I waited a little too long to put gas in my car today. I was on the way to the gas station, and in fact was in the left turn lane waiting to make a U-turn to get to the station, when I ran out of gas. That’s the first time I’ve done that in more than ten years; usually I remember to get gas before it goes below 1/4 tank.
Two pedestrians were crossing the street at the time, and asked if I needed a hand. They helped push my car around the U-turn and into the gas station. I am very grateful for their help. I offered to give them a few bucks as thanks for helping me out, but they wouldn’t take it.
I almost always help out other motorists that I see having trouble. I’ve given people jump starts, or a lift to a gas station and back, or helped change a flat tire. People have tried to offer me money for helping them, and I’ve never taken it. While I don’t really believe in karma per se, in practical terms it’s clear that if we’re all willing to help each other out from time to time, we all benefit.
I’ve heard that running out of gas in a car with fuel injection can cause problems. In this case, once I put some gas in, it started right up without difficulty, and hasn’t shown any signs of trouble in about 30 miles I’ve driven since.