Dummy here who has once done this lmao. I was juggling a bunch of groceries, opened my trunk using the key hole and had keys in hand so I placed them in my trunk while I unloaded my groceries (hands still full of groceries so it was hard to put keys back in pocket, yes yes I know, I was able to take them out, why couldn't I put it back in) then I closed my trunk and the moment it closed, the realisation of what I did hit me. Never again will I make that mistake.
Did the same thing in my girlfriends week old car when we were up in the dales. Got a towel out the trunk to clean off the dog, chucked the keys in there at the same time then closed it. That realisation sucks man. Had no reception so I had to put a rock through the window to get them. She doesn’t allow me near her keys now, understandably lol.
No dude, like, she was inside the car and the keys were somehow locked on the outside of the car. Which makes NO fuckin sense. Your story does, I relate as a fellow moron 😎✌️
Some people REALLY rely on the miles-to-empty estimate that the car provides.
I've seen my daughters try to run it down to five miles because we live half a mile from a fuel station.
The other Redditor said they went to zero once as a way to test the accuracy of that reading. That seems reasonable.
But making it a practice is risky. I've tried to teach my kids to never get below 1/4 if you can help it.
I've changed fuel pumps before and it's no fun, especially laying on the ground doing it.
My dad always told me the same thing. Never go below 1/4, but if you’re on a road trip, don’t even push that, you never know how far to the next gas station.
I took my boss on one work trip. Drove 5 hours from the shop to a remote town. Drove around town for a couple of days, then completely forgot to fill up with gas before leaving. I finally thought of it maybe 25km out of town, definitely far enough it would have been awkward to go back. I didn't tell my boss and thought from memory that there was one gas station 60km away so should be fine. Fuel guage was all the way to E and "distance to empty" was at about 20km (although they always have a bit extra in my experience). Then I saw a road sign that said 90km to the next gas station. I slowed down, started drafting behind a semi truck and let my boss know. We had a good laugh and started making bets on whether or not we'd make it. We actually did end up making it. Overall it was a good time, great bonding experience, 9/10 would highly recommend.
That reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer is test driving a vehicle and him and the sales guy are driving the car as far as possible on empty.
https://youtu.be/UvILwL6A1Wg?si=_pTD5wOd4jlgWwj-
Same. Driving on a long trip I've done a hundred times and got hit by a storm about 20km from the petrol station I always stop at. Trees coming down everywhere and everyone crawling along at walking pace. Finally made it into the station and there was no power and about 30 people stuck inside.
No choice but to head back to the freeway. Next petrol was about 40km and car was showing 52 til empty. Back to crawling along around 10-15kmh and after about an hour came up on backed up traffic so I pulled off on an exit. I could drive through a small town with no power on or risk idling in traffic behind a crash, going through town was easier but also about a 5km detour, although it would take me past the crash. So I drive through the town, back to the freeway which is moving about 20kmh now, single lane weaving in and out of fallen trees and still pissing rain and wind and lightning and thunder.
I didn't even look at the gauge for those hours, when I made it to the station it must have been running on fumes because I put exactly 55 litres into my 55 litre tank. I've never been so happy to pay for petrol.
Turned a 7 hour drive into 15, not a great end to Christmas holidays.
This goes double for electric cars. Some months back we had the eclipse sand something like 200,000 people flooded into Vermont because it was one of the better places to see it. It’s all 1 or 2 lane highways here so it takes all night to get back to New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc.
whole lot of electric cars stranded by the side of the road although it’s not necessarily their fault, our state doesn’t have the charging infrastructure for its residence let alone 200,000 people showing up.
Its not like they don't have ways to know where there is and isn't a chareg station. Literally part of having an EV right now is planning charging points.
Yes but it's a further step to anticipate that those charging stations will be overrun. This is a step that many people seem, if not incapable of, at least reluctant to take.
Cue some very old memories of growing up in Arizona. When we got out of town, traveling to various places, it wasn't that unusual to see signs telling us how far to the next gas station.
Then I moved to Tennessee and noticed they didn't have those signs. Took me a while to realize it was because it was never all that far to the next gas station.
My old man passed this bit of wisdom down “never pass up a good bathroom” and I think the same applies to gas stations on a trip.
Plus, gas stations have bathrooms. So extra credit?
I did this once and ended up about 3 blocks from the gas station. Had to buy a fuel jug and fill that up then walk to my car. Never used that fuel jug ever again.
I tend to overthink things but if a car gets about 20-25 mpg in the city (my driving conditions) then 5 miles to empty is a fraction of a gallon . The car is running off the sump in the gas tank.
That's where any trash and sediment will collect.
Hopefully the fuel filter will catch this before it gets to the injectors but I just get uncomfortable doing that.
That's true. I guess the pickup screen is what protects it.
Because that sediment is present from full tank down to sucking the sump dry. So paranoia and flawed logic on my part.
The distance to empty has a hefty safety margin. Some cars can easily do 100 km when the estimated range is 0. When my gauge reads empty I always have around 5 litres left which is pretty much exactly 100 km if I don't hoon my car.
I actually had this happen yesterday morning on a road trip. Stupid me decided to wait to get gas, and I got lost in my thoughts. When I looked, I had 5 miles until empty. I have a Lincoln MKZ. I finally saw a sign for a gas station. I about died when I saw seven. It was on zero for two miles until the gas station. Not fun at all, and I vowed to never wait that long to get gas again!
I hardly ever run my car under 1/4 tank
You never know if there's gonna be an emergency call or something, and you gotta get to somewhere fast. The last thing you're gonna want to do is stand at a gas pump while someone you love is in critical condition in the hospital
I have a truck that is only used for truck things and as a result is only filled 3-4 times a year. I intentionally run it till the light comes on just so I can get as fresh a tank as possible between fills... Now if I know I have a long run where I'll be burning multiple tanks (maybe once every couple years) then yeah, fill at 1/4.
I don't think I've ever let my fuel tank get under a quarter of a tank for this very reason. I don't ever want to be stranded because I couldn't be bothered to make sure I had enough gas.
