When I first began driving as a teenager I really wasn’t bothered by the price of gas primarily because like most country boys raised on a ranch we had our own gas pump. I had actually driven for almost a year before I ever had to pay for a tank of gas. I recall a couple of cute gals from my high school cruising around with me on a Friday afternoon when we all decided it would be cool to drive over to a nearby town and check out the sights. Before we got ready to leave I asked, “Since it’s about 15 miles over there how much gas will it take us to get there and back? Do I have enough?” The gals didn’t know any more than I did so we pulled into a gas station to ask a friend. He asked me how much cash I had and after looking in my ash tray where I kept my money I found about six dollars. I remember him saying. “SIX BUCKS! That’s enough to drive all the way across Oregon and back.”
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This photo was taken a couple of days ago in Death Valley by one of the Motor Trend family. And I thought gas was expensive here in Toronto at $4.36 a gallon!

The shot came to us via ex MT Editor C. Van Tune

This may sound like a pretty basic thing, but you would be amazed at how many people do it. They show up at a dealership with some sort of complaint that only occurs on the highway. The nearest highway is 10 minutes away from the dealership. The low fuel warning light is on.

Not only is the technician (or service manager) ticked off at you, but he’s worrying more about the likelihood of not making it back than he is about diagnosing your concern.

Always make sure your car has gas if you want your service facility to fix something that requires a road test.