Is your state running out of gas?

[bcla]

I'm a little older than dirt, and I've ridden out a lot of hurricanes, too. The worst of the gasoline runs was definitely the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973-74. It lasted a full six months, and when it was over prices never dropped back anywhere close to previous levels; nothing since has come anywhere close. At the time I knew several country families who chose to sink a tank in the yard; one of them still uses it.

During the embargo certain days were designated for purchasers whose license plate number ended in a particular number; you got gas that day whether you needed it or not, because there might not be any available locally when your designated purchase day rolled back around.

I was around, but too young to remember how that worked. I do remember a gas crisis in the late 70s. Also prices going up in the 80s. We finally saw one gas station that had leaded regular for 99.9 cents per gallon and that was a milestone.

The last time I ever saw fuel that cheap was the late 90s on a business trip in Arizona. Name brand gas stations were 79.9 cents/gallon for unleaded regular. Still - around the time I'd see regular unleaded selling for about $1.25/gallon in California.

 

[Kestryl]

There’s a school in middle Tennessee (Dickson) that is going virtual Friday and Monday to try to prevent a shortage in the area.

So there you go, hoarders. Keep taking up the supply and you’ll be stuck at home with your kids anyways.

 

[bcla]

There’s a school in middle Tennessee (Dickson) that is going virtual Friday and Monday to try to prevent a shortage in the area.

So there you go, hoarders. Keep taking up the supply and you’ll be stuck at home with your kids anyways.

The hoarders are likely to just stay at home to avoid having the use up too much of their stash.

 

[kdonnel]

I'm a little older than dirt, and I've ridden out a lot of hurricanes, too. The worst of the gasoline runs was definitely the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973-74. It lasted a full six months, and when it was over prices never dropped back anywhere close to previous levels; nothing since has come anywhere close. At the time I knew several country families who chose to sink a tank in the yard; one of them still uses it.

During the embargo certain days were designated for purchasers whose license plate number ended in a particular number; you got gas that day whether you needed it or not, because there might not be any available locally when your designated purchase day rolled back around.

The reason behind the temporary shortages being seen now are not at all comparable to the Arab Oil Embargo.

This is all panic buying induced.

 

[luv2cheer92]

I waited in line at my preferred station at around noon today and filled up for $2.58/gallon. The country is not out of gas. There is no shortage. This is theatrics.

Did anyone say the country is out of gas?
If you think stations are not running out of gas, you are sorely mistaken and I don't know what to tell you. Just because it's not happening where you are, doesn't mean it's not happening. I pass about 20 gas stations on my way to work, yesterday only 2 had gas and they both only had premium. One of them I passed was getting a delivery on my way in in the morning, and was completely out on my way home in the afternoon.

 

[KayMichigan]

I filled up on my way home last night here in SE Michigan. No lines and no problem, except a huge construction truck came in and blocked the exit so some of the cars couldn't get out until it moved. It's a very small station. Not sure why the truck didn't go to the big multi-pump gas station a mile away.

 

[mousefan73]

This is totally OT, but here in germany is a small grocery store chain. Not a big billions dollar thing. My husband noticed we were not getting their flyers ( his favorite store and he seriously looks at their sales and plans his trips accordingly). Anyways.... he went in two weeks ago and said something is up as they have no sale items and the place was empty with customers and some shelves. Later that week he reads online this chain was a victim of a cyber attack. Their inventory systems were affected which snowballed into them not be able to have and produce sale buying and communcations. He went in today too and the place was still half empty.. I feel so bad for this company. Its a private held, smaller one and I doubt they have millions of extra cash to pay any cyber randsom thing... So I went OT but there needs to be more political and government support on tackling these cyber threats.. It happened here a few weeks ago too. crazy.

 

[easyas123]

I waited in line at my preferred station at around noon today and filled up for $2.58/gallon. The country is not out of gas. There is no shortage. This is theatrics.

Not having any problems finding gas (so far) going down 95 S.... not even lines in most cases.

 

[Nabas]

I waited in line at my preferred station at around noon today and filled up for $2.58/gallon. The country is not out of gas. There is no shortage. This is theatrics.

Most gas stations near me do not have gas.

The few that do only have regular.

This is not theatrics.

