Well folks, ... I did it again and I have finally got the courage to write about my extrodinary stupidity. Sure anyone can run out of gas. But can you do it twice. Last time I ran out of gas I was on the top of a mountain and coasted 2 miles into Payson, AZ to get to a gas station. I coasted and pulled right up to the pump. Can you believe it? Well, ... not this time.
I pulled into La Junta, CO a couple of days ago for my last stop of the day. I noticed I needed gas but I also noticed some cool things to photograph. I kept taking pictures for almost an hour and started my way back to Pueblo, CO. I looked down when the car started screaming at me and it was flashing "YOU MORON ... YOU ARE OUT OF GAS ... AGAIN"! Neat feature on the Saturns. It said I was out of gas but I was still going for about another mile ... then I was officially out of gas.
While sitting on the side of Highway 50 ... I called Braff Zackton. For those of you who don't know ... Braff is the guy who bails people out of trouble in transport trucks all day long for a living. Braff is my go to guy when I do really stupid things on the highway.
Well, Braff ... started laughing and hung up on me. When I called back I could still hear him laughing and he hung up on me again. The third time I realized I was actually losing power from a cell phone that was empty and he might not be hanging up. So THERE I WAS ... No gas. No phone. Coyotes starting to howl. I was feeling a bit like dinner.
I charged my cell phone for a few minutes while people screamed past me ignoring the old white haired man with his flashers blaring on the highway. I would have had better luck getting help if I parked in the middle of the highway. After enough juice got into the phone I called Braff Zackton again and shouted my GPS cordinates into the phone as he typed furiously into Delta Gas Force. The next thing I know a Colorado cop is looking into my eyes saying, "Sir, Braff called me and said you are a Moron and that this isn't the first time you have run out of gas on a highway". I said, "Uh, that's me. The officer gets me to show him ID and then says he will take me to get gas.
The funny thing is that he was required to "pat-me-down" or "frisk me" or "search me" depending on your taste in being personally scrutinized. I would have killed for photos of me with my hands spread on top of the squad car. In my head I kept hearing, "Bad boys, bad boys ... whatcha gonna do when the come for you".
I was in the back of the squad car when he had to walk around and let me out of the back door at a crowded gas station. I had to buy a gas can inside the store. I felt like saying, STICK em UP! You know, as a joke, but the guy behind the counter was one of the crazy looking Colorado guys that probably had a few funnier jokes of his own that could send me back through the store wondow in some kinda tazed state running from buckshot.
The Colorado State Police Officer was a great help. He just kept smiling at me and looking in his rear view mirror and saying, "Dude, you better not spill that gas back there". Well, I didn't. The officer did ask me if I wanted to wear the cuffs while I tried putting the gas in the car. That was funny.
Well either way. Braff kept me from walking out into traffic during my two hour prayer meeting on highway 5-0 ... so I guess I will live to photograph again. Thanks Braff.
NikonSniper Steve
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