I ran out of gas today.There's a first time for everything, right? And of
course I'm going to tell the story...
Yesterday when I left for work, the needle was hovering just above
E, and I daringly decided just to go to work as usual, but to get some gas while I was in town.
I didn't. I kinda forgot. Oops?
When I got back near home, I decided to hit the gas station at
Safeway. I tried, but as I neared the pumps, I noticed that
all of the pumps were cordoned off with yellow "CAUTION" tape.
That's annoying.
So, I cruised on by, and decided to hit one of two stations on my way home. I passed the first without even blinking. About 100 feet later I called myself pretty gutsy, and decided the station that's about 2 blocks from home would be my destination.
Then logic started to come in. Vulcans are fucked, by the way. Since the station is beyond where I live, but at a particular fork, home and the station are relatively equidistant from where I was driving. I could go home, and just hit the station in the morning, realizing that I probably didn't have enough gas to get back to town, and should really stop tempting fate.
Of course, since you know the outcome to the story, you know I chose to go home. Logic sucks.
This morning I decided to go get some muffins and otherwise do some grocery shopping that we should have done previously. My car was caked in frost and ice. I chose to let it warm up, and went back inside (
where it was significantly warmer, I might add) to watch about 10 minutes of cartoons. It is Saturday, afterall.
A few minutes later, I realize I can't hear my car anymore. Well, it's about time to go anyway, so I head out and jump in and turn her over. She catches.
And dies about 3 seconds later. Further cranking does no good. Fuck. Well, at least I'm at home.
More logic. I've got to get gas sometime. I really don't need to leave to get gas and "pick up some croisants & shit" right now... but I am already outside... but I don't have a gas can... my parents do... but I don't feel like calling them... but it is a gas station, 2 blocks away... they
should have gas cans... So I walked.
People don't run out of gas that often. People don't get really irritated that the last half gallon of gas in their tank (
if they're that daring) will never get used. It's like sourdough bread that way. I've heard people bitch about toll cards, and subway swipecards where you can never get that last $5 or 10c off the card... but seldom do you hear people bitch about getting the last ounce of gas out of their tank.
Maybe they just know the consequence of doing so...
I got to the gas station slash convenience store and wandered around. They still don't sell
Monster Energy Drinks, and for a Saturday at 9am, there are a ton of people in there. I'm a little embarassed, so I don't exactly want to announce my predicament in front of an audience. So I wander and wait. Good thing too, because I found the gas cans. They're plastic now. Probably better than the steel one my parents have anyway. Holds 2.05 gallons. Goodie. Less than 1/10th of my tank.
It's just the clerk and I, and I set the can on the counter, sheepishly confident.
"Ran out of gas, huh?" (
Mental note: Instead of "huh" she could have said "eh". She didn't. I'm just sayin'.)
It was $6-something. Then she wanted to add the price of gas to it, which I was just going to do out at the pump myself while the tears clouded up my eyes, but instead I'm trying to figure our how I'm going to pay $6-something plus 2-gallons of gas in cash when I've only got $7 and change... nope, I left the change at home. Fuck. Credit it is...
Then after the fact, she had to put a whopping 11c back on my card. Shoulda let me pay for the can in cash and the gas on the card like I'd been planning in the first place. Sadly, I was weak, in a manipulative state of mind.
Walk home. Put gas in car. Not as easy as it sounded. Had some gas left in the can. Wondered now if I'd ever get that gas out without drinking it...
Drove back to the station as proof that my quest was complete. It was a little attempt to regain some pride, but the clerk never seemed to notice as I put 21+ gallons in my pImpala.
Then I went to Safeway, and the pumps were open.
What the fuck?!?(
No, I didn't ask why they were cordoned off just 12h previously.)
At least I got my muffins...