 

[ten6mom]

I'm in a Phoenix suburb and I fuel up every Wednesday night on my lunch break. For now, holding steady at $2.99/gallon as it has been for weeks.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

NY
I filled up Sunday when I heard. It wasn't panic as much as both were fairly low. We drive so little right now that wont need to fill to sometime next week and I basically put $25 in both cars not total fill up.

 

[dvcgirl67]

This whole ordeal just highlights how vulnerable we are to these kinds of cyber attacks on our infrastructure. The perpetrators were supposedly "criminals" who live in Russia....and that it's not backed by their government. Ok, and I have a really nice bridge I'd like to sell to you. Nevertheless, a six day outage to one pipeline in our country sends some citizens into a total panic. Some even relating this to the oil embargo in the 70s, which was a gazillion times worse. It's nuts. One thing about pandemics that I've learned.....is that it's the perfect way for our enemies to really assess our weaknesses.

 

[mom2rtk]

So this wasn't entirely a story about panic buying, although that's the part that hit closest to home for everyone. Has anyone said just HOW this got resolved? Did they pay the ransom? If so, how long before it happens again?

 

[dvcgirl67]

So this wasn't entirely a story about panic buying, although that's the part that hit closest to home for everyone. Has anyone said just HOW this got resolved? Did they pay the ransom? If so, how long before it happens again.

Publicly the company isn't saying much, but reports are that they did not pay the ransom and hired a security firm that specializes in ransomware attacks to assist them in getting their operation back on-line and harden their defenses further. All of their data was backed-up, so that wasn't the issue....they needed to shut down before the attack did much more extensive damage....to stop the bleeding if you will. I'm reading it will take at least a week to two weeks for things to get completely back to normal. The fuel in this pipeline only travels at 5mph, so it will take time to fill storage tanks that way. In the meantime a fleet or tankers, trucks and trains are assisting in keeping the fuel moving.

 

[mom2rtk]

Publicly the company isn't saying much, but reports are that they did not pay the ransom and hired a security firm that specializes in ransomware attacks to assist them in getting their operation back on-line and harden their defenses further. All of their data was backed-up, so that wasn't the issue....they needed to shut down before the attack did much more extensive damage....to stop the bleeding if you will. I'm reading it will take at least a week to two weeks for things to get completely back to normal. The fuel in this pipeline only travels at 5mph, so it will take time to fill storage tanks that way. In the meantime a fleet or tankers, trucks and trains are assisting in keeping the fuel moving.

That would be the best news of all!

 

[Alicefan]

Did anyone say the country is out of gas?
If you think stations are not running out of gas, you are sorely mistaken and I don't know what to tell you. Just because it's not happening where you are, doesn't mean it's not happening. I pass about 20 gas stations on my way to work, yesterday only 2 had gas and they both only had premium. One of them I passed was getting a delivery on my way in in the morning, and was completely out on my way home in the afternoon.

Yep, I thought the turning lane was backed up all the way to the entrance of my neighborhood and I turned out and realized I wasn't in the turning lane, I was in the line to get into the gas station on the corner a block away. By the time I got home from running my errands, they and several other stations were out of gas. This was Tuesday. As of yesterday on my way home, still no gas there. I only saw a few places that still had gas and the lines to get it were 15 deep. So yeah, it is happening. I'm going to have to cancel a dentist appointment for Monday because it's in my home town 4 hours away and I can't be sure everything will be good by then. I figure those who couldn't get gas this go round will hoard it all when the new trucks arrive.

 

[Alicefan]

Not having any problems finding gas (so far) going down 95 S.... not even lines in most cases.

That's good news! What stretch are you traveling?

 

[DisneyMomx7]

No gas problems that I've seen in central NJ - also no hoarding

 

[LuvOrlando]

Yeah. Some of the speculation is that it might have been something from a USB flash drive or other potential vulnerability. There was also word about how some data was accessed, but it's unclear how that would be transmitted without internet access.

Literally just watched this sort of thing mentioned in the Netflix show Spycraft.

 

[momw/2princesses]

Not having any problems finding gas (so far) going down 95 S.... not even lines in most cases.

Thanks for the update! Please keep reporting. I'm driving from central NC to Disney on Saturday. I think we'll be ok and will plan to stop in certain towns so that I know I will have gas to make it the entire way.