John Y’s Musings from the Middle: An Important PSA

It has been nearly three years since my unfortunate incident at Speedway where I was so absent-minded I left the gas pump in the gas tank and tried to pull away before the pump pulled out loudly and flapped around. No gas sprayed but it created a hard to explain spectacle before the manager kindly waived me away in a manner that said “Just please go to Thorton’s next time you need to fill up.”

And yet three long years later –without incident–every time I get gas I relive this fear as I start to pull away.

Call it PTSDFLGPIGTADO (Post traumatic stress disorder from leaving gas pump in gas tank and driving off).

It is real. And, frankly, the acronym sounds even worse than I expected.

So, please, when you get gas, replace the gas pump before driving off. For the station owner. And for your own mental health.