Gas station offered: dance for 15 seconds - and get a 20% discount
Against the backdrop of the ongoing struggle with Iran and the sharp spike in fuel prices across the USA, a gas station in New York state offered drivers an original way to ease the burden on their wallets. The new challenge went viral online and received more than 10 million views. "We wanted to bring some joy to people in these difficult times," said the mastermind behind the idea.
The rise in fuel prices, combined with the soaring cost of living, led one gas station in New York state to offer the public a unique, original, and highly amusing solution: want a 20% discount on your fuel bill? Dance in front of the station clerk, as best as you can.
According to a report in the New York Post, the Sunoco gas station in Halfmoon, located about a three-hour drive outside New York City, launched the "Dance for a Discount" challenge. The rules are simple: any customer willing to stand in front of the camera and dance for at least 15 seconds receives a 20% discount on their total bill at the station.
Among the drivers who took up the challenge was Denise Lapointe, a bus driver in her 60s and a mother of one. Lapointe became the undisputed star of the viral video uploaded by the station, which has already garnered nearly 10 million views on social media since it was posted at the end of July.
"I saved 15 dollars! I just danced to my own beat and sang, 'I'm dancing for a discount, I'm dancing for a discount.' I was just being my silly self," Lapointe told the New York Post.
Lapointe added that it is a small but significant help: "There are so many people struggling financially, especially large families and senior citizens. Every little bit helps. This station has the best staff; they always make customers feel welcome, we are like family."
The connection to Whitney Houston - and to Iran
Behind the viral idea is Polina Sirtori, a 23-year-old recent graduate of Syracuse University, who serves as the station's social media manager in her first job after graduation. Sirtori, along with store manager Eva Marie and the rest of the staff, were looking for a way to ease the burden on regular and new customers, from Wall Street to the periphery.
The inspiration for the challenge came from the classic Whitney Houston hit, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Sirtori asked customers to shake their legs on July 30, and the responses were not long in coming. "Bill was our first dancer; he started twerking and got as low as he could," Sirtori recalled. "Then we had Dan, who 'popped' his hip and turned his head, calling it his 'Michael Jackson move.'"
The initiative came against the backdrop of widespread economic difficulties across the United States, as the ongoing conflict with Iran and inflation led to a sharp rise in fuel prices from coast to coast. In California, for example, prices reached about 6 dollars per gallon (4.8 shekels per liter), while rent in New York is breaking records and exceeding the 6,600 dollar per month mark, and food prices continue to rise.
On Wednesday, the gas station clarified that the dance challenge has come to an end, but promised that new ways and new challenges will soon be launched through which it will be possible to save money. "Most of the time, people come here out of necessity and don't really want to spend a lot of money," Sirtori concluded. "Therefore, every time someone walks through the door, we want them to smile and have fun. We wanted to bring some joy to people in these difficult times."
