Gas Gauge Phobia
I was looking at my calendar and in a couple of days I had a meeting with a friend that was about 20 – 25 miles away. Round trip 40 or 50 miles. My gauge read out said that I could travel about 130 miles on the gas in my tank. Yeah, I’ve got enough gas.
The next day, I started getting antsy as soon as I looked at the indicator. . . I ignored the estimate regarding the number of miles and got gas.
Yes, I’m one of those people. I watch my gas gauge. A quarter of a tank is my threshold. I get a bit anxious around that mark. Below that, it’s not pretty folks.
I’ve asked a few people what their threshold is.
1. “That little mark below a quarter of a tank” one person said.
I would be nervous but not quite out of my mind with worry.
Years ago, when my husband was on oxygen, a friend was driving us back from an event. She mentioned that she was getting low on gas and should probably stop. Uh oh. From the back seat I commented there was an off ramp coming up that had gas stations near by. She continued to drive. As we neared another exit, I again remarked this one also had gas stations. She drove on. I twitched in the back seat like. I squirmed and wiggled getting more and more worked up.
Finally, she exited the freeway but continued to pass up gas stations. She wanted to go to Costco and knew just how far she could push her car. We made it but I was a wreck. She had a good laugh at my antics in the back seat.
2. “When the warning light comes on I pay attention” another one remarked.
Are you kidding me? I would be apoplectic by then. Granted I have never run out of gas but really? Are you nuts?
My family, growing up, had old cars. One did not have a working gas gauge. We kept a notebook in the car and whoever put gas in the car was required to put the mileage and date in the notebook. My sister had also lost the only set of keys. My brother hot wired it so it could be driven. The tool he gave us to start the car was a screwdriver about 2 feet long (alright, maybe not quite that long but it was an exceptionally long screwdriver). The guys at our local gas station knew us and got a laugh when we would ask for a dollar’s worth of gas and then pull out ‘our key’.Yes, there was actually a time when a dollar would get you at least 4 gallons of gas!
3. “Oh, it’s no big deal. I call AAA or someone to get me gas. I run out all the time” she stated.
OMG, I am NOT going to ride with them. EVER!
What’s your threshold for absolutely must get gas? You know mine. I’d love to know yours?
Frances Graziano Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved
I use the little orange light as my guide, and every time it comes on I can hear my dad’s ashes spinning in his grave. He would make a special trip out after dinner if the gas gauge had dropped below 1/2 and he hadn’t had time to get gas earlier. Worst day-ran out of gas about a mile from home on my way to work. My parents were visiting and I had to call my dad to come get me and take me to get gas. I can still hear him laughing. (in my defense, or maybe not, the gas gauge in our car had gone nuts and was wildly inaccurate).
LOL. Kris I think I can hear the laughter as well.
I never go below 1/2 a tank. Someone once told me, a mechanic, I think, that if you let the gas get too low, the sediment in the bottom of the gas tank gets into your gas line. Then you got trouble (right here in River City). Good to see you back Frantastic. Another funny look at everyday life.