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Probably went out without money, unintentionally, followed by a bad decision to try and complete the journey by motorway. We will never know because the Mail didn't bother to find out.
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"We will never know because the Mail didn't bother to find out."
Maybe that wasn't disclosed. At least the Mail didn't attempt to make up a reason.......... unlike .... er ,,,,, your good self ;-)
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>>We will never know because the Mail didn't bother to find
>> out.
I suspect Mail report is based solely on the police tweets. Unless of course they've followed regular practice of repeating verbatim from local paper.
Usual dodgy writing - alleged offence occurred on Wednesday at 05:30 but report states she's already been fined.
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#ticket would indicate a Graduated Fixed Penalty was issued at the time.
Pat
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Never run out of fuel yourself?
I have.
Three times because I was skint and trying to get further than the car would go. The only difference being that I had the sense to stay off the motorways.
Once because I was knackered, driving up to Blackpool and simply didn't realise that the fuel was low.
Let he who is without sin be the gobbiest, and all that stuff.
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I have never run out of fuel. Maybe due to my maritime background, if you don't take it you do without it. Running out of bog rolls half way through a trip in a submarine is no fun! My policy is always have what you need plus a reserve.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 19 Oct 17 at 22:52
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>> Maybe due to my maritime background,
You mean somebody else paying for the bog rolls and having the job of buying them?
I broke down in Slough once in my Chrysler 2litre. The front wheel fell off because I knew the bearing was going, couldn't afford to anything about it, so just kept pushing it that extra mile.
I drive an Audi 100 on my commute with no clutch for 5 weeks until the gearbox finally let go because, again, I had no money to do anything about it.
etc. etc.
No doubt I was stupid as well as broke, but it rather does stop me getting on my high horse when somebody else runs out of fuel. Certainly without understanding more.
Funny how everybody *always* feels that everybody else should be fined for their stupidity..
And if you tell me you've never done anything half-witted or flat out dumb in your driving life, I simply will not believe you.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 19 Oct 17 at 22:57
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I have been responsible for ordering certain stores for submarine patrols, usually operational consumables. A bit like the caterer ordering the food and others ordering thousands of other stores items, running out is not an option.
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So you were paid to buy the bog rolls with someone else's money.
Not really the same thing, is it.
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>> So you were paid to buy the bog rolls with someone else's money.
>>
>> Not really the same thing, is it.
>>
The taxpayer pays for the military.
It is when applied to personal life.
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.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Thu 19 Oct 17 at 23:08
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I did run out once, on the way home from work in a 2T bubble car.
I knew I had enough for more than than that journey, but can only assume some scrote had syphoned the tank.
Hope the petroil gummed up his plugs as often as mine!
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Ran out once in my 735i.
Pootling through the Borders 12 or 13 years ago on a Saturday afternoon thought I was doing mighty well as the fuel needle had hardly shifted after 100 miles of driving (remember that POS struggled to do 20mpg on a run!).
Cue a spluttering stop in Stow at about 5.30pm thanks to the jammed sender unit and oblivious driver.
Fortunately a local mechanic was just shutting shop and gave me a gallon of petrol from a jerry can which was enough to get the the petrol station at Lauder.
One week later the 735i ground to a halt between house visits and wouldn't restart.
My trusty indy recovered the car and of course the fuel pump was wrecked having sucked a load of sand after the breakdown the previous week.
One new fuel pump later and I was enjoying wafting around in 16mpg luxury around town.
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>> Cue a spluttering stop in Stow at about 5.30pm thanks to the jammed sender unit
>> and oblivious driver.
The current technology gives a backup indication, I have one of the trip mileage counters set up to auto reset on refueling. Unfortunately it can't engage the brain! :-)
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she has an XC90, I doubt fiscal hardship is mitigating circumstances. Going out out without your money by accident is forgivable, done it myself and limped a car home - Avoided motorways tho because if nothing else, knowing that recovery from same could be financially ruinous not to mention ruddy dangerous.
At the end of the day, running out of fuel on a motorway is driving without due care within the spirit of the law, and worthy of 3 points and a few quid fine.
It does highlight the stupidity of smart motorways. Smart things they aint
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 19 Oct 17 at 23:19
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>>It does highlight the stupidity of smart motorways. Smart things they aint
Just wait until a school bus breaks down with no hard shoulder and a truck smashes in to the back of it, because there was no hard shoulder.
IMHO they are "a major fatality waiting to happen".
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>> she has an XC90, I doubt fiscal hardship is mitigating circumstances.
