this one time, i took a work car out and my mate who had driven it yesterday said "oh you might want to get fuel, the light was on for a bit yesterday but i cbf filling it". i drove out the industrial estate, through town to the petrol station, pulled up and saw i'd overshot the pump a little, put it in reverse, stopped, pulled the handbrake on, went to reach for the key and the engine died. no fuel. THAT is living on the edge :D
most fuel gauges in our cars are getting a bit old and the wire has a bit more resistance in it than new, so it reads wrong. i know mine can get below E and i can usually do a few short trips no worries