The ALMIGHTY Gas Light

This is a story of ignorance, one of total and complete disregard for warning and the good of myself. Friends, the auto manufacturers in their attempt to make our lives an easier and more pleasant place to live installed a light on our dashboards. It is set to appear only when the vehicle that we are operating is almost our of gasoline.*(See picture above for example).

The problem is that with the majority of the cars that I have had over my lifetime that being three, the gas light has merely been a suggestion. For some reason Japanese car makers don't feel that you should have any sense of urgency when the light in their cars come on. The American manufacturers do quite the opposite.

When I was 19, my parents, in their immense wisdom bought me a Ford Mustang GT convertible. She was a beauty. Sapphire Blue with grey leather and a black top. The dream car for almost any 19 year male especially one who was a sophomore in college and a member of a fraternity. The only down side, Skyy (her name) was a GAS HOG!! All 8 cylinders did not help me out at the pump. One thing that Ford forgot while creating this car was a gas light all together.

'They were later installed on the Mustang'

One day as usual I was doing a bit of top down motoring and I had noticed that the fuel guage was creeping towards 'E'. I figured that when the light came on I would get gasoline. I drove like that for three days and it never came on. So, I started to worry and made my way towards that gas station. While sitting in traffic on the busiest street in Fayetteville, luckily next to a gas station, Skyy ran out of gas. No light, no warning, just a grumble and the engine quit. Thank god that she started up and had enough to get me to the station about 20 feet away. That I will tell you is the ONLY time that I EVER ran out of gas in my Mustang.

Fast forward a few years to last weekend. Now, I am again driving a foreign car, example below.I had been out to dinner and having drinks with friends and had misplaced the card that is required to get into the gate at my apartment complex. Since it was later than usual I decided to leave my car at the office and get it the next day. I walked to my apartment, went to sleep, and the next morning went to get my car. Keep in mind that I am slightly hungover, dressed in red athletic shorts, and a bright yellow t-shirt proclaiming me to be Pike Security. I get to my car and turn the key, nothing, she tries her best but alas nothing. So remembering that my gas light had been on the night before and I had ignored too long, I walked to the gas station that is around the corner to my house. The following conversation ensues:

Racetrack attendant:

Good morning, you look like you had fun last night, run out of gas on the way home? Chuckle.

Me: (not in good spirits)

Yeah, but I ran out of gas last night at after I got home.

Racetrack attendant:

How do you run out of gas after you get home?

Me:(again, NOT in good spirits)

I ignored my gas light and had enough gas to get home just not enough to start the car this morning.

Racetrack attendant:

where are you a bouncer?

Me:(very confused)

(realizing the shirt that I am wearing) Oh, no I'm not a bouncer, I'm an accountant.

Racetrack attendant:

(VERY ODD LOOK) have a good day sir.

Evidently, the attendant at the Racetrack around the corner from my house had nothing better to do but to investigate as to why I was buying a gas can and gas but had no car. So I get the gas take it back put it in the car and go BACK to the Racetrack, get an odd look from the attendant and then go to McDonalds for a well deserved grease fest.

Now, after all of this I still have been unable to find the little card that I swipe to get into my gate at home. So I decide that I will wait on someone and follow in behind them. Apparently at 9:30 in the morning on Sundays people at my apartment complex are only leaving not coming home. I sit and wait, and wait, and wait, for a good thirty minutes. After waiting for all of that time and NO ONE coming home I decide to be productive and clean out my car. Low and behold I find the card. No sooner than I find and am elated about the card FOUR cars decide to come home all at once. Now I know that had they come earlier I wouldn't have found my gate card but still.

This is a warning going out to all good auto purchasing and driving americans. Heed the low fuel warning lights message because you never know when it will become less of a suggestion and more of an emergency.