Stickin’ it to the man!
July 21st, 2006
This morning I need to get gas for my car. This activity, which is normally depressing and soul-sucking, turned out as the highlight of the weekend which is about to begin. I usually throw $30 in the tank and it lasts me around a week, giving me half a tank. I pulled into the PetroCan, made my choices and entered my pin (I pay at the pump – no human interaction if it can be avoided). I started pumping and it was going really slow. Not good. I was starting to get frustrated and Lindsay was giving me looks that said “We’re gonna be late” when the pump stopped itself.
Now, I have had problems with some PetroCan pumps and my car in the past. It seems that some of them trigger their “this tank is full” reflex when I squeeze the trigger too much even though the tank is far from full. This is what I assumed was going on here – I had only pumped $17.50 into the tank. I tried the usual tricks – rotating the nozzle, pulling the nozzle a little bit shallower in the tank opening – tricks which usually work. This time, nothing. So I forced it in tiny spurts to an even $18 and gave up, resigned to a return to the pump in a few days. A little gas dumped on the ground as I withdrew it.
Getting in the car I turned the key and watched the guage go all the way to full. Bonus! The pump was screwed up! Yayzors!!1!eleven!
