A Mobil gas station in Paso Robles, California, displayed an upside-down American flag, a symbol often interpreted as a sign of distress, which sparked an online reaction. Staff at the station claim the placement was an unintentional mistake by an employee unfamiliar with proper flag protocol.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, with an image of the flag posted to the social media account Libs of TikTok. The post garnered over 45,000 views and 1,600 likes, drawing criticism from online commenters.
The upside-down American flag has historically been used by Navy sailors to signal distress. In recent years, it has also been adopted as a symbol of protest against the nation by individuals across the political spectrum.
One employee at the gas station told The Post that an employee who "didn't know how" to raise the flag did so incorrectly by accident. The flag was reportedly displayed correctly on Wednesday. The gas station is located at 1379 Spring Street in Paso Robles.
Paso Robles is situated in Central California, approximately 30 miles north of San Luis Obispo. As of Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of gas in California was $5.38, the highest in the continental U.S., according to AAA. GasBuddy users reported the price at the Paso Robles station was $5.39 per gallon on Wednesday, with prices having decreased by about 40 cents statewide since the previous month.