|
| Autopilot mishap |
| Monday, January 30, 2012 |
This happened last Monday and I am pretty late to report it. But what the heck. I was listening to the previously mentioned book. As you could see its an emotionally heavy book, sucks you in. I realize now as I am listening to another book, the reader made a tremendous difference in how I perceived the book.
The fuel indicator blinked. I HATE to fill gas in the car. Like how I hate many of the other mundane chores I have to get through in order to get through life. Generally I get DH to fill in gas, basically shove the car needing gas towards him to drive only very tactfully without him realizing while I take the newly gas filled car. Heheh, I am only exagerating but you get the idea.
So I detoured to the Chevron just before entering the freeway, with earphones,iphone, and my soulstirring reader of Of Human Bondage. Afterall I had done it so many times, I could just put myself on autopilot mode and get engrossed in the book. So I got out and tried to open the fuel tank cap. Garh! It was so tough to open and the frozen fingers didnt help. I cursed DH, but serve me right for pushing the gas filling duty to him the previous time. I finally got it open. Swiped the card and selected the grade. Picked the nozzle and took it towards the fuel openning and before I could secure it inside and lock the handle, fuel started gushing out. It gushed everywhere, on the car, on the windows, and on the ground. I stood there motionless for a second wondering what happened. I tried to push the nozzle into the fuel tank but the flow was forceful enough to restrict that movement. I frantically looked into the fuel dash board and found a small CANCEL key. Frantically pressed it a few times. Fuel flow stopped.
The enchanting reader continued to read lines and lines of Of Human Bondage and somehow that and my current situation were in limbo being assessed by the slow brain making the context switch. I dazedly paused the player and took stock of the situation. There was petrol all over the back of the car, and there was a puddle of it on the ground. There it was on my fairly new and only brown shoes. One foot was drenched totally, the color of the leather had changed. There was petrol on my grey slacks. Ok thats not too bad. And my favorite trench coat was wet. The coat bought most lovingly by dear husband (yes, this particular place warrants for DH to be spelt out explicitly) for V day of 2008. I was too fat to wear them for two years. Now just when I was fitting into them! And my red scarf, ok not so bad. My off white top, ok, good riddance.
I blinked and looked around, wondering what the hell to do. Isnt petrol combustible? Dont people light people on fire after dunking them with petrol? A couple of people saw me look helpless and informed the guy inside. He came out and asked me what happened. I said, "I dont know I just took the nozzle out and before I could put it in the tank gas started flowing out." He could see I was shaken up a bit. "Oh are you sure you didnt pull the lever when you pulled it out?" "No I dont think so" I murmured. Although to be frank I dont remember what I exactly did, I was guilty of being absorbed in the book. "Oh ok, it just happens sometimes." And seeing me stand uncertainly in the middle of petrol puddle, he offered, "Do you want me to fill the tank for you?" I said "Yes please". " You might want to get a car wash done to get the smell off." "Uh-uh, ya. My clothes are spoilt too." "Oh ya, just have them washed, the smell will stay for sometime but it should be okay. I will wash the ground." "Ok, but is it safe for me to drive back home? You know.. with gas all over me? And on the car?" Dumb. I know. But fear can make you dumb sometimes. Ok, it makes me dumb, I dont know about you. "No, you should be fine." And he added " Just dont light a cigarette hehehe" Dude! Not funny!
So I drove back home, hoping I dint catch fire due to some extraordinary circumstances that the mind conjured up, which I think are insanely stupid to write about here.
All my attire of that day lay in the garage all of last week, to be dry cleaned and processed for the removal of smell. Trust such a thing to happen when you just started investing on good wardrobe basics. I know, this is probably a good reason to buy more clothes and more shoes. but as a responsible adult I refuse to do it. Instead I will try to remove the smell from my favorite possessions and wear them to work again. Turns out, its not such a grave thing and the smell can be gotten rid off with vinegar and baking soda, just like diaper stinks! So I may not have to say good bye to my clothes after all.
If you see someone smelling of petrol in the BayArea, it just might be me. (Incase I cannot get the stink off completely.) Do come and say Hi.
|
posted by SK @ 6:33 AM  |
|
| 6 Comments: |
-
oh! You poor thing - I like the smell of petrol though - just not on my person, but in general! Hope the day went okay after that....
-
ROFL @ "Just don't light a cigarette though!" Sorry! :D
-
saumya, I love petrol smell too! If not for the fear I wouldnt have minded haha! The evening was fine, after a nice long shower. :--))
Graddie, :--D all nilamai
-
You are not alone - I bet that I can come up with weirder disaster scenarios (in face, I was coming up with a few as I was reading your post) :-D..
Glad though that everything went off okay and hope that your clothes get back to wearable condition soon!
-
:( i like petrol smell as well! but still!
-
Arch, hahaha, birds of thesame flock .... :--))
Porkodi, I like thesmell of petrol too!
|
| |
| << Home |
| |
|
|
|
|
oh! You poor thing - I like the smell of petrol though - just not on my person, but in general! Hope the day went okay after that....