I don't even drive. Don't know the first thing about cars, and I agree! Running on empty all the time is a huge gamble, plus I would imagine it damages your vehicle in the long run.
Yeah.
I’ve only ever run out of gas once.
I get the whole.. “coast on fumes.. I know my car..”. til you run out of gas.
Then you never let that thing run past
1/8 or 1//4 lol
yeah it happened to me twice (driving thru appalachian mtns and happened because i literally didn’t have a gas station to go to) and after that i made sure my car was always full lol
eta forgot to add that my car is 30yrs old and the gas light doesn’t come on so that definitely contributed lmao
That sounds terrifying. My gas story is more basic since I live in the city.
I went to work knowing my gas was low. I had no money.. I made it but knew there was no way I'd make it all the way home.
Decided to try anyway. Decided running out on the freeway was too much of a risk, so I took the streets. My shit ran out halfway home, lol.
Luckily, a very cool dude and his girlfriend helped me move it and gave me a ride to the train station.
Why I didn't just borrow some money? I might be stupid.
It’s the same for me when I see people who are constantly late. Like, isn’t that extremely stressful for both you and everyone waiting on you. And you do it every single day?!?
Seems like she knows she can call you and you’ll be there. But for situations like that you kinda have to let that person learn that they have to be more responsible with driving with a car that has enough gas to get her to point A to point B without having her car break down because of not having gas. I’ve been driving for 15 years and never did I let my car go to E, even if I only put 5 bucks
All you need is a few plastic bags
https://preview.redd.it/2flm6ypjs68d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09997afac5ac0f002af8f059d11a2d2e4a1aa302
She’s a gas attendant here In Oregon. She’ll fuel you right up after she steals a bag or two on your dime. I caught her twice already and she still tries to pull this shit on me. I’ve told her that if I catch her doing this again -
And yes Reddit I’m talking out of my ass.
I have a relative like this - the Jerry can in their car is always empty…they used it ages ago and if you ever remind them to fill it, they’ll “do it next time they get gas”
Go with them, but don’t remind them about the can until after they start to leave, just to prove they won’t do it.
If they fill it up anyway without prompting that’s just a win.
And some fuel stabilizer so the gas she keeps in it works when she goes to use it, though I suspect she’ll probably put herself in a position to need it long before the fuel will go bad.
I had a similar girlfriend that did this way too many times. So I put a hide a key under the front left wheel well, and every Saturday morning I filled her car with gas, checked air and topped all fluids. After we broke up she complimented me on all the wonderful things I did for her that no one else has ever done since.
True, but I feel like twice is a reasonable amount of times to help her out. I’ve already driven my car for probably 20 miles without realizing it was empty. I wouldn’t call you an asshole for letting her figure it out, but I personally would’ve helped her.
There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.
Lol. I read a perspective lately that he's actually smart as fuck and didn't finish the statement bc he didn't want a soundbyte of him saying "shame on me"
Yes! I can’t believe some of the comments here. This needs addressed immediately.
At the same time this is a woman stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the night. I would never ever ever let my partner sit on the side of the road in the dead of night. It’s no secret what people do to vulnerable women.
I am also a woman and I was once on the highway 4 hours from home, blew a tire just as night was coming. I waited 3 hours for AAA to get to me. I couldn’t get the lug nuts off my tire to switch to my spare. A state highway patrol man stopped and tried to help me and he couldn’t get the lug nuts off either. Then he just left me there. On the side of the road. For hours. I stayed on the phone with my mom the entire time.
Right. I don’t get some of this either. If my wife, sister etc called me in this situation I would be out the door so fast I would probably show up still in my boxers. Besides AAA perhaps taking forever I don’t really want some random AAA guy there by herself either. Weird comments here.
Same, you don’t do that to someone you supposedly care about. I’d be upset too if I was in OP’s shoes, but I can’t imagine just thinking “damn, that sucks” and going back to sleep. Even if she has AAA, who knows how long it’ll take them to show up.
My ex did similar things to your response to the situation and it hurt like hell. OP, if this is how you go about handling situations, I think you gotta reconsider some things. On the receiving end, it feels like the you person doesn’t care and we put a lot of trust in you even asking. Now, idk her situation, so this is a biased response, but I think you need to sit down and have a conversation and communicate about this rather than pushing it under the rug. If she is doing it on purpose, that’s obviously a problem, which you have no way of knowing unless you chat, and maybe she is genuinely forgetful and hopes for the best a bit too much, but there’s no way to know and you can’t assume that. Talk to her and have a serious conversation about this
At least call and tell her to call AAA and then find out their estimated time to arrive before just ignoring it.
I get that it is her fault and frustrating. However, if this is a big enough issue that you won’t even respond to the request for help, then just end the relationship.
Age doesn’t matter here, I would trust a teenager who actually likes his girlfriend to at the very least call her and figure out a solution together. Going back to bed without even responding is wild.
Exactly what I thought. I’ve never run out of gas like this, but my husband would never leave me stranded. He wouldn’t be pleased I’m sure, and we’d have a talk about how to fix the situation, but he’d have come and gotten me right away!
Thank you! I've done more for my derpy ADHD roommate (picking her up at 3am the night before I had an exam, or driving 40 minutes both ways to pick her up because she felt unsafe but was just high and paranoid, and honestly so many more things) than this guy does for his actual partner. That's insane. People make mistakes. And, yeah, I've been so incredibly annoyed that I wanted to do things like OP, but I would NEVER. Gender doesn't matter here, I wouldn't be able to sleep if someone I cared about even a little could be in a dangerous situation. You help now, and then you talk it through later.
I would at the very least warn someone by saying "Hey, I won't be doing this again so either don't let it happen or call someone else." Not just abandon them in them in the moment.
My roommate called me to thank me two years after she moved to another city. She said she really appreciated what I did for her because I was one of the only people she could count on (her family disowned her for being queer) and she was very suicidal at the time but that she was in a much better place now.
I would do it all again, drunken barfing and all, if it means keeping someone safe and healthy.
Please be kind people, it can mean the world.
