ST. LOUIS — A daycare in St. Louis caused lines and traffic jams with the promise of two simple words: free gas.
My Mother’s Roots, which is located in the Baden neighborhood, posted a flyer and prompted people from across the area to line up at two gas stations on Jennings Station Road and North Kingshighway Boulevard.
“Tired of paying $4.19 for gas? Well come get some free gas on us!” the flyer stated.
As of 11 a.m., drivers were waiting upwards of an hour to get some free gas in their tanks. The line was so long at the Jennings Station location that drivers were offered $20 in cash to leave the line and free up space.
The view from 5 On Your Side's drone showed three lanes of cars bumper-to-bumper with the lines backed up several blocks. Police were on scene helping direct drivers and traffic.
The daycare owners told 5 On Your Side they woke up this week and found it in their hearts to bless the community. They committed $10,000 to the effort Wednesday, giving drivers up to $30 in free gas until the money ran out, which happened after about an hour at each location.
One single mother we spoke with said the rapidly rising prices are putting a pinch on her and her finances. She said she drives a lot for work, and getting her kids where they need to be has been difficult. She called the free gas a blessing.
Another driver said they were happy to see someone doing good in the community.
As of Wednesday morning, the average price for a gallon of gas in Missouri was $3.80 and it's at $4.52 in Illinois, according to AAA, which is higher than the national average.
Nationally, a gallon of gas costs about $4.25 according to AAA data, the highest it's been since 2014, as the country was pulling out of the 2008 recession.
The surge in price is being spurred on partially by high demand as the country begins to return to normal after the omicron surge of COVID-19, global oil instability thanks to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and renewed worries about domestic production after President Joe Biden announced a total ban on Russian energy imports as punishment for the invasion.