Well, things have gone from bad to worse here in western North Carolina in regards to gasoline. When Hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit the continental US, they took out some of the oil refineries that feed the pipeline that gets gasoline to our part of the country. Those storms were two weeks ago.
As of yesterday, many gas stations in our area are still without fuel.
Actually, that's not completely true. While many have the little plastic bags on the nozzles or signs out front saying "No Gas", not every station is completely out - at least not at the same times.
Wednesday night I witnessed about thirty cars lined up on the main drag of downtown Hickory (US-127) in front of an Exxon. A tanker truck was in back depositing fuel, and as soon as he finished filling the station up - the customers drained the place. When I drove past this morning, it was plastic bag city there.
Just up the same road I saw traffic in the right lane backed up for nearly a mile. I got in the left and continud by the BP where cars were lined up to fuel up. Had to be at least fifty cars. I swear, it was as if I had suddenly been transported back in time to the mid-1970's. Crazy!
Now, I was lucky enough on Monday to top off my tank so I've still got about 2/3rds of a tank in my van. Also, with doing a third shift project for work (which I can do remotely from home), I am saving on gas a bit for this week and the next couple. Still, eventually the little trips to pick my son up from school and to the grocery store and such will eat away at the gas I have.
Hopefully things will get better soon. The news every morning is always so depressing. The story from Charlotte is the same - no gas here or there, lines where there are some, everyone is in a panic. The word is saying things will get better by the weekend - we shall see.
3 comments:
Well, we've got plenty of gas, I guess - but it does seem to be hovering around $4. That's just the normal price (sigh) - lots of taxes in there, I guess.
I've been reading about the stations getting drained down there. Kind of hard to believe.
Who would wait in a line a mile long? Obviously the gas panic is really striking the south hard.
Sigh. What with the financial problems we have (my bank just went under this morning) and all, it's a scary time in America, all right.
KC, this morning on the news I saw that people camped out, in their cars, all night at some Charlotte gas stations just waiting for the tanker truck to arrive in the morning. Wow - just amazing.
I read about WaMu going under. That sucks.
Actaully, WaMu was going under for the past three years - they really stretched themselves giving money to anyone who asked (esp in California).
In Chicago, they opened office after office - they have the seventh largest footprint in the area, but rank only 28th in deposits. I didn't even know we HAD twenty eight banks.
Sigh.
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