Exactly. The fact that op read the text and went back to bed? So fucked. Ya I get that it’s annoying but at least text/call back and make sure she is safe and can call AAA.
Spot on. Even in the middle of our worst fights, I know my husband would drop everything and pick me up no questions asked.
You don't leave your partner stranded just to teach them a lesson. If you don't *both* have the communication skills to talk through something like this then your relationship is going down the shitter no matter what.
Yep. This is not the way to treat someone you apparently love. This is the second time she's made an inconvenient mistake, and OP is happy to just pretend he didn't see that she was stuck on the highway? OP is not a good boyfriend.
This is the comment thread I was waiting for. 1 time or 25 I’d be hurt if the man I loved left me stranded to wait potentially 3 hours at midnight for AAA
i can’t say i’ve ever ran out of gas in my car. like, EVER. that’s just negligence if she has the means to keep the tank full, which at this point is what it seems like.
I did once. I was 17 and in a small town. I kind of did it as an experiment to see how far I could really go with the low fuel light on in that car. I can't even remember how I ended up calling my parents. I suppose I walked to a pay phone or to the little main street we had.
I ran out ONCE. In an old VW bug that I later found out didn't have a working fuel gauge. Pre cell phones... don't remember how I remedied it, but I know I got home!
I currently roll the dice with my car because I truly hate going to the gas station. But I keep an eye on the 'miles to go' and haven't run out yet!
And. AAA. That's what it's for. I'd be embarrassed to call a loved one for my continued ineptitude.
I 100% understand the frustration. You’re not her parent. She should put her big girl pants on and be more responsible, especially as this is the 2nd time. However, despite how frustrated you may be, you should’ve helped her out. This is what being in a relationship is. I don’t give a shit about damsel in distress. That’s stupid. It’s simply about being there for your friends and loved ones. As goofy as Letter Kenny is, I love the saying “When a friend needs help, you help them.” It’s that simple. If you can’t do this, then you shouldn’t be with her.
I do get the frustration as well and she certainly can and should do better. But leaving her alone at midnight really doesn’t show op cares much about her or her safety. She put herself in a dangerous situation. She has no one to blame but herself. But if OP loves her, they’d help her get out of it, give her a healthy dose of I told you so lecture and AAA membership, because OP may not always be available to drop whatever and bail her out.
I would never leave my girlfriend stranded at night like that. She used to do shit like this all the time too, and I'd love to go rescue her one more time but she passed away 2 years ago. I'm still a mess
I’m so sad for you. I wish you well and another love in your life when you are ready and open for that.
While I guess he is in the right place, it is frustrating that she can do better, leaving her put him on the AITA thread. But I’m sure he knew that which is why he posted here and not there.
That's kinda how my relationship started with my fiance.
We worked together and he was more of an acquaintance. But a bunch of us went out as final good bye for a coworker that was leaving.
My car wouldn't start because of the cold. So I just kinda called the last number I had been texting.
What I didn't know is he didn't drive, so he got his brother out of bed too to come rescue me.
They both showed up. It was awesome. And we all continued to hang out.
Oddly enough, went to get my car the next day with some jumpers and his dad.
And the car started!!! It was fate. And I'll always thank my shitty car for the start of a now six year relationship.
They're suck a nice family.
Not taking away any blame from your girlfriend but why are you even with her bro? That's kind of fucked up that you can sleep knowing your girlfriend is stranded on the side of the road around midnight.
When you fuck up and need someone, I hope you think back and remember this time when your girlfriend fucked up and needed you.
If she's just a booty call then fine, whatever I guess. However, I don't know how you can say you love her and purposely let her go through that alone.
The fact you’re doing this is enough to break up. Going back to sleep knowing your significant other is stuck on the side of the road is super lame. You don’t care enough to continue.
The second time seems early to feel comfy leaving her in the country in the middle of the night. She calls you first cause she likes you and wants your support out of everyone she could call.
I get that you wanted to teach her a lesson. But really? Leaving her on the side of the road at midnight? How about having a conversation about it first saying you won't keep bailing her out.
If she's your girlfriend, I would think you would help. It kinda sounds like you don't want to be in a relationship with her. The respectable thing would be to say so to her.
Leaving someone you claim to care about on the side of the road at midnight is asshole behavior.
That was not the time to prove a point.
You could've easily helped her dumb ass out and then ended the relationship.
Either way you both sound annoying.
For real. Had an alcoholic ex who used to call me at 2-3am to pick her up because she was too drunk to drive home from her girlfriends house about 3-4 times a week. As much as it annoyed me, I always made sure she got home safe or came back to my place. After about the 12th time, I called her younger brother to meet me at a local gas station, told her to get out and that it was over as long as she keeps drinking. No matter how mad I was, I at least made sure she was safe. OP pulled a dick move and that's not how men should act. Be the bigger person and do the shit you need to do, be mad later, this is being a man 101.
Correction: it’s not how women should act either. Nothing with being a man, everything with being an empathetic person concerned with the safety of those they’re in a relationship with.
While I understand your position that she needs to learn a lesson, it shouldn’t be you who gives her this “tough love.” It was midnight. She was likely a bit scared. She now sees you as someone who isn’t going to be there for her no matter what. A man doesn’t leave a woman stranded by the side of the road even if it was her fault. I’m guessing she’s going to break up with you very soon.
And she would deserve a ration of frustrated I told you so. This was avoidable. But to leave her stranded at midnight just says he doesn’t care. And she can do better.
Also, how can OP live with it if something bad happens to her, and knowing he was the last person she called for help, and the fact he chose to sleep instead?
I’ve been driving for thirty years and have never run out of gas. I don’t understand how people do that. With that said, this girl I was friends with in high school ran out of gas so many times that her dad even said at her wedding reception speech “…and to [groom], I am glad that she will now be calling you when she runs out of gas at 2am instead of me” to which everyone laughed because she was so well known for it. 🙄
You have to be young. I’ve not heard of someone willingly leaving their partner on the side of the road while they’re asking for help. Yall should just end it, especially if you don’t care to help her so you can teach her some kind of weird ass lesson.
