eyetdiman
Veteran Member
Recieved...By Big Brother, an amusing tale.
It all began about a week ago. I had filled up at my favorite fueling place, (BP Amoco on Sheridan Road at Tower Road in Winnetka,) where I can get BP's premium diesel to which I added enough B100 to give me a B20 blend and from there I headed to my WI farm near Elroy some 250 miles away.
Arriving after a most enjoyable drive, I noticed that my fuel was at about 3/4 on the gague. Busisness and pleasure took me to Hillsboro as well as the WI Dells and back so a week later I headed for home feeling pretty confidant that I could make it to my favorite previously mentioned fueling place with about 1/3 on the fuel gague and 450 miles on the trip meter bringing me in at roughly 700 miles on the vented fill.
About 70 miles from my fueling destination the fuel light came on and there were two ticks on the gague. I remembered reading posts of the "700 Club," so I thought all would be well continuing on at "warp speed." Before long however, the gague was down to one tick so I thought it best to get some fuel as I did not want to run the diesel dry...thanks to my having read earlier posts on the foolishness of this.
I pulled into the Mobil Oasis on I94 and went to the cars and pickup trucks island hoping there would be diesel fuel at this location. Well there wasn't, so I had to back down the entrance ramp to get to where the diesel pumps were. Fortunatley there was not a lot of traffic so I made it the 50 yards without getting rear ended by some half asleep gasser heading for the gas pumps.
Now that I was on the ramp where the "big boys" drive and fuel, I pulled next to a pump and noted that it said to prepay before fueling, so I laid the hose on the ground and started to walk to the stations center when I heard some one honking. The noise was coming from a car in the parking lot 50 yards away. I thought it was a signal for me to not leave the hose on the ground, so I put it back into the rack and continued on toward the station, The honking began again, but by now I figured it wasn't directed at me so I continued on. Once inside I asked to have $3 on pump #14 and the attendant said, $3, that's all?" I said, "yes, that's me, the black VW. At 50 MPG, $3 is all I need to get me home."
I then head back to the fueling island and I notice that there are a lot of semi's behind me waiting to fuel and I wondered why they were behind me and not in some of the other islands where the lines were not as long.
I then began to put in my 1.3 gallons of fuel, but the pump would not start. At this point a man climbs down from the 18 wheeler he is driving and he comes up to me and says," Lets see if I can help you as you are in the through traffic lane. This is not a fueling lane. The fueling lane is on the other side of this pump." I then see that there are at least 10 trucks behind me, all patiently waiting for this little 4 wheeler to get it right!! Once I realized the error of my ways, I pulled ahead to a place that would not block their entrance to the rest area, bowing to each one as they passed by me. Some waived. Others looked confused as if they had been driving all night and wern't sure what the hell was going on. After the "road block, was removed" (powerful little cars we have here,) one of the drivers directed me to a pump, (I had to backup to get to it,) stopping other trucks as they pulled in so I could finally get my 1.3 gallons of fuel.
Must admit, this reminded me of two things. First, how I felt as a 3 year old when my father, who was a football coach, took me to the locker room before a football game...overwhelmed to say the least, yet recieved by all these giants. Secondly, at the age of 12, I had built a motor bike by mounting a washing machine engine onto the back of my 26" Schwin bicycle. When I would go to the gas station to fill up..it only held a quart..it would cost 2 cents. (Gas was only 19 cents a gallon in 1949.)
So here is a time warp...I'm putting in $3 of fuel in my little VW TDI, (2 cents in the days when I was 12 putting it into my motor bike,) while I am surrounded by all these patient and recieving of my presence 18 wheelers, (the huge football players as seen through the eyes of a three year old.)
Is this what happens when you drive at "Warp Speed?" Is this VW TDI really a time machine?
(PS: I made it to the BP place, by the way, taking 16.3 gallons to top it off. Would I have made it without the Oasis stop? Probably within a block or two...either way.Maybe yes. Maybe no. Much too close to call...Besides the memories generated via this experience were worth every bit of frustration as well inconvience to those truckers I delayed...so to them I say" THANK YOU." Thank you to my diesel family.
It all began about a week ago. I had filled up at my favorite fueling place, (BP Amoco on Sheridan Road at Tower Road in Winnetka,) where I can get BP's premium diesel to which I added enough B100 to give me a B20 blend and from there I headed to my WI farm near Elroy some 250 miles away.
Arriving after a most enjoyable drive, I noticed that my fuel was at about 3/4 on the gague. Busisness and pleasure took me to Hillsboro as well as the WI Dells and back so a week later I headed for home feeling pretty confidant that I could make it to my favorite previously mentioned fueling place with about 1/3 on the fuel gague and 450 miles on the trip meter bringing me in at roughly 700 miles on the vented fill.
About 70 miles from my fueling destination the fuel light came on and there were two ticks on the gague. I remembered reading posts of the "700 Club," so I thought all would be well continuing on at "warp speed." Before long however, the gague was down to one tick so I thought it best to get some fuel as I did not want to run the diesel dry...thanks to my having read earlier posts on the foolishness of this.
I pulled into the Mobil Oasis on I94 and went to the cars and pickup trucks island hoping there would be diesel fuel at this location. Well there wasn't, so I had to back down the entrance ramp to get to where the diesel pumps were. Fortunatley there was not a lot of traffic so I made it the 50 yards without getting rear ended by some half asleep gasser heading for the gas pumps.
Now that I was on the ramp where the "big boys" drive and fuel, I pulled next to a pump and noted that it said to prepay before fueling, so I laid the hose on the ground and started to walk to the stations center when I heard some one honking. The noise was coming from a car in the parking lot 50 yards away. I thought it was a signal for me to not leave the hose on the ground, so I put it back into the rack and continued on toward the station, The honking began again, but by now I figured it wasn't directed at me so I continued on. Once inside I asked to have $3 on pump #14 and the attendant said, $3, that's all?" I said, "yes, that's me, the black VW. At 50 MPG, $3 is all I need to get me home."
I then head back to the fueling island and I notice that there are a lot of semi's behind me waiting to fuel and I wondered why they were behind me and not in some of the other islands where the lines were not as long.
I then began to put in my 1.3 gallons of fuel, but the pump would not start. At this point a man climbs down from the 18 wheeler he is driving and he comes up to me and says," Lets see if I can help you as you are in the through traffic lane. This is not a fueling lane. The fueling lane is on the other side of this pump." I then see that there are at least 10 trucks behind me, all patiently waiting for this little 4 wheeler to get it right!! Once I realized the error of my ways, I pulled ahead to a place that would not block their entrance to the rest area, bowing to each one as they passed by me. Some waived. Others looked confused as if they had been driving all night and wern't sure what the hell was going on. After the "road block, was removed" (powerful little cars we have here,) one of the drivers directed me to a pump, (I had to backup to get to it,) stopping other trucks as they pulled in so I could finally get my 1.3 gallons of fuel.
Must admit, this reminded me of two things. First, how I felt as a 3 year old when my father, who was a football coach, took me to the locker room before a football game...overwhelmed to say the least, yet recieved by all these giants. Secondly, at the age of 12, I had built a motor bike by mounting a washing machine engine onto the back of my 26" Schwin bicycle. When I would go to the gas station to fill up..it only held a quart..it would cost 2 cents. (Gas was only 19 cents a gallon in 1949.)
So here is a time warp...I'm putting in $3 of fuel in my little VW TDI, (2 cents in the days when I was 12 putting it into my motor bike,) while I am surrounded by all these patient and recieving of my presence 18 wheelers, (the huge football players as seen through the eyes of a three year old.)
Is this what happens when you drive at "Warp Speed?" Is this VW TDI really a time machine?
(PS: I made it to the BP place, by the way, taking 16.3 gallons to top it off. Would I have made it without the Oasis stop? Probably within a block or two...either way.Maybe yes. Maybe no. Much too close to call...Besides the memories generated via this experience were worth every bit of frustration as well inconvience to those truckers I delayed...so to them I say" THANK YOU." Thank you to my diesel family.
