices have seen particularly noticeable increases, with CNBC reporting a gallon of gas regularly costing more than $4 or $5 — and parts of California seeing the level hit over $6.

Businesses are just as affected by gas price hikes as individuals, meaning that it costs more to transport goods. The Washington Post notes that some companies are passing on the higher price of fuel to their customers, potentially resulting in other essentials becoming more expensive. Naturally, there is a great deal of concern about gas prices, and some anger has been directed at President Joe Biden — including a viral meme claiming grocery giant Costco has publicly criticized the President. But all is not as it seems.

According to AP News, an image has been circulating on social media of a Costco gas pump displaying a price of almost $150 for 26 gallons of fuel and a message stating: "Don't blame us. Blame Joe Biden." The pump's screen shows only two "yes" options of replying to the statement. One Twitter user quoting the image said "Screw Costco," while another tweet stated "at least Costco is being honest," accusing Biden of being a liar.

However, AP News clarifies that the image is fake, citing inconsistent and out-of-place text. Snopes confirms that the photo is false, believing it to be the result of a Photoshop edit. It notes an erroneous "yes" apparently mistakenly placed above the pump's computer screen. Costco referred to social media "scams and manipulated images related to Costco gas stations" in a Facebook post, saying they are not affiliated with the firm.

CNN Business reports that higher employment levels, less people working from home, the end of lockdowns in China, and Russia's invasion of Ukraine are all factors that have increased demand and restricted supply of gas, leading to higher fuel prices.