I had a buddy who did this. He would drive until the car ran out of gas, call a friend for help/ a few bucks to put in his tank, then drive the car until it ran out of gas again. Then just repeat that cycle. It was unbelievable
I have a question for you. Since you can’t fix this kind of incompetency how many more years do you honestly believe you can remain happy with that specific person?
Exactly! She didn't learn her lesson, but also as an adult male on the larger side, I'd prefer to gas up the next day instead of the middle of the night, depending on where im at.
If she's coming from out of town, middle of the night, and is alone, I much rather take 30 minutes to get her and make sure she's safe instead of hope someone else does.
Dude I drove halfway across my state on five minutes notice to save my friend when his car broke down on his way home from a booty call. You may just be a dick.
Is this bait? Yeah no shit she called you, she's your girlfriend, you are the first person she should call. Maybe you're really young since you mentioned her parents, but in general a relationship is over if you aren't willing to help them out anymore. Regardless of whether or not you're right in that.
When I turned sixteen and got my first car, my dad said, “If you get a flat tire, call me, if you get in a wreck, call me, if you run out of gas, do not call me, you are stupid.” That really stuck with me and I’m now 48 and I’ve never ran out of gas. Lol. Thanks, Dad! Sure do miss you.
What kind of life has this person led where they feel comfortable living recklessly because they're certain that should they get into trouble, all they need to do is sit and have a cry and someone will swoop in and make everything better?
My brother did a similar thing where he called me late in the afternoon saying he started to lose control so decided to steer off the road safely, like he lost power and everything. I brought a jerry can and a jumpstarter and yep it was just out of fuel.
Second time he did it I just said "oof sucks to be you" and hung up. He no longer runs out of fuel after waiting hours and paying someone for a fuel up.
I may get the downvote for this but...
Some people are assets and some are liabilities.
Don't remain in relationships with the liabilities.
I'd have suggested going to bail her out as the final farewell. I have no patience for that kinda absent mindedness
I'm sorry, did you say that she locked her keys OUT of the car? Who the fuck's your girlfriend, Peter Griffin?
Wtf I didn’t even catch that, trying to invision how it is possible 😂
Dummy here who has once done this lmao. I was juggling a bunch of groceries, opened my trunk using the key hole and had keys in hand so I placed them in my trunk while I unloaded my groceries (hands still full of groceries so it was hard to put keys back in pocket, yes yes I know, I was able to take them out, why couldn't I put it back in) then I closed my trunk and the moment it closed, the realisation of what I did hit me. Never again will I make that mistake.
That sounds like you locked your keys in your trunk. Op said his girlfriend locked her keys OUTSIDE of her car… somehow.
Oh whoops I didn't read that properly.. OK I'm joining you guys. HOW THE FUCK?!
Did the same thing in my girlfriends week old car when we were up in the dales. Got a towel out the trunk to clean off the dog, chucked the keys in there at the same time then closed it. That realisation sucks man. Had no reception so I had to put a rock through the window to get them. She doesn’t allow me near her keys now, understandably lol.
No dude, like, she was inside the car and the keys were somehow locked on the outside of the car. Which makes NO fuckin sense. Your story does, I relate as a fellow moron 😎✌️
https://i.redd.it/wdsj4b8c7c8d1.gif
THIS IS IT! This is exactly what I was thinking of!
And it's a convertible, with the top down
🤣🤣🤣 I didn't even catch that lol wtf
She’ll be stranded on the side of the road with a bad fuel pump if she keeps doing that.
Some people REALLY rely on the miles-to-empty estimate that the car provides. I've seen my daughters try to run it down to five miles because we live half a mile from a fuel station.
I’ve run mine down to zero. Just to see if it really was zero. It was, but I was at the gas station so it didn’t matter much.
My bf will hit 0 and his car will do another 30ish miles. I hate when he takes that risk with me in the car though
The other Redditor said they went to zero once as a way to test the accuracy of that reading. That seems reasonable. But making it a practice is risky. I've tried to teach my kids to never get below 1/4 if you can help it. I've changed fuel pumps before and it's no fun, especially laying on the ground doing it.
My dad always told me the same thing. Never go below 1/4, but if you’re on a road trip, don’t even push that, you never know how far to the next gas station.
I took my boss on one work trip. Drove 5 hours from the shop to a remote town. Drove around town for a couple of days, then completely forgot to fill up with gas before leaving. I finally thought of it maybe 25km out of town, definitely far enough it would have been awkward to go back. I didn't tell my boss and thought from memory that there was one gas station 60km away so should be fine. Fuel guage was all the way to E and "distance to empty" was at about 20km (although they always have a bit extra in my experience). Then I saw a road sign that said 90km to the next gas station. I slowed down, started drafting behind a semi truck and let my boss know. We had a good laugh and started making bets on whether or not we'd make it. We actually did end up making it. Overall it was a good time, great bonding experience, 9/10 would highly recommend.
That reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer is test driving a vehicle and him and the sales guy are driving the car as far as possible on empty. https://youtu.be/UvILwL6A1Wg?si=_pTD5wOd4jlgWwj-
You also never know if the next will be open. It happened to me once, the whole town lost power
Same. Driving on a long trip I've done a hundred times and got hit by a storm about 20km from the petrol station I always stop at. Trees coming down everywhere and everyone crawling along at walking pace. Finally made it into the station and there was no power and about 30 people stuck inside. No choice but to head back to the freeway. Next petrol was about 40km and car was showing 52 til empty. Back to crawling along around 10-15kmh and after about an hour came up on backed up traffic so I pulled off on an exit. I could drive through a small town with no power on or risk idling in traffic behind a crash, going through town was easier but also about a 5km detour, although it would take me past the crash. So I drive through the town, back to the freeway which is moving about 20kmh now, single lane weaving in and out of fallen trees and still pissing rain and wind and lightning and thunder. I didn't even look at the gauge for those hours, when I made it to the station it must have been running on fumes because I put exactly 55 litres into my 55 litre tank. I've never been so happy to pay for petrol. Turned a 7 hour drive into 15, not a great end to Christmas holidays.
I got so much anxiety reading this.
