Running Out of Gas

The gas gauge in my car doesn't work anymore.  I realized that a while back when it started bouncing from completely full to completely empty and back within a fifteen minute drive.  The first thing I did was went and filled up.  The second thing I did was reset the trip odometer. 

After a little bit of math I decided on a comfortable number that I would need to watch on my trip meter.  My comfortable number is 300 miles.   That's not a number that would run me out of gas, but a number that should keep me from being stranded on the side of the road.  

I've been doing that for a few months now and it is a great system.  It is a great system as long as you pay attention. 

Earlier this week I was headed to a meeting for work.  I had just entered the on-ramp to the interstate and I glanced down at my odometer.  317.  

I admit that I began to panic for a minute.  I was over my comfort number and the comfort was gone. It was 6:30am and I started doing some math.   My exit for the meeting was probably fifteen miles down the road.  The car would probably make it to the meeting and I could just get gas later.  

Wait... did the revs just drop?  Two exits later I saw a sign for a gas station and I stopped to fill up.  

After filling up, about four gallons short of a full tank, I felt foolish for panicking.  My comfort number was set intentionally low but at 6:30 in the morning the only thing I knew was that I was headed toward disaster and I didn't have any empty can to walk up the road with.