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AIBU?

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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:
RenoDakota · 07/03/2025 19:57

I have been driving for 44 years and have never run out.

laloue · 07/03/2025 19:57

30 + years driving, never run out - came close once on holiday (too busy staring at the scenery) and had a scare last week (fuel light came on)as I have just started commuting by car rather than walking to work for the last 15 years. Won’t be letting that happen again as I was beside myself with worry that I’d get stuck on the hard shoulder…quarter of a tank minimum now!

Earlyattheairport · 07/03/2025 19:58

40 years and never run out.

I did once break down in winter on the motorway without a coat to put on. Won't do that again.

ThatAgileLimeCat · 07/03/2025 19:58

30 years driving. Never,.except for the time it was stolen and the thieves drove it until it ran out.

ChilledBeez · 07/03/2025 19:59

Tragically, I read about a youing lady many years ago running out of petrol late at night. On her way to the petrol station she was murderered. That's always been in my head when I am running low.

Bubbletrain · 07/03/2025 20:01

Never. Came close on Christmas day once, forgot to fill up in the chaos.

historyrepeatz · 07/03/2025 20:02

Nearly 30 years and never.

iliketobereasonable · 07/03/2025 20:04

Person B is unreasonable. >30 years and never ran out here.

supersop60 · 07/03/2025 20:06

Driving 45 years, run out a few times when I was much younger and poorer, thinking I could eke it out ...

Catname · 07/03/2025 20:08

Once since 1987 and that was when I’d parked on a bay that sloped downwards to the pavement and the petrol had run to a point in the tank that wouldn’t allow the engine to start. Luckily I was about 200m from a petrol station so I bought a can and some fuel. There was a man in the queue behind me doing the same thing, and I walked back to the car to find he was parked next to me.

Jom222 · 07/03/2025 20:10

driving for over 40 years, never run of of fuel. I've come scarily close a few times but never actually puttered out.

But in school I had friends who seemed to forever be running out and hoofing it for miles (pre-cellphone days)

andfinallyhereweare · 07/03/2025 20:11

Only once and that was because there was a storm that shut down every petrol station on my drive home from holiday

2025willbemytime · 07/03/2025 20:18

Once in 28 years but I was only driving for a few months at that point. I have a system in place now and it hasn't happed since. Four times in however long is clearly worse than once.

Cantbebotheredwithausername · 07/03/2025 20:18

18 years. Never. Not once. Commuting 82 km from home to work. I fill my tank accordingly, and will do a top up early if I know I'll otherwise run out at an inconvenient time.

mimbleandlittlemy · 07/03/2025 20:22

41 years driving. Never run out of petrol.

Thirteenblackcat · 07/03/2025 20:23

Never. I fill up as soon as I can when I notice light on. About 22 years of driving

yestheyhavethesamedad · 07/03/2025 20:24

Been driving 26 years and ran out once , due to petrol gage being faulty , although obviously didnt know that before i ran out thought i had half a tank left.

SquigglePigs · 07/03/2025 20:24

23 years and never. DH the same.

It's just car ownership 101!

Wonmoretime · 07/03/2025 20:25

35 years. Never run out. The fuel gauge is there for a reason!

Mandylovescandy · 07/03/2025 20:29

30 years and almost twice. Once when I was a student on holiday in a hire car and only just made it to the garage and once last year when I was doing a long drive on my own and didn't realise there were so few petrol stations on the A road I was on - realised it was going to be a problem and stopped and called the AA for help. Agree multiple times seems a bit careless but 4 doesn't seem all that bad although if the person doesn't seem to be learning from it then probably a bit annoying.

Wrongsideofpennines · 07/03/2025 20:33

Once and I had been driving for less than 6 months.

In my defence I was on my way to the petrol station which was about a mile away. The fuel light came on as I set off for work and I knew I would be late if I stopped for fuel. It was a 26 mile commute on a busy, hilly A road and the petrol stations were on the opposite side of the road. I wasn't confident enough to turn right into 60mph traffic in rush hour and didn't have time for the detour if I turned left. A colleague had also assured me that I would always have 30 miles of fuel in the tank after the light came on. Turns out I had 25 miles left in the tank.

Tdcp · 07/03/2025 20:35

I've run out once during the covid scarce petrol saga, my usual garage was out and I was on the ring road at some lights, which was on a steep hill, the car had start stop so it turned itself off and wouldn't go back on again. Not my finest hour and it will not be happening again 😂

OccasionalHope · 07/03/2025 20:36

We almost ran out once driving cross country on Christmas Day, all the patrol stations on our route were closed.

Bluejacket · 07/03/2025 20:37

Never in over 50 yrs driving. But then DH is very good a filling up 💕

MaybeIamJealous · 07/03/2025 20:45

I'm relatively late to driving, only passing my test in 2019 in advance of our move to the countryside. Haven't ran out of fuel yet. DH had a car when we first met with a faulty fuel guage. Until he fixed it he must've ran out 5 times in the space of about 2 years. He still plays a little fast and loose for my liking with the fuel in his current car (25 years on) and likes to leave it until the range is like 20km left. I tend to fill up when the range drops below 200km 🤣