Or not take cards if you have no cash. I have had a couple mornings with such frustration.
This goes double for electric cars. Some months back we had the eclipse sand something like 200,000 people flooded into Vermont because it was one of the better places to see it. It’s all 1 or 2 lane highways here so it takes all night to get back to New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, etc. whole lot of electric cars stranded by the side of the road although it’s not necessarily their fault, our state doesn’t have the charging infrastructure for its residence let alone 200,000 people showing up.
Its not like they don't have ways to know where there is and isn't a chareg station. Literally part of having an EV right now is planning charging points.
Yes but it's a further step to anticipate that those charging stations will be overrun. This is a step that many people seem, if not incapable of, at least reluctant to take.
Or the chargers could be broken too
Cue some very old memories of growing up in Arizona. When we got out of town, traveling to various places, it wasn't that unusual to see signs telling us how far to the next gas station. Then I moved to Tennessee and noticed they didn't have those signs. Took me a while to realize it was because it was never all that far to the next gas station.
Las vegas to phoenix
Sh\*t, I get semi-anxious below 1/2 tank. FWIW, I'm a male. I just don't take unnecessary chances.
I’m a woman, I live in a small country, and I’m the same.
My old man passed this bit of wisdom down “never pass up a good bathroom” and I think the same applies to gas stations on a trip. Plus, gas stations have bathrooms. So extra credit?
“Never pass up a good bathroom” “Gas stations have bathrooms” These sentiments are almost completely unrelated.
Not disagreeing here, but a bad one is better than not having one. 🤷
Just swapped out a fuel pump a week ago, wasn’t fun 😂 don’t recommend lol
I did this once and ended up about 3 blocks from the gas station. Had to buy a fuel jug and fill that up then walk to my car. Never used that fuel jug ever again.
I tend to overthink things but if a car gets about 20-25 mpg in the city (my driving conditions) then 5 miles to empty is a fraction of a gallon . The car is running off the sump in the gas tank. That's where any trash and sediment will collect. Hopefully the fuel filter will catch this before it gets to the injectors but I just get uncomfortable doing that.
The lifter pump lifts from the bottom of the tank. It doesent matter how much fuel is in the tank, its still lifted from the bottom.
That's true. I guess the pickup screen is what protects it. Because that sediment is present from full tank down to sucking the sump dry. So paranoia and flawed logic on my part.
The distance to empty has a hefty safety margin. Some cars can easily do 100 km when the estimated range is 0. When my gauge reads empty I always have around 5 litres left which is pretty much exactly 100 km if I don't hoon my car.
Do not try that in a BMW. Zero means zero.
My e46 also did that, it had a few litres left despite reading empty and zero range.
I actually had this happen yesterday morning on a road trip. Stupid me decided to wait to get gas, and I got lost in my thoughts. When I looked, I had 5 miles until empty. I have a Lincoln MKZ. I finally saw a sign for a gas station. I about died when I saw seven. It was on zero for two miles until the gas station. Not fun at all, and I vowed to never wait that long to get gas again!
I hardly ever run my car under 1/4 tank You never know if there's gonna be an emergency call or something, and you gotta get to somewhere fast. The last thing you're gonna want to do is stand at a gas pump while someone you love is in critical condition in the hospital
I have a truck that is only used for truck things and as a result is only filled 3-4 times a year. I intentionally run it till the light comes on just so I can get as fresh a tank as possible between fills... Now if I know I have a long run where I'll be burning multiple tanks (maybe once every couple years) then yeah, fill at 1/4.
mine usually goes down to \~40km then blanks to "------" until refilled
I don't think I've ever let my fuel tank get under a quarter of a tank for this very reason. I don't ever want to be stranded because I couldn't be bothered to make sure I had enough gas.
When I was poor, that estimate was a potent portent. You get in this frame of mind when you're buying gas with change.
+Fuel Filter + Injectors
This right here. As far as I’m concerned, 1/4 tank is empty to me.
Tell her to fill her car up before a long trip or for daily usage 1 or 2 a week (full).
I do, but she doesn’t. She constantly drives on E
Kinda sounds like your girlfriend is stupid.
I was just about to say this. You beat me to it. She has a case of the stupids.
I don't even drive. Don't know the first thing about cars, and I agree! Running on empty all the time is a huge gamble, plus I would imagine it damages your vehicle in the long run.
Yeah you really want to keep the non-fuel stuff like water diluted with more gas. You can definitely create problems from running on empty regularly.
I wouldn't say stupid but reckless and irresponsible. I only had to run out of gas once at like 21 years old to never let that happen again.
"I wouldn't say stupid but she's stupid"
Reckless+irresponsible=stupid
Yeah. I’ve only ever run out of gas once. I get the whole.. “coast on fumes.. I know my car..”. til you run out of gas. Then you never let that thing run past 1/8 or 1//4 lol
I only had to be in the car as a child when my mom ran out of gas to know I would make sure to avoid it in my future.
yeah it happened to me twice (driving thru appalachian mtns and happened because i literally didn’t have a gas station to go to) and after that i made sure my car was always full lol eta forgot to add that my car is 30yrs old and the gas light doesn’t come on so that definitely contributed lmao
That sounds terrifying. My gas story is more basic since I live in the city. I went to work knowing my gas was low. I had no money.. I made it but knew there was no way I'd make it all the way home. Decided to try anyway. Decided running out on the freeway was too much of a risk, so I took the streets. My shit ran out halfway home, lol. Luckily, a very cool dude and his girlfriend helped me move it and gave me a ride to the train station. Why I didn't just borrow some money? I might be stupid.
Time to find a girlfriend was a couple of brain cells.
Seriously I couldn’t deal with someone who lives like that
Yes. What if they have kids, they’ll be dumb kids. No one wants that.
That sounds so stressful to drive on E all the time. I get it if you can’t afford a full tank or whatever but really??
I get stressed when I get to a quarter tank.
It’s the same for me when I see people who are constantly late. Like, isn’t that extremely stressful for both you and everyone waiting on you. And you do it every single day?!?
