Mother Nature Teams With Human Nature And We Run Out Of Gas
We are out of gas around here.
All week I've been watching my fuel gage steadily edge toward the "E". Thinking about getting gas, I would drive by a station and see that either the pumps were empty or a long line of cars with drivers impatiently waiting for their chance at the precious liquid. And so I would continue down the road. Three thoughts would go through my my mind:
(1) Look at all those crazy people in line.
(2) Surely there will be a station down the road with gas and without a line.
(3) Our Governor, who surely knows what is going on and would not lead me astray, assures that in a couple of days this will pass.
I'm supposed to pick up my wife at the airport tonight, which is about 25 miles away. So, last night at midnight, I went out into the darkness in a search for gas. I knew of several all-night stations, and methodically checked them all. A dozen were empty before I came across a Race Track with a sign indicating the Unleaded was still available. So I waited in line for about 20 minutes, not so bad I thought, and pulled in to the pump- only to discover the last drop had just been drained. Great timing! I found a couple of other stations still with gas, but their parking lots resembled the mall during Christmas rush. At 12:30 in the morning!
So, I got up this morning at 7 a.m. to see if the local Quicktrip had perhaps gotten a new batch. Amazingly, they had gas. Equally amazing, literally 300 vehicles were ahead of me. So, I waited for over an hour to fill my tank. Quicktrip is actually the best convenience store around- I compare them to McDonald's in the fast food industry. And they were not gouging with the price; it was $3.87/gallon. I heard about a station nearby that was charging over $8. Within a free market, I am usually opposed to price controls, believing you can always shop somewhere else if you do not like the price. But this is a bit scary. Gas is a necessity, and it is hard to find.
Tonight is a big football game in Athens, about two hours from Atlanta. There will be 100,000 fans in attendance. Athens is a small town in a rural area, and I am sure there will not be enough gas stations. I'm predicting a lot of people, probably thousands, will be stranded. And do you know who will be blamed for the mess? Somebody other than the unwise football fans who should have known better.
As I was waiting in line for gas, I was pleased with how well a bunch of strangers dealt with the stressful situation. Lines moved fairly well, and I did not notice anybody cheating. The pumps were running slowly because of the volume. The guy in front of me was filling the tank of a cargo van, and it took at least ten minutes. Now, the lady next to me left her car to go inside to get an order of nacho chips, and maybe she needed her tires to be slashed? Just kidding. Kind of.
When Mother Nature sends a hurricane into the Gulf of Mexico, oil production is going to be hampered. I'm not sure George Bush could have prevented it, although some politician surely disagrees. Around here, right now, human nature is the problem. People are topping off their tanks, and filling their portable containers, and thus unnaturally draining the supply of gas. And that reminds me- I've a couple of milk jugs that I need to take down to the Quicktrip...
I'm supposed to pick up my wife tonight, at the same time as the very important football game that I very much need to watch. Let's see.... If I am a couple of hours late, she would be safe at the terminal.... I could blame it on the gas crisis....or Barack Obama?
09.27.08 (11:08 am) [
edit]
posted by:
blackcherry925 (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (8:36 am)
My friend in NC had to come up to NJ for the birth of her little sister. She payed a little under ten dollars a gallon, and filled her tank so she didn't have to stop; I couldn't believe when she showed me her receipt. All I can say is. As much as I abhor the commercialization of new jersey, with gas prices, I'm glad I live here right now.
posted by:
LadyG (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (9:00 am)
PD, what a terrible situation, 300 cars in line for gas, I hope that I never have to face that but who knows what the future holds?
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (9:41 am)
As noted in a comment above ~ I too have a friend in NC and they are unable to get fuel ~ apparently stations have limited amounts, or none at all. I wonder what the excuse is ~ some states have it and others do not. Is this the domino effect of the hurricane damage? Our gas has gone down in price by 12-cents a gallon ~ however not until 'I FILLED MY CAR' as I am planning a trip to the other side of the state ~ and it has now dropped again!!!! ~ thankful for that, but it will probably go back up, or be in short supply when I am in need of more petrol!!!
You are not serious at "300 cars in line" are you? ~ you are a bit of tease, if memory serves me, however I am getting older and the memory does play tricks on me! ;)
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (10:01 am)
Reply to: blackcherry925
Your friend should submit a copy of her receipt to her state Attorney General so the office can prosecute for price gouging. That's crazy. I traveled out of state earlier this week. 100 miles away, the prices of gas were significantly cheaper, and there was no shortage.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (10:03 am)
Reply to: auntconi
Note the revision of my estimate to LadyG.
I know how it works: You think the price is too high, so you wait a few days hoping it will go down. It goes up, instead. So you fill up both vehicles, the mower, and three gas cans. Then, the price immediately drops by 50 cents per gallon. There is a law of the universe that explains this. Maybe surrogate can tell you what it is, since he knows all things.
posted by:
auntconi (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (10:39 am)
hehehe ~ yeppers ~ forgot that bit ~ he'll have an 'answer' for sure ~ not sure it will make sense to this old lady, but for you youngun's, now that's a different thing!!!
Have a good weekend!!!
posted by:
bawdy (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (12:11 pm)
We should be using alternate fuels by now to run our vehicles. This is ridiculous. And unnecessary.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (2:00 pm)
Reply to: LadyG
There were 24 gas pumps and a huge lot. Three entrances were lined up with cars all the way out into the highways. So, a fair estimation would be at least 150 cars. So, I revise my estimation! That is still a lot of cars, and a lot of waiting.
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (2:01 pm)
Reply to: auntconi
So, you've decided to pretend to be old, I see. You can't fool me- I've met you. You're just a kid!
posted by:
PastorDave (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (2:03 pm)
Reply to: bawdy
There is 10% ethanol in some of the fuels now available, but the auto manufacturers advise against them. We have hybrid cars available, but they cost far too much, to the point one would never recap the amount in fuel savings. I think there is enough oil available, if we would avail ourselves of it as a nation.
posted by:
Barbara (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (5:04 pm)
It's interesting to me that we have had many hurricanes in the Gulf and never had this problem with gas stations before. Why now? And as far as going to get your wife at the airport and missing the Alabama - Georgia game, I bet your brother would love to go pick her up for you. Maybe when pigs fly!!!! Welcome home, Debbie, I've missed you.
posted by:
pineapples (
reply)
post date:
09.27.08 (8:07 pm)
i saw that in the news this morning.... there are several states with this problem.. and for some reason... the gas price in NJ is dropping not that i am complaining.. but umm yeah that reminds me .. i need to get gas.,.. unfortunately i have to wait until til tomorrow when i go off shore bc the gas price on a barrier island is usually 20 cents higher...
posted by:
BEAVERTEETH (
reply)
post date:
09.28.08 (7:15 am)
Roll TIDE RAMMER JAMMER YELLOW HAMMER AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF.
posted by:
rosietulips (
reply)
post date:
09.29.08 (10:29 am)
I can't believe those lineups for gas!!
posted by:
preceptlady (
reply)
post date:
10.06.08 (6:10 pm)
Blame Obama....it is much more fun!
