Gas at a Premium

So I finally needed to feed my brand new baby. I had noticed I was low, but was not expecting the gas pump icon to pop up and stay there at a little less than 1/4 tank. My cool graphics were replaced with a consistent message first urging me to fill up, and then asking if I needed "her" to find me a gas station nearby -- over and over again. I would return to my cool satelite graphics screen and, two minutes later, it wanted to help me find "food."

I must admit, it felt a little like being nagged by your mom or a loved one who was annoyed that I didn't do something fast enough. I wanted to shout back, "Alright! I heard you, and no I don't need your help. I know where the gas stations are."

I pulled into the next station I saw, a small Sunoco that was cramped, packed and awkward to manuver around. One island was completely taped off with yellow caution police-like tape leaving everyone jockeying for position at the other four. a man in a mail truck gave me the evil eye because I beat him to a pump. Great, I thought, I will be in and out in no time or so I thought.

First I could not figure out how to open the little door to my gas tank. Then I got out and found myself standing in thick coarse gravel that covered the entire area. Next, an attendant came over and told me to wait a moment because he had just reset the pumps, or I could move over to the taped off pumps which had been just cleared for use, which I did.

I swiped my card and it was declined, then accepted, then declined, then accepted. The oh so helpful attendant got it working, but next the hose wouldn't readily go in, he played with it a little and got it in. (I guess she was still a virgin.) I then proceeded to select my fuel when, "AHH!!!" I realized $3.00 too late that he had started the pump already... with low grade gas in my premium only tank. We immediately stopped it and canceled the transaction. I swiped my card again to add to appropriate fuel,,, and it said declined.

At that point he added how he had had a crazy day. The gravel on the ground was covering a huge gas spill from someone who drove away with the pump still in their tank. I looked at my tires  now embedded with gas gravel and knew that I would be also tracking it inside on my shoes. So, when he offered to go inside and reset it for me, I said no thank you, I couldn't wait anymore, I had a meeting to get to, and I was sure I had enough in my tank to get me there.

As I peeled out of that horrid little station all the while praying it takes more than three dollars worth to start an engine knocking, I watched as my cool graphics disappeared only to be replaced with a message, "Your gas is low. Do you want me to find a station nearby?"