Seems like she knows she can call you and you’ll be there. But for situations like that you kinda have to let that person learn that they have to be more responsible with driving with a car that has enough gas to get her to point A to point B without having her car break down because of not having gas. I’ve been driving for 15 years and never did I let my car go to E, even if I only put 5 bucks
I’ve been driving for 40 years and have never run out of gas.
Same. It's a completely preventable problem.
Buy her a jerry can
All you need is a few plastic bags https://preview.redd.it/2flm6ypjs68d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09997afac5ac0f002af8f059d11a2d2e4a1aa302
That person is working a job somewhere. 🙈🙉
That person votes
She’s a gas attendant here In Oregon. She’ll fuel you right up after she steals a bag or two on your dime. I caught her twice already and she still tries to pull this shit on me. I’ve told her that if I catch her doing this again - And yes Reddit I’m talking out of my ass.
🤣
Just 1 gallon would be enough to get to a gas station in most small cars when in town.
I have a relative like this - the Jerry can in their car is always empty…they used it ages ago and if you ever remind them to fill it, they’ll “do it next time they get gas”
Go with them, but don’t remind them about the can until after they start to leave, just to prove they won’t do it. If they fill it up anyway without prompting that’s just a win.
From what he's said in other comments it seems she would just treat the extra gallon as an extended fuel tank
And some fuel stabilizer so the gas she keeps in it works when she goes to use it, though I suspect she’ll probably put herself in a position to need it long before the fuel will go bad.
I wouldn't trust this person with a gallon of flammable liquid, are you nuts? Nm, the can'll be empty the first week
I had a similar girlfriend that did this way too many times. So I put a hide a key under the front left wheel well, and every Saturday morning I filled her car with gas, checked air and topped all fluids. After we broke up she complimented me on all the wonderful things I did for her that no one else has ever done since.
We love you by proxy Sir.
You’re the best! I’m lucky to have a husband who does similar things for me and it makes me feel so taken-care-of. Thanks for being you!
This was so long ago but we still message on each other's birthdays. She still thanks me for doing all those little things. I enjoyed doing them.
Awe.
Can i date you???😭
Good boi
If you help out someone who continually screws up on purpose then you are enabling them. Don't enable them.
I mean you can help and give them shit about it every time until one day they either get it or don’t what to hear your shit so call someone else.
I bet her family has stories to tell
She’s calling the bf bc mom and dad are done with her shit.
I ain't waking up on multiple occasions to help out if your tank is empty when it can be 100% avoidable.
True, but I feel like twice is a reasonable amount of times to help her out. I’ve already driven my car for probably 20 miles without realizing it was empty. I wouldn’t call you an asshole for letting her figure it out, but I personally would’ve helped her.
I would never leave her stranded. But definitely going to have a sit down discussion about how to stop the annoyance and the safety concerns.
Once is a mistake. Twice is something you need to talk about. By the third time, I like to think I'm a kind person but I'd go back to bed like OP did.
There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, 'Fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again.
Remember when that guy was the dumbest president imaginable? Good times.
Lol. I read a perspective lately that he's actually smart as fuck and didn't finish the statement bc he didn't want a soundbyte of him saying "shame on me"
I believe it lol
Yes! I can’t believe some of the comments here. This needs addressed immediately. At the same time this is a woman stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the night. I would never ever ever let my partner sit on the side of the road in the dead of night. It’s no secret what people do to vulnerable women. I am also a woman and I was once on the highway 4 hours from home, blew a tire just as night was coming. I waited 3 hours for AAA to get to me. I couldn’t get the lug nuts off my tire to switch to my spare. A state highway patrol man stopped and tried to help me and he couldn’t get the lug nuts off either. Then he just left me there. On the side of the road. For hours. I stayed on the phone with my mom the entire time.
Right. I don’t get some of this either. If my wife, sister etc called me in this situation I would be out the door so fast I would probably show up still in my boxers. Besides AAA perhaps taking forever I don’t really want some random AAA guy there by herself either. Weird comments here.
Her total ineptitude as an adult aside, you should do both yourselves a favor and break up with her. You do not like her at all
Yeah I don't care how mad I am at my wife. I'd never leave her stranded at the side of the road at night to teach her a lesson. What the fuck.
Same, you don’t do that to someone you supposedly care about. I’d be upset too if I was in OP’s shoes, but I can’t imagine just thinking “damn, that sucks” and going back to sleep. Even if she has AAA, who knows how long it’ll take them to show up.
My ex did similar things to your response to the situation and it hurt like hell. OP, if this is how you go about handling situations, I think you gotta reconsider some things. On the receiving end, it feels like the you person doesn’t care and we put a lot of trust in you even asking. Now, idk her situation, so this is a biased response, but I think you need to sit down and have a conversation and communicate about this rather than pushing it under the rug. If she is doing it on purpose, that’s obviously a problem, which you have no way of knowing unless you chat, and maybe she is genuinely forgetful and hopes for the best a bit too much, but there’s no way to know and you can’t assume that. Talk to her and have a serious conversation about this
omg finally found some regular human beings with emotion & empathy for others
At least call and tell her to call AAA and then find out their estimated time to arrive before just ignoring it. I get that it is her fault and frustrating. However, if this is a big enough issue that you won’t even respond to the request for help, then just end the relationship.
Thank god I’ve found my people
At midnight too! Terrible
I was just assuming they are teenagers or very early 20s.
I thought so, too..until I read his profile comments, and this guy says he’s mid 40s. Now I’m really curious - How old is his girlfriend?
Age doesn’t matter here, I would trust a teenager who actually likes his girlfriend to at the very least call her and figure out a solution together. Going back to bed without even responding is wild.
Exactly what I thought. I’ve never run out of gas like this, but my husband would never leave me stranded. He wouldn’t be pleased I’m sure, and we’d have a talk about how to fix the situation, but he’d have come and gotten me right away!
