THE Gas Rationing Thread (merged)

NeoLotus · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2005 10:40 pm

Oh crap. Why THIS year? I've got a garden and hoping for enough to can for winter. Good point about getting more gas cans!

advancedatheist · **Joined:** Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:00 am **Posts:** 169

Today I tried to buy regular unleaded at the gas station associated with the Fry's supermarket in Prescott Valley, Arizona, but it was out. It had the higher octanes available, however.

joewp · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:34 pm

advancedatheist wrote:

Today I tried to buy regular unleaded at the gas station associated with the Fry's supermarket in Prescott Valley, Arizona, but it was out. It had the higher octanes available, however.

Yes, that was just a coincidence. Coincidentally, the same thing happened to me, at two stations until the third that had some regular. It couldn't have had anything to do with the hurricane!
Right? :-D

trendal · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:36 pm

"Coincidental" shortages are the last thing we need right now

"Coincidences" have a nasty habit of being the straw to break the camel's back. It's the little, unanticipated events which add up to push the big events over the edge.

backstop · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:42 pm

Leaving aside the objections of a free market ideology (that has now so clear demonstrated its efficiency at leaving the poor to drown in New Orleans,) there are some useful advances now possible over the WWII system of petrol rationing.
Ist, the ration is issued to all licence holders, adjusted in volume for those serving the community under democratic authority or in vital trades. Firemen-commuters, farm pick-ups and private ambulance for instance.
2nd, the ration is used in part or whole at any gas station, with the holder having the right to trade any surplus at the market price in that county or state.
3rd. Where a county'or state ran a market price well below par, the state would have the right to buy surplus rations from brokers to sell to other states.

This is no more than a first draft of an idea of the tradable fuel allocation, but it acheives several ends.
1st, Equity - all drivers are ensured a basic no frills supply.
2nd. Those crass enough to continue to drive unusually innefficient vehicles or high mileages get to pay the market rate for that privilege.
3rd. Those who choose to get beyond petrol-fuelling have a direct monthly income to offset the costs of doing so.
No doubt there are many anomallies in this basic outline - I guess it needs a drawknife rather than a spokeshave as yet, but I'd be interested to see what people make of the general idea.

Skye · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:16 am

Medicvet, In my opinion, www.seedsofchange.com and www.cooksgarden.com are the best (organic/heirloom) seed suppliers. I've been using seed from them for over ten years and I've had no problems. I have however purchased "organic/heirloom" seed from other suppliers in the past and had poor results. They should have explanations on their sites as to the benefits of growing from organic/heirloom seed. One of which is being able to save seed from crops (if you need/want to) instead of having to buy new seeds every year as the "monsanto" seeds do not allow this.

energyaddict · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:30 am

meekoil wrote:

Damn, I'm in Atlanta, and thinking about heading to the all night ChinaMart to get some more cans. Both cars were filled on Sunday, and I have 12.5 gallons in the garage.

The 12.5 gal will not save you... Gas scare will hit the US east coast by this week as prices started to skyroket. Shortages to come soon and widespread IMO.
In the most affected areas you easily could see USD 5.- gal pretty soon. What is the develpment of stocks in the grocery stores right now? People will start hoarding soon....

OurDoom · **Joined:** Fri Aug 26, 2005 12:00 am **Posts:** 18

There was a piece on ABC World News Now's "American Landscape" segment from KTBS in Shreveport, LA this morning that serves as a preview of how people will react when widespread gas lines and shortages begin occurring. Gas lines in a town in northeast Louisiana were about two hours long with cars lined up as far as the eye could see, and people were storing gas in anything they had that could possibly contain it, even empty tonic bottles and open coffee mugs.

This sort of frenzied hoarding is exactly what I expect to happen in the rest of the USA once there are gas lines and shortages. I wasn't around during the fuel crises of the 70's, but somehow I don't remember stories of people hoarding gasoline in whatever containers they had with them in their cars. People simply aren't going to be willing to wait in 2 hour long gas lines once those occur over widespread areas with the fast pace of living today, and after waiting in those long lines you can bet people will be buying a hell of a lot more gas than only enough to fill up their gas tank.

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:35 am

I'm starting this thread to deal with so many stories about different fuel shortages now. Please post stories about fuel shortages here rather than scattering them in multiple threads. Thanks.

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:38 am

Quote:

Carriers Are Stricken by Cancellations and Lack of Fuel (link)
By MICHELINE MAYNARD 31 Aug 2005
The airline industry felt the brunt of Hurricane Katrina yesterday, with some airports running low on jet fuel...And with gasoline selling for upward of $3 a gallon in some parts of the country, versus $1.88 for jet fuel, Mr. Heimlich said the airlines were worried that refineries might choose to produce gasoline rather than jet fuel, which would be less in demand...

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:50 am

Quote:

Some stations report sporadic gas shortages (link)
PHOENIX Some independent gas stations in the Phoenix area reported spot shortages yesterday.
A combination of refinery outages and a surge in demand left some pumps dry.

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:53 am

Quote:

Fuel shortages, refinery damage could hit wallets (link)
By Norm Heikens norm.heikens (at) indystar.com
Hurricane Katrina slapped Indianapolis with the prospect of fuel shortages Tuesday.
At least one refiner serving the Indianapolis area already is reporting shortages of crude oil, and one of the area's largest natural gas companies plans to raise prices.
Other refiners say their supplies haven't been disrupted.

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:55 am

Quote:

Storm Causes Gasoline Lines, Shortages (link)
Drivers May Be Worried About Price Increases 30 Aug 2005
Some gas stations are out of regular unleaded fuel, after drivers lined up to beat price increases that are expected to follow Hurricane Katrina.
The storm has disrupted oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.
One retailer in Greenville, N.C., sold 1,500 gallons of gas in 90 minutes Monday. Other stations put signs and plastic bags over pumps signaling they had run out.

The South Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association said in a news release that "several fuel suppliers on the pipelines in (South Carolina) are currently out of fuel."
The group urged consumers to conserve fuel and "bear with the petroleum industry as we assess the damages and make repairs."
Experts urged that consumers can drive up the prices if they start hoarding gas and creating long lines, Indianapolis television station WRTV said.
"If the demand goes up and the supply is not enough to keep up with it, that makes the prices go up," Indiana Deputy Attorney General Brent Embrey said. "Everybody sticking to their normal pattern helps even that out the best we can."

The Pantry convenience store chain, with 1,300 stores in the Southeast, asked customers to restrict driving. The chain said about 90 percent of its supply comes from the Gulf of Mexico.
In Sioux Falls, S.D., up to 15 cars lined up at a gas station Monday. One man said gasoline costs him one-fourth of the $598 he receives each month in Social Security disability benefits.

seb · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:58 am

Shortage, already?

It's only sporadic but I am surprised.
The sh*t is flying to the fan... impact in a few days! :razz:

The price difference between refineries and retailers is about half a dollar. But in case of a shortage, the difference is likely to widen. I expect $4 a gallon very soon... which is still quite cheap compared to Europe and Japan.

BabyPeanut · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:00 am

seb wrote:

Shortage, already?

It's only sporadic but I am surprised.

I have a feeling that every major shortage starts with sporadic shortages.

THE Gas Rationing Thread (merged)

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