13.070 gallons
posted by Gavin | 6:15 PM
I reckon there aren't many people in the world who know exactly how much gasoline their car can hold. I discovered for myself just 15 minutes ago.
The needle of my trusty Corolla had been nearly empty for days as I drove a few miles to and from work. As I left work today I decided I really did need to fill the tank today on my way home. I knew of several gas stations on the way, two of which were convenient to get in and out of.
I blew past the first one at 45 miles an hour, realizing belatedly that there was station #1. Ah, well, there was still station #2. I pondered for a few moments, estimating traffic over the bridge and consequent drive time, air conditioning set to maximum, my driving habits... Surely, I figured, I had enough gas left to get to station #2.
Over the bridge I drove, with the soothing stop-and-go flow of rush hour. We crept through a stoplight and then approached my intersection near station #2. As I turned onto the street and accelerated up to 20 mph, the unthinkable happened! 40 yards away from station #2. Softly, my engine quit, without even a whimper of a warning.
30 yards. I kicked the automatic shift into neutral before trying to restart it, but the timing was going to be tricky.
20 yards. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't bother trying to restart.
10 yards. Yeah, I think I can make it, no oncoming traffic for me to avoid.
In a display of energy management surely worthy of a veteran flight dynamics engineer, I smoothly turned left, coasted up the incline and drifted to a stop in front of pump #2 with only a faint touch against the braking pedal.
After celebrating my foolhardy luck, I watched with interest as the gas counter soared upwards.
"Funny, I always thought I had an eleven and a half gallon tank."
The needle of my trusty Corolla had been nearly empty for days as I drove a few miles to and from work. As I left work today I decided I really did need to fill the tank today on my way home. I knew of several gas stations on the way, two of which were convenient to get in and out of.
I blew past the first one at 45 miles an hour, realizing belatedly that there was station #1. Ah, well, there was still station #2. I pondered for a few moments, estimating traffic over the bridge and consequent drive time, air conditioning set to maximum, my driving habits... Surely, I figured, I had enough gas left to get to station #2.
Over the bridge I drove, with the soothing stop-and-go flow of rush hour. We crept through a stoplight and then approached my intersection near station #2. As I turned onto the street and accelerated up to 20 mph, the unthinkable happened! 40 yards away from station #2. Softly, my engine quit, without even a whimper of a warning.
30 yards. I kicked the automatic shift into neutral before trying to restart it, but the timing was going to be tricky.
20 yards. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't bother trying to restart.
10 yards. Yeah, I think I can make it, no oncoming traffic for me to avoid.
In a display of energy management surely worthy of a veteran flight dynamics engineer, I smoothly turned left, coasted up the incline and drifted to a stop in front of pump #2 with only a faint touch against the braking pedal.
After celebrating my foolhardy luck, I watched with interest as the gas counter soared upwards.
"Funny, I always thought I had an eleven and a half gallon tank."
Labels: funny
1 Comments:
Awesome. Now someone else has run out as well.
When I ran out, it was with just enough energy left to swing into the bldg 9 parking lot and into a spot. Into a gas station would've been more convenient. :)
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