# I feel like a dumbass **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 28, 2000, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852 "2000-09-28T07:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jesuslynch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e99b99/32.png) [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/21 "2000-09-29T21:16:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AudreyK \* > **… I had quite a vivid mental picture of your gas tank sputtering, “I’m ::cough:: empty! ::wheeze::: I’m ::gasp:: empty!” in a scratchy, gas-tank voice (however _that_ sounds). . . .** Actually that sound like the late, great Mel Blanc. I remember him doing that voice in a BB cartoon once. I can hear it now (kinda like how you pick out one voice in a crowd.) ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2000, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/22 "2000-09-29T22:47:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*Hey **Tim** , why don’t you go back and find that green magic marker that someone used to write **“penis eater”** on your face. That way I can mark a spot for you to pour your syrup on. Al Gore’s all asshole if you hadn’t noticed by now. You probably just probably haven’t bothered to read [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=773071) thread. > > \*\* No, no, I’ve seen it. You don’t see me going around extolling [Harry Browne](http://www.harrybrowne.org) or preaching my Christianity, though. Don’t wear your beliefs on your shirt if you don’t want people calling them into question. Mmmkay? –Tim ---
**Author:** ![MysterEcks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/23 "2000-09-30T02:32:56Z")
**Zenster** said: [quote] If you merely want to Gore bash why not do it here. [quote] Already did. But you’re the one who decided to bash Bush in a thread that had nothing to do with politics–refrain from complaining when that gets a response from the other side. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/24 "2000-09-30T03:00:53Z")
I only just got my license today after having my permit almost two years. I passed the road test at 2 and at 4 I left the house to go into town do a round of visits. At 7 I decided to go down city and see if Wal\*Mart had the stuff I wanted for my car. As I’m pulling out of Wal-Mart, my gas pedal no longer makes the go. I’m quite scared and just keep praying I’ll make it through the 20 minute drive home… I make it a mile down the road, and it stalls out on me. I put it in neutral and coast off the road. The electronic gas gauge reads half-full, and the “check engine” light is on. I’m afraid my accelerator is stuck shut or something. I’ve never HEARD of an accelerator being stuck shut, but I’ve heard of several people getting them hung open so I’m sure it’s at least vaguely possible, right? Anyway, I walk a mile back down the way I came to go to a Hess station and call my dad, hysterical. He drives out to pick me up and decides that I might be out of gas, even though the gauge says half a tank. I walk BACK down to the Hess station and get $2.50 in gas in a little red thingy, go back and put it in my tank. The gauge now says it’s full. I’m sorry, a gallon and a half is NOT going to fill up half my tank. I go to the gas station (my car DOES start now, so apparently Dad was right) and put another 13 gallons in my 15-gallon tank. I realize that my gauge is not to be trusted. Stupid freakin’ technology. I’d had my license for five hours, run out of gas and flipped out for half an hour before realizing it was just out of gas. At least it’s not totally my fault – I was just looking at the gauge… but I still feel like a complete and total dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/25 "2000-09-30T03:06:14Z")
Passed by about fifty-eight gas stations today… damn, if I didn’t hear all them cars saying “Ahhhh! That’s better!” _Vrrrroooooooooooommmmm!_ Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2000, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852/26 "2000-09-30T08:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\*The electronic gas gauge reads half-full, and the “check engine” light is on. I’m afraid my accelerator is stuck shut or something. I’ve never HEARD of an accelerator being stuck shut, but I’ve heard of several people getting them hung open so I’m sure it’s at least vaguely possible, right? > > Anyway, I walk a mile back down the way I came to go to a Hess station and call my dad, hysterical. He drives out to pick me up and decides that I might be out of gas, even though the gauge says half a tank. I walk BACK down to the Hess station and get $2.50 in gas in a little red thingy, go back and put it in my tank. The gauge now says it’s full. I’m sorry, a gallon and a half is NOT going to fill up half my tank. > > I go to the gas station (my car DOES start now, so apparently Dad was right) and put another 13 gallons in my 15-gallon tank. I realize that my gauge is not to be trusted. Stupid freakin’ technology. > > I’d had my license for five hours, run out of gas and flipped out for half an hour before realizing it was just out of gas. At least it’s not totally my fault – I was just looking at the gauge… but I still feel like a complete and total dumbass. \*\* My gas gauge works well enough, but I misread it when I had my dumbass attack. I was waiting for the needle to actually dip below the “E” before I was going to start caring. Instead, it just wavered slightly above the “E” for such a long, long time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-feel-like-a-dumbass/34852.md?page=1)