Drivers run dry to beat gas prices :: Yahoo! News

Quote:

Lujan's 20 trucks roam the busy freeways of Orange and Los Angeles counties as part of a publicly funded patrol that gives a free gallon of gas to drivers who have run out of fuel. . . . Some California drivers are resorting to desperate measures to beat the surge in gas prices at the pump -- deliberately running dry on the state's freeways and simply waiting for rescue.

I suppose that for some people it could be worth it to deliberately run out of gas in order to get gas for free. More generally, running out of gas is often the result of a gamble that you can make it to the next gas station. The increased price of gasoline raises the expected benefit from passing a gas station. That would explain the increase in the number who run out of gas.