I know this is going to be a strange post, but it seems to fit…
I have always felt good when I fill up my gas tank. It gives me a feeling of freedom and power. Gee — I can now have complete control over my life, transportation wise, for the next few days or so. Gone is that feeling that I should turn in to the nearest gas station and fill up. I don’t have to check the signs to see who is charging the lowest price.
A friend of mine mentioned once that he always let the light come on (on the gas gage) before he bought gas. Seems he felt that the process was a time waster and the longer he went between fill ups the fewer fill ups he would have to do in a lifetime. Well, it makes sense. However this drives my wife nuts. She is a "quarter tanker." If the gage says a "quarter tank" then she fills it up. When we are driving and the gage gets past a quarter tank I can feel the tension from her side of the car. She seldom says anything, but if we run out, I certainly know who is walking to the nearest station. And it ain’t her.
Me, I rely on the trip meter. I know that I can go at least 320 miles on a tank full and don’t even think about filling up until the odometer reads at least 280. I do admit that when that light comes on, its a bit like living on the edge. When is the engine going to quit — how much time do I REALLY have left? It can get dicey when you are in the fast lane of the freeway and the light is on.
As for my gas station, its Costco. I don’t have to even think about gas prices. I save at a minimum 20 cents a gallon going to Costco. That’s about $3 a tank full, or about $200 a year. Not bad.Its a five minute drive from the house and my travels take me past there a few times a week. What’s to think about.
JVH
