In a baffling turn of events, gas pumps across New Zealand have ceased to operate due to a glitch in the system caused by the leap year. According to industry experts, the extra day in February caused a technical malfunction that rendered the pumps useless.
“Who could’ve ever predicted that a leap year would mess up our sophisticated technology?” said a tongue-in-cheek spokesperson for the Gas Retailers Association of New Zealand. “I mean, it’s not like we have advanced warning every four years or anything.”
The glitch, which affected pumps at major petrol stations nationwide, caused pandemonium amongst drivers who were unable to fill up their tanks and were stranded on the side of the road. Traffic jams ensued as people vied for parking spaces at the few operating gas stations.
“It was like the apocalypse had come,” said one stranded driver. “People were honking their horns, shouting and screaming. It was absolute chaos.”
The situation became even more dire when reports emerged that the glitch was spreading to other technological systems, including ATMs and traffic lights.
“It’s like the Leap Year has declared war on modern society,” said a leading tech expert, shaking his head in despair.
As the news of the glitch spread, conspiracy theories emerged about the true cause of the shutdown.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a government plot to control our gas usage,” said one self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist. “They want us to use public transport and reduce our carbon footprint.”
However, experts have assured the public that the cause is indeed the Leap Year glitch and not a dastardly government plot.
“The fact that it’s happening all over the world in different time zones really points to it being a technical problem,” said a leading cybersecurity analyst.
Meanwhile, petrol companies are struggling to keep up with the demand from drivers who are frantically filling up their tanks as soon as they can find an operational gas station. Some are predicting a petrol shortage in the coming days if the glitch is not resolved soon.
“It’s like the Wild West out here,” said a gas station attendant, who had been working round-the-clock to meet the demand. “People are acting like it’s the end of the world. We just need to wait it out until the techies fix the problem.”
At press time, technicians were working around the clock to resolve the issue, but the damage had already been done. The Leap Year had once again wreaked havoc on society and left citizens in a state of chaos and confusion.
“Who knew that a simple extra day could cause so much trouble?” mused the GARA spokesperson. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until 2024 to see if we get it right next time.”
