10 November 2010

How to Make the Fact That Your Car Ran Out of Gas...Worse.

1) Knowing that your fuel gauge is not accurate, rely on it, instead of being diligent about keeping track of how many miles you've traveled on the amount of gas you should know is in your tank. (Especially if you've been driving your car for 12 years, you really should know how far you can get on one gallon.)

2)  Own a really old car, say, a 1983 Mercedes Benz Diesel. Not every gas station has a diesel pump.

3) When you finally make it to the gas station with the last drops of diesel sucked out of your tank, make the horrible realization you've left your wallet at home.

4) Call your significant other at home, even though you share the car you're driving. So he'll have to get to you by bike or bus. It doesn't help if he happened to turn his phone ringer off.

5) Go and tell the attendant at the convenience store about your predicament.  He might feel sorry for you and give you $2 of gas, on your promise that you'll be back shortly and pay him back. Although he is doubtful you'll keep your word because you're not the first one to have used this "likely" story. Note, in the year 2010, $2 won't even get you a full gallon of gas.

6) Be extremely confident about getting home (which is a little less than 2 miles away) on half a gallon of gas, so you can get your wallet. Don't even worry about being able to make it back to the gas station.  You're a Capricorn. You're always logical, except under dire stress - you can become quite stubborn and irrational.

7) Get stuck halfway home, and pull off the road - go into a driveway that goes uphill.  Your car that is just about out of gas is more likely to shut off completely when going uphill.

8) Call significant other again. No answer. Probably a good thing. You've really made a mess of things by now, and at this point, he can help you even less.

9) Start doing things you should have done when you were stuck at the gas station in the first place.  Go through your cell phone directory and find friends who live nearby to bring you your wallet and take you to the gas station to fill up the emergency gas canister.

10) Keep a gas canister that only holds 2.5 gallons.

If you're lucky:
1) The friend who comes to rescue you is savvy enough to bring another gas canister.
2) Your car is really tough, like a Mercedes Benz, and it's able to take extreme amounts of abuse.
3) Your car starts up again after a few revs to the engine, and you're able to go back to the gas station with ease to fill up your tank once and for all.

Lesson learned:
1) Never trust the fuel gauge on a 27-year old car.
2) Always reset the odometer when you fill up your tank with gas. And do always fill it up completely.
3) Never let it get less than 1/2 empty.

2 comments:

  1. Oh that "sharing a car" thing. I know it well!

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  2. I run out of gas enough that I keep a gas can on my at all times.

    I've run out uphill on a diesel M-B (an '84) twice.

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