We have it. It drives the male-folk in my family crazy.
My daughter and I have an instinctive ability to run a car on near-empty and not run out of gas. This morning we “guestimated†that her slightly below 1/4 full tank would get her to her summer class with ease. No maps or mathematical formulas are used – just a guess from the gut.
In all the years I have cut it way too close, I only ran out of gas twice. One of these times, my son, 6 at the time, was in the car when I couldn’t figure out why it just suddenly cut out on me. When my husband got there, he had a gas can (the man knows me better than I know myself) and sure enough, it started right up. Scarred the kid for life. Now as soon as the light goes on, he’s all about getting gas.
The other time doesn’t really count because I “ran out†just as I literally drove up to the gas pump. I only had to push it about four feet to get the hose to reach. So you see, it was really is a stretch to say I “ran out†of gas.
Despite my proven track record, there will be hell to pay if/when this talent backfires – then they’ll get some mileage our of their “I told you so’s†and I’ll be out of excuses.
“Informed decision-making comes from a long tradition of guessing and then blaming others for inadequate results.†~ Scott Adams
8 responses so far ↓
1 Kalynne Pudner // Jun 10, 2008 at 1:42 am
My daddy used to warn me this could damage the fuel pump. I ignored him as a teen, and forgot all about it as an adult…until the fuel pump of our minivan (carrying five occupied child car seats) died on the Capital Beltway. The tow truck couldn’t carry us all, so two went with it and the van, while the rest of us waited on an embankment for two cousins to drive their separate cars down from Baltimore to fetch us. After they brought us home, another cousin drove down to the service station to get those who’d gone there. My husband’s uncle then ferried the lot of us 90 miles back home to Fredericksburg in his Taurus station wagon, the car seats crammed together on the seats, my husband and I crammed together in the cargo hold. We had to drive back to Silver Spring a week later to get the van, paying as much as our next mortgage, and then having the extended warranty deny reimbursement because we could have prevented the repair by keeping our gas tank 1/4 full at all times.
Thus ends today’s unsolicited homily.
2 angelawd // Jun 10, 2008 at 9:10 am
That’s quite a talent – I don’t fill up until I’m past empty, either. Altho I’ve never heard Kalynne’s story about damaging the fuel pump. Hm. I may need to reevaluate.
3 elizabeth // Jun 10, 2008 at 11:06 am
I’ve been told that you get better gas mileage on the first half tank than afterwards…it has to do with the fuel vaporizing and actually becoming unuseable. Same reason for not pumping too quickly into an empty tank…fuel vaporizes and you pay $ fro the fumes that come right back out of the tank.
Taht said…I’m pretty good at this too. Both times I ran my car out of gas I litterally coasted into the gas station. Once though, a fuse blew when I was coasting in…the story is not as involved a Kalynne’s…but the owner of the station drove me and 6mo old Scooter home that day…OIY! I try to remember to fill up before 1/4 tank. Blessings, EJT
4 elizabeth // Jun 10, 2008 at 11:08 am
OK, could I have HAD anymore typo’s in my comment? Sorry. Pax, E
5 suburbancorrespondent // Jun 10, 2008 at 8:14 pm
kalynne is cracking me up…
6 Half-Past Kissin' Time // Jun 10, 2008 at 10:33 pm
The image of anyone pushing their car 4 feet to the pump makes me laugh. I, too, have been very lucky in this regard (with only one exception). Drives hubby nuts.
7 Brenda // Jun 11, 2008 at 2:27 pm
It’s been 20 years since I’ve run out of gas … but I drive my husband crazy, too, when I let the gas dip to less than a quarter tank. I just refuse to fill ‘er up on rainy days … unless the fumes just won’t get me to where I’m going!
Anyway, I found your blog via our mutal blogging buddy Peter at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst – Male Nurses … and I’m glad I did!
8 Lisa // Jun 12, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I got total payback just this week, when my husband’s truck ran out of gas on him. Hahahaha! (Doesn’t count for points that the guage is broken, I don’t care what he says!)