Leasing a big car and having the readies to run it are two different things, for some people image overrides all. There are plenty of people with big cars and maxed out credit cards. I look forward to interest rates going up.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 20 Oct 17 at 17:31
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>>I look forward to interest rates going up<<
Why?
I'm sure that would affect an awful lot of people who don't give a jot about their image.
Pat
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Why? So you can feel even more smug than usual?
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>> Why? So you can feel even more smug than usual?
>>
Is it smug to live within your means?
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Not at all...what is smug is to gloat at anyone else you think may not do that.
Pat
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I do not gloat, my personal policy is if you can't pay cash for it you can't afford it. I realise that a house is a different case, I had a mortgage with a 15% interest rate, poor pay thanks to a labour government and two kids to provide for. At one time I drove taxis at night to make ends meet. I have no time for people who have the trappings of wealth and complain about austerity. I would hope I would benefit a little if interest rates go up, if some people have financially overstretched themselves, not my problem.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 20 Oct 17 at 18:21
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>> I do not gloat, my personal policy is if you can't pay cash for it
>> you can't afford it. I realise that a house is a different case, I had
>> a mortgage with a 15% interest rate, poor pay thanks to a labour government and
>> two kids to provide for. At one time I drove taxis at night to make
>> ends meet. I have no time for people who have the trappings of wealth and
>> complain about austerity. I would hope I would benefit a little if interest rates go
>> up, if some people have financially overstretched themselves, not my problem.
>>
Fair enough I guess ...
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>>it you can't afford it. I realise that a house is a different case
Different only in that you didn't want to live in rented accommodation.
So I guess you mean that you should pay cash unless its something you really want and then credit is ok?
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>>I do not gloat,
Then what is it that you are looking forward to?
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>>poor pay thanks to a labour government and two kids to provide for. At one time I drove taxis at night to make ends meet. <<
It happened to you and it wasn't pleasant yet you wish it on others?
I really find that hard to understand.
I think most of us on here have been through hard times at some time or another but I can't imagine anyone of us wanting to see others go through that.
Pat
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Pat, ON is on a wind up. He likes being controversial he says it's to keep the forum going.
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I realise there is an element of that in ON's post Sooty but however much I wanted to wind anyone up most of us wouldn't do it like that.
Remember the old saying, 'many a true word........'
Pat
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ON's underlying point is not unreasonable, he didn't max his credit card and live outside his means so survived high mortgage rates.
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His underlying point was that he was *looking forward to it*
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>> I think most of us on here have been through hard times at some time
>> or another but I can't imagine anyone of us wanting to see others go through
>> that.
>>
>> Pat
>>
You are missing the point, I may benefit a little if interest rates go up, that is my only reason for wanting them to go up. As they undoubtably will.
What I don't like is people living beyond their means or not planning their finances. I am sure that most people here are far more wealthy than me, best of luck to them. I am happy with my comfortable retirement.
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>> Not at all...what is smug is to gloat at anyone else you think may not
>> do that.
>>
>> Pat
>>
Gotta say I agree with Pat, on that, in fact it's not only smug, it's also presumptuous ...
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>> >> Why? So you can feel even more smug than usual?
>> >>
>>
>> Is it smug to live within your means?
>>
I hear the government are going to help them with interest rate relief paid for with a cut in pensions especially those north of the border. Well most have too much money anyway with all the fancy foreign holidays and new cars.
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>>> I hear the government are going to help them with interest rate relief paid for
>> with a cut in pensions especially those north of the border. Well most have too
>> much money anyway with all the fancy foreign holidays and new cars.
>>
See my post above.
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> See my post above.
>>
They've plenty of money, if they have a few less government subsidised holidays not my problem.
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>>I look forward to interest rates going up
Why would anybody look forward to hardship falling upon others?
I get why you might think that they brought it upon themselves, but to look forward to it?
How very, very sad. And so very small.
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>>I look forward to interest rates going up
I'm ambivalent about this one - I was lucky to take a base rate tracking mortgage in 2005 (base rate +0.39% I think it is) so I have had no need/desire to pay it off quickly as virtually all of the monthly payments are reducing the capital.
The flip side is my savings are earning diddly squat.
In the long run I think the low rates simply encourage another bubble to grow on the back of unrealistic house prices (a 1-bed flat in a fairly grotty part of Edinburgh costs about 4 times average earnings...) and easy credit.
Lock base rate at 4% and let inflation/growth/deflation/recession do what it likes.
