Oxymoron

My mini van takes the cheap gas, if you can even call it that anymore. It took my breath away this afternoon, when I went to fill up my tank, with the 87 grade gas, and the tank took over $80 to fill! This is a threshold I have not yet passed. I remember when $50 was a big deal.

Don't get me started on the RIDICULOUS piece on NPR that compared the cost for a family of four to travel from DC to Boston, by air, bus, train and car. And came to the conclusion that gas would have to get to $15 a gallon before families would abandon their cars as a cheaper way to travel. Excuse me? Am I supposed to feel better about my $80 tank of gas after hearing that? I also know people who last summer flew their entire family to Boston from Chicago on a Southwest fare for the same price that it cost us to drive there and back because we had to also stay in a hotel one night each way, and eat meals.

And what the hell is up with TV screens at the gas stations? Must we be entertained while we pump gas? I suppose it will help the time go by more quickly when I'm standing there in the frigid cold waiting for the tank to fill up, but today I found it royally annoying. I'm not a child who needs to be entertained every second of the day. I can think thoughts while I'm pumping gas, or make faces at my kids through the windows, or stare off into space. Can't a person stare off into space anymore? Today, while pumping gas I learned that "There is a reason all cars come with safety belts". Wow, shouldn't all people old enough to pump gas already be aware of that fact? And I learned that "All children deserve to be loved."

Then they cleaned out my bank account.

Then Julio (seriously, he introduced himself) came up to me to offer me a free demo of this great wax product they were trying to sell. Dude, I just put $80 worth of gas in my van, I don't care if it's shiny or not, as long as it runs, k? As I brushed him off, he said "Ma'am, I can get rid of that paint transfer here." He points as I close the door in his face. Julio. I just put $80 worth of gas in my car! I don't care if you vomit fluorescent green acid onto my hood; I would not be interested in spending any money to fix it.

Our VW does not take the cheap gas, while it's tank is smaller, I shudder to think what it will cost to fill that thing up.