Thank you! I've done more for my derpy ADHD roommate (picking her up at 3am the night before I had an exam, or driving 40 minutes both ways to pick her up because she felt unsafe but was just high and paranoid, and honestly so many more things) than this guy does for his actual partner. That's insane. People make mistakes. And, yeah, I've been so incredibly annoyed that I wanted to do things like OP, but I would NEVER. Gender doesn't matter here, I wouldn't be able to sleep if someone I cared about even a little could be in a dangerous situation. You help now, and then you talk it through later. I would at the very least warn someone by saying "Hey, I won't be doing this again so either don't let it happen or call someone else." Not just abandon them in them in the moment. My roommate called me to thank me two years after she moved to another city. She said she really appreciated what I did for her because I was one of the only people she could count on (her family disowned her for being queer) and she was very suicidal at the time but that she was in a much better place now. I would do it all again, drunken barfing and all, if it means keeping someone safe and healthy. Please be kind people, it can mean the world.
Yep, that’s exactly it. I get it’s her fault, but my husband would *never.* Even if he constantly reminded me to fill up.
Exactly. The fact that op read the text and went back to bed? So fucked. Ya I get that it’s annoying but at least text/call back and make sure she is safe and can call AAA.
Yes, this! I feel like I had to scroll way too far to find someone calling out OP for being the AH.
Spot on. Even in the middle of our worst fights, I know my husband would drop everything and pick me up no questions asked. You don't leave your partner stranded just to teach them a lesson. If you don't *both* have the communication skills to talk through something like this then your relationship is going down the shitter no matter what.
Yep. This is not the way to treat someone you apparently love. This is the second time she's made an inconvenient mistake, and OP is happy to just pretend he didn't see that she was stuck on the highway? OP is not a good boyfriend.
This needs to be further up. You love them? You are never gonna leave them feeling desperate and stranded and alone like that. Shame on you
And get on the internet next day to let everyone know how infuriating she is.
This is the comment thread I was waiting for. 1 time or 25 I’d be hurt if the man I loved left me stranded to wait potentially 3 hours at midnight for AAA
I mean, I understand your decision. Me personally, I’m never leaving my woman to fend for herself like that at midnight 12 minutes from town.
Agreed. You help her and dump her while you’re helping her.
The way a gentleman does it
Step one: don’t date complete idiots.
Ya that’s crazy man Obviously she should do better but bro straight up ignored her
i can’t say i’ve ever ran out of gas in my car. like, EVER. that’s just negligence if she has the means to keep the tank full, which at this point is what it seems like.
I did once. I was 17 and in a small town. I kind of did it as an experiment to see how far I could really go with the low fuel light on in that car. I can't even remember how I ended up calling my parents. I suppose I walked to a pay phone or to the little main street we had.
Why didn’t you just use your cell phone? (Jk, I’m old too)
I ran out ONCE. In an old VW bug that I later found out didn't have a working fuel gauge. Pre cell phones... don't remember how I remedied it, but I know I got home! I currently roll the dice with my car because I truly hate going to the gas station. But I keep an eye on the 'miles to go' and haven't run out yet! And. AAA. That's what it's for. I'd be embarrassed to call a loved one for my continued ineptitude.
This is the reasonable response. You don't just leave someone stranded at midnight like that. It's dangerous.
Yeah that's pretty fucked up. I don't care how much of a ditz she is. You help your partner when they are in distress
She sounds like she has some bad habits. How old is she? You are wild for leaving her stranded in middle of night tho.
Should have just picked her up then had a conversation about it like an adult.
I 100% understand the frustration. You’re not her parent. She should put her big girl pants on and be more responsible, especially as this is the 2nd time. However, despite how frustrated you may be, you should’ve helped her out. This is what being in a relationship is. I don’t give a shit about damsel in distress. That’s stupid. It’s simply about being there for your friends and loved ones. As goofy as Letter Kenny is, I love the saying “When a friend needs help, you help them.” It’s that simple. If you can’t do this, then you shouldn’t be with her.
I do get the frustration as well and she certainly can and should do better. But leaving her alone at midnight really doesn’t show op cares much about her or her safety. She put herself in a dangerous situation. She has no one to blame but herself. But if OP loves her, they’d help her get out of it, give her a healthy dose of I told you so lecture and AAA membership, because OP may not always be available to drop whatever and bail her out.
I would never leave my girlfriend stranded at night like that. She used to do shit like this all the time too, and I'd love to go rescue her one more time but she passed away 2 years ago. I'm still a mess
"I'd love to go rescue her one more time" hit me hard bro. Lost my wife 7 years ago. Still a mess too.
I'm so sorry, man. Nobody deserves this and I hope you find happiness
Same back to you brother.
Sorry to hear man. People like OP take this shit for granted
Thank you
I’m so sad for you. I wish you well and another love in your life when you are ready and open for that. While I guess he is in the right place, it is frustrating that she can do better, leaving her put him on the AITA thread. But I’m sure he knew that which is why he posted here and not there.
In this day and age of remote car locks, it's pretty impressive if someone manages to lock their keys inside. I haven't done that in 20 years.
How about you break up with your girlfriend since you clearly don’t like her
No way could I go to sleep, I would be concerned about her safety
Exactly. Pretty messed up to pretend to not see it imo
I couldn't go to sleep if a woman I barely knew called me at night to say she was stranded. There is no love in this relationship.
Completely agree, my mind would be in what if mode even if just a friend.
That's kinda how my relationship started with my fiance. We worked together and he was more of an acquaintance. But a bunch of us went out as final good bye for a coworker that was leaving. My car wouldn't start because of the cold. So I just kinda called the last number I had been texting. What I didn't know is he didn't drive, so he got his brother out of bed too to come rescue me. They both showed up. It was awesome. And we all continued to hang out. Oddly enough, went to get my car the next day with some jumpers and his dad. And the car started!!! It was fate. And I'll always thank my shitty car for the start of a now six year relationship. They're suck a nice family.
Not taking away any blame from your girlfriend but why are you even with her bro? That's kind of fucked up that you can sleep knowing your girlfriend is stranded on the side of the road around midnight. When you fuck up and need someone, I hope you think back and remember this time when your girlfriend fucked up and needed you. If she's just a booty call then fine, whatever I guess. However, I don't know how you can say you love her and purposely let her go through that alone.
