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Americans are driving toy cars, using public transit to save money as gas prices soar

Nypost · 🇮🇷 public Iran · · 816 words · By Reuters
Cost of Living Transportation Alternatives Consumer behavior
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What to know about Cost of Living

Americans are driving toy cars, using public transit to save money as gas prices soar See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 6
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center89%
Right11%

9 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Americans are driving toy cars, using public transit to save money as gas prices soar See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleNEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) – Mali Hightower’s answer to high gas prices is a toy he fished out of someone’s trash.

Common ground

The 30-year-old handyman from Ellenwood, Georgia stuck a two-gallon, one-piston engine from a power washer into a broken pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper — a battery-operated toy car less than four feet tall.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/19/business/americans-are-driving-toy-cars-using-publ…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 6 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
report Misleading 1
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Claim 1: “In Chicago, CityPoint Community Church plans to give away $5,000 worth of $25 gas cards in the coming weeks.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (ABC7 Chicago and AOL) confirm that CityPoint Community Church planned to give away $5,000 worth of $25 gas cards.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 1, 2024 · L’amélioration de l’efficacité énergétique de sa maison est une préoccupation croissante pour nombre de ménages. Au-delà des économies sur les factures, cette démarche contribue à réduir…
https://blog-maison.com/optimiser-efficacite-energetique-mai…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 6, 2025 · Dans un monde où l’énergie devient une préoccupation tant économique qu’écologique, transformer votre vieille maison en modèle d’efficacité énergétique semble aussi désirable que coûteux…
https://maison.20minutes.fr/mm67255-ces-methodes-meconnues-t…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 28, 2025 · Découvrez comment améliorer son efficacité énergétique grâce à des conseils, des solutions d’isolation et des gestes simples pour économiser au quotidien.
https://energie-et-performance.fr/comment-ameliorer-son-effi…
info
Claim 2: “In an April 28 Ipsos poll published by the Washington Post and ABC News, 44% of Americans said they had cut back on driving.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While there is evidence of an ABC/Wash Post/Ipsos poll from April 29, the provided search results do not contain the specific statistic that 44% of Americans cut back on driving. The results discuss approval ratings and the war with Iran instead.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Two-thirds of Americans believe that US President Donald Trump has failed to clearly explain the objectives of American involvement in the war with Iran. This is evidenced by the results of a new Reut…
https://unn.ua/en/news/majority-of-americans-say-trump-has-f…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Full Washington Post coverage of the 2011 government shutdown countdown.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Poll. ABC/Wash Post/Ipsos. Results. Approve 39Disapprove 60.Spread. Wrong Track +28. Wednesday, April 29.
https://www.realclearpolling.com/latest-polls
info
Claim 3: “In Maine, ridership on Bangor’s public bus system has risen 21% since January, said transit administrator Laurie Linscott”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists entirely of irrelevant search results for PDF to Word converters. No information regarding Bangor's public bus system or Laurie Linscott was found.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Oct 15, 2025 · Free PDF to Word Converter's name clearly describes its function: it takes your PDF files and converts them into Word-compatible DOC or Rich Text files.
https://download.cnet.com/free-pdf-to-word-converter/3000-18…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Convert your PDFs to Word documents (.docx) quickly and easily with the PDF to Word app. No more retyping—just smooth and accurate conversion for work, school, or personal use.
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9njdb75z1cp6
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — WPS PDF to Word Converter can easily convert your PDF files to editable word (doc/docx/text) documents securely and steadily. It also supports batch converting PDF to doc/docx formats.
https://www.wps.com/en-US/pdf-to-word/
info
Claim 4: “tourism agency Visit Las Vegas was offering up to $100 in gas to the first 100 drivers in line”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided consists of general tourism websites and dictionary definitions. There is no mention of a gas giveaway in El Segundo, California by Visit Las Vegas.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The only official website of Las Vegas. Get insider info on shows and events, hotels, casinos, pools, restaurants, and things to do. Let us help you plan the perfect Vegas Vacation.
https://www.visitlasvegas.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · The meaning of VISIT is to pay a call on as an act of friendship or courtesy. How to use visit in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/visit
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 15, 2025 · We rank the 30 Best Places to Visit in the USA. See which places our readers like the best, and vote for your favorites.
https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-usa-vacations/
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Claim 5: “Pastor Demetrius Davis said they distributed more than 70 cards after Mother’s Day services.”
CORROBORATED
The claim that Pastor Demetrius Davis distributed more than 70 cards after Mother's Day services is explicitly confirmed by the AOL report and supported by the ABC7 Chicago report regarding the Mother's Day event.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Citypoint Community Church said they will distribute $25 gas cards to people who attend morning services on Mother's Day. The goal is to give away $5,000 in free gas on Sunday.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/free-gas-cards-citypoint-commun…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In Chicago, CityPoint Community Church plans to give away $5,000 worth of $25 gas cards in the coming weeks. Pastor Demetrius Davis said they distributed more than 70 cards after Mother’s Day services…
https://www.aol.com/articles/high-gas-prices-spur-americans-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — We are excited that you are interested in knowing more about our church community! We practice what we call, "Socially-Conscious Christianity," which fuses faith with social impact to do good inside a…
https://www.citypointcc.org/
report
Claim 6: “As of May 18, Americans paid an average of $4.52 a gallon for regular gasoline, up from around $3 before the Iran war started, according to AAA.”
MISLEADING
The claim states the average price for Americans was $4.52 on May 18. However, the evidence shows that $4.52 was the state average for New Jersey on May 12, not the national average. One source mentions a national average of $4.522 but dates it as 5/10/26, and another source notes Virginia's average was $4.322 on May 18. The claim conflates a state-specific price with a national average.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — According to AAA, the state average hit $4.52 per gallon on May 12 — up from $2.98 a year ago and $4.03 just a month prior.
https://centraljersey.com/2026/05/14/gov-sherrill-rejects-tr…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In Virginia, the average price for regular gasoline reached $4.322 per gallon on May 18, with premium and diesel at $5.152 and $5.551, respectively, according to AAA data cited by 10 News.
https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/soaring-gas-prices-push-some-amer…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — AAA Gas Prices Logo Fuel Prices.Today’s AAA National Average. $4.522. Price as of 5/10/26. USA Map.
https://gasprices.aaa.com/state-gas-price-averages/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.