Why I panic when the gas tank is low.

 Whenever I get into the car with my dad, I often hear the low gasoline chime. The car is low on gas. But, the place where we get gas is about 45 minutes away. My dad refuses to get gas anywhere else. My dad tells me the gas indicator is just an approximation. There is always more gas in the tank.

As a child, the gasoline station we used was on the other side of town. There was a hill and several stop signs. During one adventure, the car said it was out of gas. But have no fear. My dad was going to skip getting gas at a number of other gas stations. He was going to his petroleum station. As we ascended the hill, the car lost speed. It coughed and chugged to get up the hill. I was paranoid the car was going to turn off, and we would roll backwards into the traffic behind us. Praise God, that did not happen.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, the car lurched forward, and we gained some speed. I was nearly in tears as my father refused to stop at a gasoline station. No, we had to continue on to the gasoline station he preferred. Before reaching the station, the car ran out of gas. Praise God, there was no one exiting the gasoline station. We coasted into the station. My dad steered the car into the closest pump. He applied the brake, and we stopped.

My dad in triumph said, “See. We made it!” He thought he was deserving of a gold medal. I, on the other hand, was sick to my stomach and was crying.

 Since that incident, I always make sure there is at least 1/4 of a tank of gas. I am paranoid to run out of gas.

For what it is worth, today, my dad again had an empty gas tank. The car said it had 46 miles until empty. My dad needed to drive 45 miles to get to his preferred gas station. I am very glad I am not in the car with him. I cannot tolerate the stress of an empty gas tank. I hope he makes it to the station. He has in the past run out of gas.