Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.

Diesel prices have come back down just under the April prices that got me started driving to Mexico for fillups. It still pays off but it's gotten tougher. The guys at the pumps down south have started allowing my 5 gallon jugs to be filled again since June. That's the good news.

The bad news is yesterday I finally got hassled at the gate coming back into the good ol' Estados Unidas for having jugs in the back of my rig.

him: "These all full of diesel?"
me: "Yes Sir."
him: "You know you're only allowed one 5 gallon can?"
me: "No Sir. I wasn't aware of that."
him: "These aren't diesel cans. They're red -- for gas."
me: "Oh?"
him: "Diesel cans are blue. They're supposed to be blue."

...awkward pause (how do I say this with out embarrassing the young man? I don't want to show attitude just get mercy from him for this trip)

me: "Ohhh,... I thought blue was for water." (don't mention yellow cans)
him: (silence) "Uhhh." (silence) "I'll let you go through this time. Only 5 gallons in a can though."
me: "Yes sir. Thank you. Have good day." (rassen, crassen, frassen, mutter, drive off smiling for the security cameras :-) ).

Ok. Now, that changes things. I've been warned and this border crossing station is small. I'll run into him again. He'll remember me and I'm not going to risk running into him in the future w/ gas cans. Besides I've officially been advised so I better "render to Ceasar" from here on out.

What to do? Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.

Without the extra capacity in cans the breakeven point to make the drive moves higher. It has me thinking about installing aux tanks...

Aux tanks... Well there's that and there's the Mad Max option. Who knows? With the financial market upset we may need to go post-apocalyptic with our vehicles.