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Original poster

Running out of petrol

478 replies

jmh740 · 07/03/2025 15:51

So after a discussion with Oh yesterday can I ask how many times you have ever run out of petrol and how many years you have been driving.

Person A run out once in 25 years of driving.

Person B run out 4 times in 30 years of driving.

Person A thinks B is irresponsible and most people have never run out. Person B thinks 4 times in 30 years is not much.

OP posts:
Sunat45degrees · 07/03/2025 15:59

Terrribletwos · 07/03/2025 15:56

Yes, when I was young, free and just responsible for myself this may have happened. After having kids absolutely not because, obviously, I was thinking about them.

Show quote history

I also am trying to remember if petrol stations were quite so frequent back in those days? I do remember doing longer drives in my home country and sometimes starting to get a bit nervous when realising that the distance between towns/petrol stations were pretty hefty. But these days, with most cars getting pretty good milage and a petrol station on every street corner AND cars with beeps and flashing lights when you are getting low... there's just no excuse.

UnhealthyCopingStrategies · 07/03/2025 15:59

Never ever in my cough 25 years of driving, but it got a bit touch and go a few years ago when people were queuing out of the petrol stations because of supply issues. Not let it get under 1/4 of a tank since then.

GentianCoffee · 07/03/2025 15:59

46 years, never. But I was on a National Express coach once that ran out of fuel.

Huckyfell · 07/03/2025 15:59

36 years and never run out
Ds1 10 years, run out twice
Ds2 8 years, run out once.
Very oddly, it was the fuel gauge that was faulty all times... I swear they both said the same even though they were in different cars

WhatFlavourIsIt · 07/03/2025 15:58

Never once in nearly 30yrs. I don't think I've ever had less than 1/4 of a tank. I start getting twitchy just below half.

JoshLymanSwagger · 07/03/2025 15:58

JoshLymanSwagger · 07/03/2025 15:57

Never.
DH hasn't either.

We always top up the tank when it's down to 1/4.

Oh, and driving 70+ yrs between us.

Alwayswonderedwhy · 07/03/2025 15:58

Never. It's clearly displayed on the dashboard when fuel is low.

FartyAnimal · 07/03/2025 15:58

Nope never - even when I had an old morris traveller that the petrol guage didn't work on, I carried an emergency supply in the boot!

JoshLymanSwagger · 07/03/2025 15:57

Never.
DH hasn't either.

We always top up the tank when it's down to 1/4.

AddictedToBooks · 07/03/2025 15:57

31 years and never run out.

gamerchick · 07/03/2025 15:56

You're joking. Cars are bloody irritating when they're getting low on fuel. It's impossible to run out.

Badbadbunny · 07/03/2025 15:56

I've never run out in nearly 45 years of driving. It's not difficult to keep an eye on the fuel gauge and plan to top it up when you know you're going past your favoured/cheapest garage. I won't deny I've not run on fumes (warning light on for many miles), but I've known there was a fuel station or two not far away that I could get to.

Cloudyvibes · 07/03/2025 15:56

20 odd years and never run out.

Terrribletwos · 07/03/2025 15:56

Sunat45degrees · 07/03/2025 15:53

I have run out once in 30 years - as a dumb-as-fuck teenager driving in London for the first time!

I think that running out of petrol should be an almost-never, if not definitely-never thing. I concede that dumb teenagers like me might make that mistake or that occassionally people misjudge quite how far they hvae to go to another petrol station on a long journey or something but broadly, yes, it's irresponsible and a bit silly.

Yes, when I was young, free and just responsible for myself this may have happened. After having kids absolutely not because, obviously, I was thinking about them.

abnerbrownsdressinggown · 07/03/2025 15:56

30 years and never.

Although came close a couple of times - once during the blockades when I was at uni and was very lucky that the petrol station was at the bottom of a hill! And our old house had a steep drive and I thought I had run out, but when I eased the car off the drive onto the flat road and left it for 5 minutes enough flowed back so I could start and get to the nearest petrol station).

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 07/03/2025 15:55

Been driving for 40 years, have never run out of petrol. Even when I drove a car with a dodgy petrol gauge back in the day, I always made sure I noted my mileage when I filled up (and would then perform complicated calculations on any bits of paper in the car).

KittenPause · 07/03/2025 15:55

I ran out once when I was young on a dark country lane

I was petrified

I've never run out again

I tend to refill when I get to half a tank

I get anxious at a quarter full

Redpeach · 07/03/2025 15:54

Are you person b

TickingAlongNicely · 07/03/2025 15:54

Never run out. Driving 13 years.
DH has been driving for 24 years and ran out within half a mile of the petrol station once.

Beamur · 07/03/2025 15:54

Driving 35 years have never run out of petrol. Came close once on a motorway when services were unexpectedly closed and I had to drive to a different petrol station. I hadn't been driving very long at that point.

Chemenger · 07/03/2025 15:53

Nearly 40 years, never run out.

yikesanotherbooboo · 07/03/2025 15:53

35 years and have never run out although I now have an electric car which needs a bit more vigilance ( 3 years) .

Onleemoi · 07/03/2025 15:53

Maybe twice as a poor 17 year old. 30+ years ago

LadyDanburysHat · 07/03/2025 15:53

28 years and never.

Sunat45degrees · 07/03/2025 15:53

I have run out once in 30 years - as a dumb-as-fuck teenager driving in London for the first time!

I think that running out of petrol should be an almost-never, if not definitely-never thing. I concede that dumb teenagers like me might make that mistake or that occassionally people misjudge quite how far they hvae to go to another petrol station on a long journey or something but broadly, yes, it's irresponsible and a bit silly.