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I agree with Lygonos that there is a danger of another financial bubble evolving because interest rates are so low. They need to find a more realistic level but not before the economy is ready for that.
My savings get diddly squat too so I do want interest at a more realistic level.
One thing I read the other week that might bring this about is the ending of the cheap lending to banks from the BoE. At that point the banks will need some of us to deposit cash (so they need to pay interest).
What I think is a potential issue is people who have borrowed to the maximum they can afford when interest rates are so low. At some point during the 25+ years of mortgage they will go up... what will they do then.
When I took out a mortgage in 2001 interest rates were a lot higher. By the time I sold that house my monthly mortgage payments had gone down about £220. Had they gone the other way I'd have managed but some might not.
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>>I broke down in Slough once in my Chrysler 2litre. The front wheel fell off
Must've been a Chrysler thing - I recall seeing about 3 Talbot Horizons minus a front wheel at the side of the road - one I was following through town even had the good grace to do it in front of me minutes after I told the missus that "the last time I saw one of them its front wheel had fallen off"!
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None of them were on the M3 by Basingstoke, were they? A dark blue Horizon London bound.
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Nah, all in Scotlandshire.
The one that embarrassed itself in front of me was in a wee village called Winchburgh just after taking a tight left hand bend.
It was going quite slowly so presumably it was making bad noises before the death.
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I've done it twice. Both times the gauges indicated there was ample fuel left. Both cars were shared with someone else who was also putting fuel in them occasionally, so I had nothing to go on other than the gauge. Quarter tank showing on one and a third on the other when they ground to a halt.
It happens.
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>>It happens.
Happened to me.
I picked up a pool car in Redhill and the fleet man said it had been filled up yesterday and only done 50 or so miles. The gauge was showing full.
Got to the M25, under 10 miles so no time to assess gauge movement and the thing died. Totally empty.
The AA man tried to get it going again but it wouldn't budge so off to the dealer for a fix.
Re the OP, if a driver is out of fuel and has no cash, some filling stations will allow a fill if you ask them and prove identity.
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Re the OP, if a driver is out of fuel and has no cash, some
>> filling stations will allow a fill if you ask them and prove identity.
>>
The shell nearest me used to do that, there was a list inside of people that owed money.
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Many years ago I ran out of petrol in the middle of Norwich in the rush hour. I had no money on me. Fortunately there was a garage nearby but the assistant told me it was not company policy to offer credit.
However she offered to lend me £5 from her own purse, an offer I gratefully accepted.
I returned an hour later with her £5, a bouquet of flowers and a large box of chocolates.
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I ran out of fuel once, my then lawnmower, the can in the shed was empty so I went to the petrol station in my shorts and T shirt complete with empty pockets. Having filled the can I had the Oh S.... moment. On explaining I was told to go and get the money ASAP. I must have an honest face, or they had my car on their CCTV. :-)
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On the last car I did run it so it was showing practically no range once or twice (never 0 but maybe 3 or 4 miles) only to find you couldn't fit more than 45 litres in it. It had a 50 litre tank. This was always no more than say a mile of my nearest Tesco... and more fuel stations were nearer still.
I usually refill when it's half full unless doing a long run. Could just about do home to parents and back on a 50 litre tank. New car has same engine/gearbox but suspect it will do less mpg but it does have a 66 litre fuel tank.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Fri 20 Oct 17 at 21:53
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I ran out many years ago in a Mk1 Escort van. OK, I had a gallon in the back but I'd picked up the wrong keys and had no fuel cap key or anything to smash the cap off.
I did however have a tea mug...improvise Teddy.......I cut the pump intake pipe with a penknife, filled the mug with fuel and wedged the pipe in it having secured the mug near the pump. I was about 2 miles from home and the bodge worked admirably, needing about 4 stops for re-filling !
Now, when SWM says her car's on a quarter, I take it and brim it up. Likewise the RAV which took £45 today at Morrisons.
Idid run out on the Honda FJS600 in a French autoroute on the way to Dijon. The last sign we passed said Fuel 25KM and I was ok with that but 75 KM passed with no sign of a service area. I have an idea, looking at the map, that the 25km sign might have referred to a slip off to the left onto another autoroute. On the bike, I always carry one of those aluminium camping bottles full of petrol so I managed to get going before Le Dibble turned up and fined me.......there was a fuel/coffee stop ten miles further on !
