Maggie Bailey
I have just had a bit of a disaster with my car – I put the wrong fuel in the tank! I accidentally put petrol in my diesel tank, so then had to take it to a repair garage to have it cleaned out. An expensive mistake to make – it cost me over £300 to have it put right. I am kind of kicking myself now, as I am cash-strapped as it is, and even more so, now that I have had that bill.
However I am trying to be philosophical about it. Maybe that had to happen some time! That is the first time I have put in the wrong fuel though, in 17 years of driving. I am usually very careful, but I think I was just very tired when I refuelled on that occasion, so my concentration was not as good. The funny thing was, I didn’t realise at first what I had done – I drove back from the filling station, and went on a couple of other short trips in the car, before I realised something was wrong. Surprisingly, I could still drive it with the wrong fuel but it was driving very badly – the engine was making a rattling noise, there was a strong smell, and it kept shaking and was hard to control. So I realised something was off and took it to the garage.
Ah well, it is all part of life’s rich tapestry. When something like that happens these days, I don’t beat myself up about it, and get stressed out and depressed, as I used to – I now just look upon it as having a new experience! (Although one I am definitely not going to repeat!) It’s what being alive is all about, after all, experiencing a lot of different things, both good and bad.
it’s really true if you do this the result is very bad.
As I have discovered the hard way ZainAhsaan! Thanks for commenting.
Thank you Muhammad. I don’t understand the second line of your comment though! Typos?
Oh, Maggie, that’s a tough one! I’ve never done it, but my wife once did it the other way around – which has less potential for disaster, but still not a good thing! I’m thinking your tank must not have been too close to empty when you added the petrol, or you wouldn’t have been driving more than a few metres. It could have been a lot worse!
Nowadays, whenever I fuel the car, I always consciously say out loud to myself which fuel I am choosing, because I know I am prone to making more forgetful mistakes than I used to 🙂
Thanks Norman. Yes, the tank was very nearly empty. I am usually very careful about what fuel I put in – I don’t know how I got it disastrously wrong this time! As I say above, I can only assume it happened because I was tired, and not concentrating properly. I will do as you do in future – say out loud “Diesel” to make sure I get the right pump! That’s a great tip, thank you.
I hope it helps you 🙂
Thank you Carol! Yes, attitude definitely is everything. You can usually get something positive out of every unfortunate experience, I find.
Attitude is everything in life. Good to see your post. Sorry this happened but good attitude.
Thanks Carol. Yes, I have learned that a glass-half-full attitude is absolutely essential to get you through life.