An Illinois creator stopped at a gas station for a fountain drink and found something extra floating in the cup. Small black specks that looked like insects were visible in the soda. Viewers were disgusted, with many swearing off fountain machines altogether, while others just wanted to know what exactly they were looking at.
Posted to TikTok by @shayshontez.music, the video is short and opens with the creator speaking directly to the camera. “I came here to get something to drink,” the Illinois creator says. Then the video cuts to her cup, filled with an orange beverage and ice, with black dots floating on top.
Though the video itself doesn’t provide much context, the Illinois TikToker’s hashtag about bugs in food hints at what she believes was in the cup. A later follow-up comment also provides an update on what happened after the discovery. She reveals that she informed the gas station attendant, who immediately apologized and began cleaning the machine.
The Drink Wasn’t Exactly What She Expected
Health and safety concerns were some of the first things viewers brought up. “Call the health department right now,” one wrote. Another urged the creator to report it, warning that it could seriously harm someone with a weakened immune system.
Confusion over what was floating in the cup got its reactions. “Omg what in the world are those? I can’t,” one commenter asked. Others found humor in trying to guess what the unidentified objects were, with one user suggesting they were “spicy sprinkles.”
Fountain drink machines took most of the blame. Several people said they gave up fountain drinks years ago, including a commenter whose husband refuses to order them and another who called the machines dirty and unhealthy.
Another commenter with experience working at gas stations said keeping the machines clean and avoiding situations like this isn’t difficult. “Literally takes an extra 5 mins at the end of a shift to take the nozzles off and soak them overnight then a wipe down and it stays clean. Yall would be surprised how nasty those fountains are!” they wrote.
A fountain drink should be a simple grab-and-go on the way out of a gas station. After seeing what was floating in this one, a bottled drink suddenly feels like the safer bet for many.