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>> On the last car I did run it so it was showing practically no range
>> once or twice (never 0 but maybe 3 or 4 miles) only to find you
>> couldn't fit more than 45 litres in it. It had a 50 litre tank. This
Exactly my experience with my Yaris. I did once run it down to 30 miles beyond zero range (I had a full 5l can in the boot), but chickened out at the thought of putting petrol in at the side of a busy road and the possible problems with a modern fuel injected engine sucking it up from a previously empty tank.
I got 36l into the, supposedly 40l, tank on that occasion. I've never got more than 33l in it subsequently.
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I've done it, more often than not on a bike. Once when I ran onto reserve and forgot to put the fuel tap back to main tank, easily done.
The other memorable one was a bit more embarrassing and ultimately more expensive but in a good way. A particular quirk of some Harleys was that you didn't need to leave your keys in the ignition, and could start the bike merely by turning the switch; but the fuel cap locked by means of one of those barrel type "high-security" keys; I was at a rally in Winchester, decided to have a ride out to Beaulieu, and ended up 30 miles from the rally site with 10 miles worth of fuel left, and my bunch of keys still in my tent.
Luckily I had my mobile on me and the OH was in the tent, so one of the other guys brought the keys out to me, which cost me several pints of beer that evening. And I still haven't been allowed to forget the matter whenever I do that rally today, 15 years on!
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 21 Oct 17 at 10:26
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My Westfield had a 5 gallon tank and did about 30 mpg. Driving down through rural France 20 odd years ago on a Sunday could be quite difficult in terms of range. Often had to get on to an Autoroute to fill up.
Easier now that even French supermarkets are usually open on Sundays.
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I hadn't long had my C8 when, after a day's graft gardening and mowing and with a trailer on the back, I headed for a compact local fuel station in Richmond. The computer said 34 miles to empty. The fuel station was on the right and it was chock full of cars. Rather than sit blocking the road with right indicator on until I saw a pump come free, I elected to keep going 50 metres along Pottergate to a nearby roundabout, turn round and make another approach where I could wait at the kerb if necessary.
I got to the roundabout and with nary a cough or splutter the engine stopped just as I got next to the island in the middle. After nearly running into the trailer a kindly gent gave me a tow with his 4x4 round the roundabout and into the service station. Lucky or what?
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The prosecution probably wasn't for running out of fuel
It would be for stopping in a running lane and being such an idiot she didn't get to the hard shoulder before it stopped moving.
remember the list of things you can't do on the motorway, don't see it that often but always remember the sign near Darlington IIRC the first is "No Stopping"
having had a tyre disintegrate at 70ish on the M1 years ago it is suprising how the traffic parts when you have emergency flashers going.
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>>and being such an idiot she didn't get to the hard shoulder before it stopped moving.
One could, of course, read the whole article. Its an option.
"The car, in which the family were travelling home to Leeds after a holiday, ran out of fuel and stopped in an active lane because there was no hard shoulder."
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 24 Oct 17 at 20:18
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Yup, that section is 'smart motorway' with no hard shoulder but with emergency lay-bys every mile or so. She' was in a modern car with far more than just a fuel gauge to tell her she was at situation critical. She still went past at least one set of services without stopping.
Unless there's a follow up report we'll never know why.
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The females of my family would be totally confused if they ran out of fuel, I doubt if they have ever used a car with less than a quarter of a tank of fuel or filled one up either! :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 24 Oct 17 at 21:35
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>> or filled one up either! :-)
Smiley noted. However she and I swapped cars last weekend as while either could ferry her to rellies in Brum only one could tow the caravan back to store. Both were at around the quarter tank mark.
Apparently it's 'impossible' to unlock the Skoda's filler and there's 'definitely something wrong with it'. Unlock it with key then unscrew it like a thermos stopper says I... Problem solved
She was further aggravated by being told off for using mobile on the forecourt..
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 24 Oct 17 at 22:35
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Ran out of diesel once, 20-odd years ago on a quiet German autobahn near the Dutch border. In my defence there was a large gap (over 50 miles) between service stations. I coasted to a halt right next to an exit to a small village, with, surprisingly, a large glass palace car showroom (can't remember the brand). They called the German AA for me, and within the hour they'd turned up and charged me a couple of quid for a couple of litres from a jerry can! Lucky escape!
These days, especially in the wilds of ANZ, it pays to not let the tank run too low, in case any emergencies or sudden evacuations are needed in the wee small hours, or when all the petrol stations are closed... (tsunami alerts, earthquakes, etc).
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No fuel! - Manatee
