Oh, I should tell you, my gas gauge had started acting “funny” about 2 weeks prior to this trip…

So, I’m cruising down the express lanes when I get that feeling, you know, the choking on the last gulps of gas feeling.Yep. I ran out of gas on the express lanes… 10 minutes before the lanes change over.

I knew I was in a serious pickle. Should I should call 911 or AAA? Before I got a chance to call anyone, the DOT truck showed up. The RUDE DOT employee told me he “would give me only enough gas to get off the express way, and its not his problem what happens to me after that.”

I was able to get off the express way and pulled into the first gas station I see in downtown Seattle. I pulled up to the pump and attempted to pay. The pump is not reading my credit card. Sigh. I walked into the gas station to speak with the nice attendant.

The attendant stated I needed to put the pump into my gas tank and then the pump will take my credit card. Hmmm, okay. I put the pump into the tank and try to pay again. No go. Back to the attendant who now tells me he will run my card inside. Groovy. Back out to the pump, still not working. Hmmm. Back inside to the attendant.

“Oops” the attendant tells me. “I put your card on another pump. Hurry so no one else uses your card.”

I RUN out to my car and pull away from the pump, forgetting the pump is still in my gas tank. I pulled away with the pump in my car, running over two hoses and bending back my gas cover beyond repair. Sigh.

I hop out of the car and survey the damage. Suddenly I hear over a loud speaker a very authoritative voice “step away from the car” and “Put your hands up”. Up my hands go, and I start walking backwards away from the car. I’m thinking “Oh shit. I must have committed some crime by driving with the pump attached to my car.”

As I look around, I realize everyone at the gas station is staring at me. There was a cop across the street, arresting a local for something else.

I put the gas in my car and drove home. I didn’t go anywhere else for the rest of the day.