#865 When you're driving late at night on an empty gas tank and suddenly a gas station appears in the distance

Neil Pasricha

heavenWhen it’s late at night on a lonely road and your fuel gauge starts flirting with the Big E, it’s gut check time.

First you enter Fuel Preservation Mode and start accelerating really slowly and coasting nonchalantly through Stop signs to save your precious, remaining fumes. Next maybe you fall into a bit of a Blame Game, wondering why you let yourself get to this terrible place and pledging to never to do it again. After that it’s time for Survival Mode, where you make a mental checklist of all the emergency food and supplies you have in the car, imagining yourself building a Kleenex blanket to keep warm and eating restaurant mints and ketchup packets to survive.

And then finally, when hope is almost lost, with that fuel light burning brightly, that steering wheel gripped tightly, and those hands shaking slightly, you drive up another dark, lonely hill and finally notice some blissful, heaven-sent gas station lights appearing just over the horizon.

AWESOME!

it-will-get-you-through

Photos from: here and here

6 thoughts to “#865 When you're driving late at night on an empty gas tank and suddenly a gas station appears in the distance”

  2. I have no idea what I would do if I suddenly ran out of gas in the middle of a late night drive. It would be really spooky. I’m going to start keeping a little miny-fridge and a sleeping bag with me whenever I’m in a car.

  3. Oh my goodness gracious! I was on a youth trip a few years ago and we were traveling in a mini bus and the pastor was driving and we ran out of fuel in Montana. Our lovely friends from the camp we were leaving passed us on their bus and just grinned and waved at us (they were going rafting, don’t blame them for not stopping). Anyways the pastor hitch hikes to get some fuel and after about an hour we go on our merry way. I kid you not, like five hours later we were out of fuel again only this time it was Montana desert, far far away from any towns. It was 95 degrees and sunny! By the way, mice had broken into our food supply, we had pudding cups, peanut butter, and fruit cups to eat. Then we ran out of water, and ate ice cubes from the coolers. Then we ran out of ice cubes. And we were sitting on a desert hill on the side of a highway with RATTLESNAKES! And we sat there for nine hours! Why nine hours you ask? Not because of the location, no no. Because everyone thought it was engine trouble and by gosh we were going to get the cheapest tow truck available. So then it was one in the morning and the only available campsite was on Slaughter House Road. Where oh where was our awesome gas station when we needed it?!?!?! Rest assured that the next day as we headed all the way back to Minnesota the gas tank never ever dropped beneath a half tank.

  4. I’ve had this happen and it’s heavenly…the relief upon seeing the gas station is palpable! I’ve also run out of gas and it was hideously frustrating and frightening!

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