I have only run out of gas twice in my life. Once I was in a '79 red Ford Mustang Gia, it did not have a low level light and I was young. I knew that I would never run out gas! That only happened to "old" people. Well, as I was walking in front of Mayfair Mills to get back to my apartment I learned that it doesn't just happen to "old" people. My roommate (Josh) at the time did not have a gas can or a car. In that eight mile round trip, with a full five gallon gas can for four miles, I learned "how far I could go?". I also learned that gas attendants love selling five gallon gas cans. "We love to see dumb young'ens like yourself drag'n five gallons of gas down the road." "Oh, no sir! You just could not learn your lesson if we sold one gallon gas cans!" Two miles into my walk back to that Mustang I told my dumb self "I just should have put in two gallons!" Lesson learned.... The second time I ran out of gas was in a '91 root beer Honda Prelude. It was a five speed and I held the clutch in and coasted into a gas station on HWY 29. That car did have a low level light. I'm sure I drove all over Spartanburg for a week with that light on. I had the five gallon gas tank in the trunk just in case.
When Brandon called and asked me how far he could go with his low level light on, in his '99 white Ford Explorer, I chuckled. I did not tell him about the above story. I did not tell him about the four mile walk. Brandon drives an automatic, so I did not tell him about the "clutch coast". I completely reassured him that he had plenty of gas to make it to a gas station. Brandon did make it without incident, but I'm not sure how close he was! My wife Phyllis would have gotton upset if he ran out of gas. When I said jokingly that the only way he will learn how far he can go is to run out of gas. HOLD ON! I wasn't wishing that my son ran out of gas! I just thought it maybe a great learning tool for my all knowing son. He did not know how far he could go, and he still doesn't.
I no longer have that five gallon gas can. I have no idea where it ended up. I do have three one gallon gas cans. Just in case my all knowing son wants to find out the answer..."Dad, how far can I go?"
5 comments:
It is good to see you are back. I agree with your wife. You cannot let your son run out of gas.
I wanted my all knowing son to find out how far he could go, beth! That is it! He still doesn't know and maybe he will find out!
As for my long break, I've been really busy. I will do better since nobody can make it thru the week without my post. HA.....
I've come very close only once in my life in, well.. another mustang we both know. I managed to "zig-zag" enough gas into the pick-up tube to get me into the driveway, and a friends' 5 gallon gas can from the garage. You'll only do that once!(most people need only once) Now I respect that little idiot light on the dash. Brandon will learn in due time! (but hopefuly only once)
only sissies obey the gas light! i have run the jeep to the brink time and again without draining it. then when i,m sure it's empty (70 miles or so after illlumination) i can only fit 17 gallons in a 19 gallon tank. i am convinced that it is a scam perpetrated by the oil barons! when you drive past a gas station, a infrared beam from the pump triggers a sensor that was built into your car by the manufacturer (they are part of the illuminati as well, you know). the signal then lights up your low light no matter how much gas is in your car. HEY!!! i bet they use that O2 sensor to do it. that thing is the appendix of automotive technology anyway!
Well put CWF!
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