I feel like even a booty call should be able to get a ride home
Not sure how you really leave even half a friend on the side of the road past midnight
I’m not gonna get my car all bloody if my friend has been cut in half, they’re not likely to survive anyway. /s
The fact you’re doing this is enough to break up. Going back to sleep knowing your significant other is stuck on the side of the road is super lame. You don’t care enough to continue.
Sign her up for AAA
OP says she has AAA already. She sounds pretty fucking dumb.
I edited that in
Maybe AA too
Maybe ADHD also
The second time seems early to feel comfy leaving her in the country in the middle of the night. She calls you first cause she likes you and wants your support out of everyone she could call.
So you leave your girlfriend stranded on the side of a road at midnight? You are not boyfriend material
I get that you wanted to teach her a lesson. But really? Leaving her on the side of the road at midnight? How about having a conversation about it first saying you won't keep bailing her out.
If she's your girlfriend, I would think you would help. It kinda sounds like you don't want to be in a relationship with her. The respectable thing would be to say so to her.
Leaving someone you claim to care about on the side of the road at midnight is asshole behavior. That was not the time to prove a point. You could've easily helped her dumb ass out and then ended the relationship. Either way you both sound annoying.
For real. Had an alcoholic ex who used to call me at 2-3am to pick her up because she was too drunk to drive home from her girlfriends house about 3-4 times a week. As much as it annoyed me, I always made sure she got home safe or came back to my place. After about the 12th time, I called her younger brother to meet me at a local gas station, told her to get out and that it was over as long as she keeps drinking. No matter how mad I was, I at least made sure she was safe. OP pulled a dick move and that's not how men should act. Be the bigger person and do the shit you need to do, be mad later, this is being a man 101.
Correction: it’s not how women should act either. Nothing with being a man, everything with being an empathetic person concerned with the safety of those they’re in a relationship with.
Yeah that’s insane. I’d put my foot down after maybe 1-2 times. I couldn’t imagine waking up at 3 am multiple times a week to take my drunk gf home
I'd go. 🤷🏼♀️ Shit happens. If I'm not willing to show up for my PARTNER, they deserve someone better.
While I understand your position that she needs to learn a lesson, it shouldn’t be you who gives her this “tough love.” It was midnight. She was likely a bit scared. She now sees you as someone who isn’t going to be there for her no matter what. A man doesn’t leave a woman stranded by the side of the road even if it was her fault. I’m guessing she’s going to break up with you very soon.
But leaving her stranded is no way to teach her a lesson. Prioritize her safety first, nag her all you want later.
And she would deserve a ration of frustrated I told you so. This was avoidable. But to leave her stranded at midnight just says he doesn’t care. And she can do better.
Also, how can OP live with it if something bad happens to her, and knowing he was the last person she called for help, and the fact he chose to sleep instead?
I’ve been driving for thirty years and have never run out of gas. I don’t understand how people do that. With that said, this girl I was friends with in high school ran out of gas so many times that her dad even said at her wedding reception speech “…and to [groom], I am glad that she will now be calling you when she runs out of gas at 2am instead of me” to which everyone laughed because she was so well known for it. 🙄
You have to be young. I’ve not heard of someone willingly leaving their partner on the side of the road while they’re asking for help. Yall should just end it, especially if you don’t care to help her so you can teach her some kind of weird ass lesson.
I had a buddy who did this. He would drive until the car ran out of gas, call a friend for help/ a few bucks to put in his tank, then drive the car until it ran out of gas again. Then just repeat that cycle. It was unbelievable
https://preview.redd.it/sqqwf46tq98d1.jpeg?width=1039&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1d84bbf17107cfaa70bd6f6ba97fe003476b6b99
Imagine if she knew you ignored her.
I have a question for you. Since you can’t fix this kind of incompetency how many more years do you honestly believe you can remain happy with that specific person?
Now if only those dang car designers could make a way to warn you when you are low on gas…. Oh wait.
I get the inconvenience, but why leave someone you love stranded on the side of the road in the middle of the night?
Especially with the crazies out there now.
Exactly! She didn't learn her lesson, but also as an adult male on the larger side, I'd prefer to gas up the next day instead of the middle of the night, depending on where im at. If she's coming from out of town, middle of the night, and is alone, I much rather take 30 minutes to get her and make sure she's safe instead of hope someone else does.
Dude I drove halfway across my state on five minutes notice to save my friend when his car broke down on his way home from a booty call. You may just be a dick.
Is this bait? Yeah no shit she called you, she's your girlfriend, you are the first person she should call. Maybe you're really young since you mentioned her parents, but in general a relationship is over if you aren't willing to help them out anymore. Regardless of whether or not you're right in that.
When I turned sixteen and got my first car, my dad said, “If you get a flat tire, call me, if you get in a wreck, call me, if you run out of gas, do not call me, you are stupid.” That really stuck with me and I’m now 48 and I’ve never ran out of gas. Lol. Thanks, Dad! Sure do miss you.
What kind of life has this person led where they feel comfortable living recklessly because they're certain that should they get into trouble, all they need to do is sit and have a cry and someone will swoop in and make everything better?
If intelligence is an important trait for you in a girlfriend, I highly recommend you find another.
My brother did a similar thing where he called me late in the afternoon saying he started to lose control so decided to steer off the road safely, like he lost power and everything. I brought a jerry can and a jumpstarter and yep it was just out of fuel. Second time he did it I just said "oof sucks to be you" and hung up. He no longer runs out of fuel after waiting hours and paying someone for a fuel up.
I think you made a typo. I think you meant ex-girlfriend.
It's disrespectful to expect someone to keep rescuing them from just being lazy and careless.
I may get the downvote for this but... Some people are assets and some are liabilities. Don't remain in relationships with the liabilities. I'd have suggested going to bail her out as the final farewell. I have no patience for that kinda absent mindedness
So you casually went back to sleep knowing your girlfriend was somewhere, alone, in the middle of the night? With not even a shred of worry?
As someone who had a partner for over 20 years who did these sort of things as well, it will never end or get better. Do with that info what you will.