Georgia teacher’s classroom ‘gas station’ lets kids pass gas without disrupting class

A second-grade teacher in Atlanta has created a designated corner in her classroom where students can pass gas without leaving the classroom — a solution that has gone viral on TikTok and sparked a broader debate about classroom etiquette.

Candy Sydney-Browning, 36, calls the spot the “gas station,” with a specific area she has nicknamed the “gusty winds area.” She keeps air freshener nearby and marks the corner with a small yellow sign, according to TODAY.com.

Ms. Sydney-Browning said she designed the system after noticing students would ask to leave class or make a scene when they needed to pass gas, interrupting lessons and singling out classmates.

“It’s normal,” she said, “but you have to excuse yourself.”

Students no longer need permission to use the corner, which Ms. Sydney-Browning said keeps her lessons from being interrupted.

“While I’m teaching, no one has to ask,” she said in a TikTok video explaining the setup. “I don’t have to stop teaching in order to say yes.”

The first student to use the station last year had what Ms. Sydney-Browning described as a “very troubled stomach.” Though some classmates reacted with smiles, she said no one teased him, and the routine quickly became normal.

“Sometimes I even forget that I have it,” she said.

The idea has divided commenters online. Some teachers said they had adopted or already used similar systems, while other viewers questioned whether young students could truly ignore a classmate’s trip to the corner without reacting.

Ms. Sydney-Browning has said the lack of attention from adults is what keeps the arrangement from becoming a distraction.