The High Cost of Gassing Up: Dancing with “E”

I have to tell you, I’m not one for taking chances, but with gas prices skyrocketing by the hour, the “dte” (distance to empty) reading in my car has become my best friend. I commute about an hour to work three times a week, and the cost is getting out of hand. I’m down to playing Russian roulette with my gas tank. Does dte 15 really mean I’ve got just 15 miles left in there, or is there a reserve that can buy me another 10 to 15 miles? I’ve had to pull off of 287 on a couple of occasions in fear of cutting it too close, but getting an extra trip out of my maxed-out tank seems almost worth it. I did have the good sense to go for a four cylinder model when I replaced my sporty V6 after it crossed the 103,000 (or more) mile point. This one’s great on gas in comparison, but that doesn’t take the bite out of the latest gas price hikes. I’m still getting robbed at the pump while oil companies break records for profits in the billions. Something’s just wrong with that picture. Ah, the good old days—when I never let my tank go below 1/4 full, in case of emergency. Those days are gone. Now I’m in a permanent state of emergency. Guess I’ll just continue dancing on “e” until a better option comes along. Brother, can you spare a ride?

(Hey, we could always charter a flight to Venezuela where gas is 12 cents per gallon!)