Help Me Understand How Folks Allow Themselves to Run Out Gas

In reading this article, you may find it to be trivial. However, as a former law enforcement official, I can state unequivocally, that most any obstruction on our roadways can cause an accident. Accidents, in far too many cases, can translate into the loss of life. I am certain you have seen the results of a lane being blocked on a roadway.

Some folks become frustrated and begin to do strange things. As a driver on our local, state and federal highways, it is incumbent upon all of us to do all we can to ensure the safety thereof. Unless you have a malfunction with some aspect of your gas line, or problems with traffic, running out of gas should never happen.

The other day while driving, I observed a man carrying a gasoline can. As I proceeded further, I saw a car with the hood up on the side of the road. Whether I was right or wrong, I concluded the car belonged to the man with the gasoline can, and he had run out of gas. For the life of me, I cannot understand how folks allow themselves to run out of gas.

Being the good human that I am, (you may not think so after some of these comments), I turned around to assist the fellow. Although one cannot really determine, I thought he could be trusted. I pulled abreast of him and slightly let my window down. I asked if he had been stuck in traffic for a long period. With traffic, the way it is today, one can encounter a traffic jam, and remain therein for hours, which may cause one to run out of gas. He replied, no traffic problems, and reached for the door.

I then asked if his gasoline needle/indicator worked. He smiled and said yes. I then asked if he had any money. He said, yes, and I will pay you to take me to a gas station and to my car. I then asked, if you have money and are willing to pay me, why in the world you allowed yourself to run out of gas. Again, he smiled and said, I thought I could make it to my designation.

Confused, I asked if his proposed designation would be the last time he would be driving his car. Another smile, he then said, no, that is my baby and I will be driving her forever. I asked if this was the first time, he had run out of gas, (where is he getting all these smiles from), he said, no.

Based on the information received, I had to quickly make a decision whether to pick him up or not. If he passed my mental test, I would pick him up. In order for him to pass my test, his answers must be reasonable and logical. The most pressing issues were;

1. Why would he allow himself to run out of gas under normal situations? Basic 101, if you drive a car, it requires gasoline or a full charge that some of those new cars require. He failed to adhere to reasonableness in this area.

2. Since he failed to adhere to reasonableness as stated above, can he really be trusted. Inasmuch as he allowed his car to run out of gas, how can I trust him sitting next to me? He may decide to rob me of my car and drive until all the gas is gone. He didn’t care about his own car, why should he care about mine?

3. Maybe this is how he robs folks, pretend to run out of gas. Crooks in this country have made many among us leery. It is very hard to trust folks in this day and age.

4. I wondered if he received some sort of rush watching his gas needle go to empty. When I asked if he had run out of gas before, he stated he had. It seems that a reasonable person would have learned a lesson.

5. He had money, and yet, he ran out of gas. I have seen some folks pull into a gas station and purchase one dollar worth of gas. Don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the difficult times we are confronted with, and many among us can only afford one dollar. However, I am not talking about those folks.

After my quick mental analysis, which was failure, I put the pedal to the metal. I observed him in my rear-view mirror waving his can at me, and he appeared to be cursing.


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