Running on Empty

I've been here, what? a month and a half? Today, I saw the rarest of sights it would seem..... a car whose gas tank was ALMOST empty. That's right, I said almost. That is to say that I had not seen (and neither had anyone else, it seems) a single car that had a needle that read anything more than empty. In fact, it is a common concern as to whether or not the vehicle will actually have enough gas to get you home. Last week, we experienced a car that actually ran out of gas. Thankfully this happens just seconds after we arrived. I have heard many a story where the car, or fake taxi, actually runs out on the way home. The reaction seems to commonly be a shrug of the shoulders, you pay, get out, and flag another fake cab. The other day I actually experienced a bus running out of gas. At least it wasn't the one I was on, but at least 20 people piled out, and began to push it to a nearby gas station.

If you're not concerned about the car running out of gas, it's usually because of the overriding fear of it breaking down, or possibly exploding. Mongolians have a remarkable way of making a car work when it should have been junked years ago. If a car wasn't purchased in the last 3 years, there's little chance it would be able to pass a safety inspection in Canada.