Driving on Empty?

I'd borrowed my parents car to go grab us some food.
-As I'd been picked up by them, I didn't have my own car with me. Which btw is the weirdest feeling ever to be somewhere without your car. O.o

In any case.
After finally getting my food.

I got in the car, heading home.

And out of the blue,
I hear this ding.

I look down and there is this orange light shining next to the symbol of a gas pump.
Which naturally draws me eyes to the gas gauge.
It was sitting on empty.

()_()

I immediately had flash backs to the last time I drove a car on empty.
I nearly killed my car lol.
I basically sputtered into the gas station and spent the next hour or so recovering from shaking as I'd been worried about breaking down in the middle of the freeway or something.

I learned from that.
Never ever ever trying to drive anywhere without my tank being over a quarter full lol.

But this was my parents car....
So I'd hadn't even thought to check the gas levels when I left.
Because why would I?
I never drive this car. So I'm not aware of gas levels in it as much as my own car....I just assumed it was full. lol.

But now.
The car was telling me I was on empty. ()_()
And I literally had no idea what that meant.
I mean, I know what empty means.
But how 'empty' was 'empty?'
Like, would the car stop moving in two feet? Or in four miles? Or 20 miles?
How far could I get further?

Could I get home? But if I got home....would the parents be able to get the car to a gas station?

Could I make it to the gas station?
I'd literally just driven past it like 2 minutes previously.

So, I did a quick decision.
To turn the car around, and head back to the station.
And get gas.
Hoping and praying that the car wouldn't go 'sputter sputter' on me and trap me somewhere away from home and away from the gas station.

Luckily!!
I made it to the station and filled the car up with gas. ^^

Woot!

When I got home....
I was told that the gas gauge in that car has been acting up.
One second saying a quarter tank, the next showing it's empty....and the next it being back up to a quarter tank.

Apparently I could have made it home just fine lol. As the gauge was probably supposed to still show a quarter tank. Since I didn't fill the car all the way up (big tank.) Yet it showed the gas was at full. *shakes head*

So yah.
Brush with another car disaster.
I managed to avoid it! :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi