Free gasoline …
Last spring, I bought a new car. So far, I’m pleased with it overall, but it has one feature I find annoying. Actually REALLY annoying. The fuel gauge is accurate. Every car I ever drove had a fuel gauge that would indicate the tank was full for between fifty and a hundred miles after filling the tank. There’s something reassuring or satisfying about glancing at a fuel gauge and seeing it read FULL. I can drive a few miles under the illusion that it’s not costing me anything, as well as feel that the next visit to a petrol station will be well into the future. As a teen, I had to really scrape together my coins to get enough to pay my share of the gas. It seems I was always flat broke, or worse. It wasn’t until after reaching adulthood that I ever saw a gauge needle get beyond “1/2”, and I remember the first time it got to “F” as clearly as I remember my first puppy, first love, and first ....
That’s all changed now. Whenever I fill my car, the needle starts its decline within a couple of miles. What’s the use of filling the tank? It just starts emptying! It’s like waxing it in the rain. These duties aren’t pleasant, so why kill the reward?
I guess things could be worse. Imagine a gauge that indicated plenty when the tank was empty, (I once had a car like this.) or a gauge that didn’t work at all. A friend had a car with an oil pressure warning that would light randomly. Her husband instructed her to ignore it. Trouble was, she also ignored the oil warning light one day while driving his car. “Don’t worry Dear, the damage is minor.” Was NOT how he reacted. Ever wonder why cars that are smart enough to know there’s a problem and shine a light on the dash are too stupid to kill the motor before it self destructs?
I know that an accurate gauge is better than one with personality, but I had learned to not only cope with the eccentricities of gauges, but to find some enjoyment in the process. Now that little bit of fun is gone, and I miss it.
Cheers, PW.
P.S. Strange thing, I aspired to getting an "F" on my fuel gauge, but desperately worked at avoiding getting an "F" on my report card. |
