Last night, for the first time ever, I let my car run out of gas. I have pushed the limit of the gas tank since, well, I started driving, so it was inevitable that this would happen.
I was lucky in many ways: it was springtime (e.g. not sub-zero with snow), I was in the Twin Cities (actually between St. Paul and Minnie), it was not in heavy traffic or a busy street, and there was a generous shoulder so I could pull of safely. Plus, I had no place I needed to be, nor anyone else in the car with me. Yeah, I was lucky.
I could bring out a whole host of reasons why I didn't fill it up sooner: the gas station I would have gone to was closed, I-94 was closed for repairs, the stars were not aligned. Ultimately, it came down to pushing my luck. I waited too long and by the time I got to end of the tank, I didn't want to go on a wild goose chase looking for a station that did not exist. That an the iPhone was really slow in pulling up nearby gas stations.
So I tried to push it to the one station that I knew existed. My famous last words were "it is only a few miles away - I can make it." About then, the car started sputtering and slowing down. My attempts to conserve gas by turning off the air, the radio and breathing shallow (figure it couldn't hurt) did not help.
I ended up walking to a gas station for a tank and gas. It took about 30-40 minutes round trip, which was made easier by admiring the skill of the marketer who priced the gas can I was now in possession ($9.99 for plastic, empty). I think - considering the situation that people are in when they walk into a SuperAmerica needing a gas can, they could charge even more.
After the one fillup, the car still wouldn't start, but I was able to get a hold of a friend for a ride. Thank you Mr. Gassman for taking picking me up and driving my dumb @ss back to the gas station and then to my car for round two. Fortunately, this time, the car started and it seems to be working fine today.
Two very curious things about last night:
(1) Never underestimate the kindness of strangers:
I ran out of gas right behind a family that had car issues of their own. Their truck had died, and they had to come out in their other car to pick up the driver. They were from Wisconsin, and a ways from home. They were trying to figure out how they were going to pay for the tow - not the repairs - but the tow. Yet, when the tow truck came to hall off their vehicle, they were concerned about me and leaving me behind. I assured them I had a friend on a way to help me out, but they wanted to wait and make sure. I assured them I was fine several times before they would go. Yep, there are still good people out there.
(2) Never underestimate the number of jerks there are on the road:
I was on 35E heading North, ready to exit onto 36, when the car started sputtering and slowing. The car behind me pulls right up on my bumper. I put on my hazard lights to alert him that not all was right with my car, yet this seemed to have the opposite effect. He started driving closer, to the point I could make out his hand gestures and what he was saying. His comments were not exactly kind; he broke several commandments and suggested behavior made illegal by laws against bestiality. This was probably a karmic message specifically for me, based on my driving style. It is a lesson learned.
Happy driving.
No comments:
Post a Comment