In a proposal that perfectly captures the current state of fuel prices, a local man got down on one knee at a gas station and offered his girlfriend a bright red jug of gasoline instead of a diamond ring.
The romantic — albeit unconventional — moment happened Wednesday afternoon at a busy Branson gas station. Witnesses say the man knelt beside the pump, held up the full gasoline container with both hands, and asked his longtime girlfriend to marry him.
According to people who saw the proposal, he told her that with gas prices so high, a jug of fuel felt like the most valuable gift he could give her right now. His girlfriend, visibly shocked and emotional, covered her mouth before saying yes.
Photos from the scene, taken with a cell phone, show the couple standing near the gas pumps with the bright red jug prominently featured. Several bystanders stopped to watch and film the unusual proposal.
Friends of the couple say they have been together for several years and share a good sense of humor about how expensive everything has become. One friend joked, “He couldn’t afford a ring, so he went with the next best thing — enough gas to get them through the week.”
The woman has not been publicly identified, but those close to the couple say she was laughing and crying at the same time when she accepted. The pair has not yet announced any wedding plans, but locals are already calling it one of the most “Branson” proposals they’ve ever seen.
As gas prices continue to climb in the area, this creative proposal is drawing a lot of attention online. Many are calling it both ridiculous and strangely romantic.
In the end, love finds a way — even if that way comes in a 5-gallon plastic jug.