Community Chat

[Cakers3]

We were out today and there were no stations with gas.

It ticks me off because the roads were filled with gas-guzzling vehicles; not to mention the ignorant greed of so many left others going without.  Filling your vehicle is one thing; but people were filling multiple gas cans, too.

We always have a full tank but we also do not have jobs to go to.  Hopefully this will end in a few days.

There was no need for this in my city. 

[sunshine45]

maryland area here again......in two days since i initially posted the gas has gone up 20 cents more per gallon. luckily i had gas points from my grocery store purchases (50 cents off a gallon which made it $2.29). regular gas was 2.79 yesterday!

delaware beach area $2.69.

[sidsmom]

My radio station just had a interview w/ the Brad Dawson,

President of Frontier Tank Lines, who distributes fuel here

in Texas/Oklahoma/Tennessee/Colorado/New Mexico area.

He was trying to explain a v.e.r.y complicated process

(distribution) within a 5 minute segment...but the 3 take-aways

I gleaned from the interview:

- We never had a fuel shortage...the retailer had a shortage,

but not the distributor (but knew that, yes?)

- On Tuesday, we might see another station shortage since everyone who

filled up on Thursday for the long weekend, will need to refill.

- 10 days from now, everything should be back to normal.

[LonestarBabs]

@sidsmom  I noticed on the Gas Buddy tracker that refueling is occurring more frequently. So distribution issues are easing somewhat. Interesting comment from the interview -- that another run on gas might occur as people fill up returning from their holiday travels. That makes sense...so, how to time my trip to the pump once I identify a station that has fuel...hmmm. Sunday or Monday I think? I'm conserving and staying parked as much as possible.

[catchersmom]

@Cakers3 I get the feeling that it's not widely understood that as long as our gas usage had continued as normal, there was no shortage. Even with a 25% reduction* through that pipeline, we would have been "ok" as long as everyone kept their normal routines. It was when everyone was topping off their vehicles daily, filling extra cans, etc. that things went wonky.

I wish I could remember the reporter I was wathcing that did a piece on this subject Friday......he explained it so well, and so clearly.

*not sure if the percentage was 25 or not but that is the number I am remembering

[WORKING GAL]

My daughter lives in San Antonio and works in the office/vault at Costco.  Her store does not offer gas but she's been bombarded with phone calls asking if they "still" have any gas.  The lines are ridiculous (at least an hour wait) and it's the media that started this craziness.  Now the media is saying to relax, there's plenty of gas and there's no need to panic.  People are not only filling their tanks, but are hoarding gas in all kinds of unsafe containers, not to mention the higher prices.  I live in So. Ca. and our prices are rising even though we don't get our gas from that area.  So. Ca. gas is refined differently (locally) due to higher emission standards.  Too bad gas prices don't drop as quickly as they rise.  The reason is greed!

[adelle38]

I don't accept blaming the media. People need to learn to use common sense. The media in my area certainly didn't create a panic.

[Spurt]

---

@momtochloe wrote:

---

@Spurt wrote:

---

@sidsmom wrote:

---

@santorini wrote:

I have relatives in Dallas.  They texted this morning about the long lines at the stations and said that they were told gas supplies were running out.  An hour ago, they texted that it was all a rumor and not true.  

---

Won't know if the gas supplies are really running out,

but we all know the lines are real, so.....

---

@sidsmom

But now gas could run out because of the stupidity of people believing a rumor on social media............

---

Oh my friend @Spurt never underestimate the power of folks that panic that don't take five minutes to verify whether something is true or not . . . . blech.

---

@momtochloe

Its very sad, a friend of mine was trying to find a gas station with fuel so she can go help her step mom who is cleaning up her home down at the Texas coast, but my friend said she cant find any station with gas.  She had gone with a friend to Costco late afternoon and asked someone at Costco how much of a supply do they have and he told her oh were empty we've been expecting a fuel supply all afternoon and it doesnt look like it will get here today.  So she said then why are all these people waiting in line for gas, he said they've run out of gas so they chose to just sit here and wait it out.....although it might not be until Tuesday befoe we get more.................

And our mayor said by panicking and hoarding they got what they wished for a gas shortage..............  

[Spurt]

---

@LonestarBabs wrote:

@sidsmom  Yep, it's the apocalypse in DFW!!!!!!!!  Police scanner indicates fights at some local gas stations.

JEEZ

---

@LonestarBabs

It is an apocalypse here too......me, my sister, and another friend live in about a 3 mile radius from one another, we carpooled and went to a restaurant nearby for lunch ..when we were on our way home...there were the lines again all the way down the main street trying to get to a gas station located there...........

[Kachina624]

---

@Poodlepet2 wrote:

Hi @sidsmom....futures have already spiked 20% as this morning. One refinery is closed, and I highly doubt rigs are back in swing yet....

Harvey is definitely taking a bite out of highway transportation....and if the rain totals come to fruition, barge traffic will be slowed tremendously....

In addition to Irma, there's a low pressure system off the west coast of the Yucatan....I'd top off my car whether it needs gas or not....

It sounds like quite a few cities in Texas are without potable water. I'm stocking up on that too!

Out of curiosity, what are grocery prices doing in your area?

Hugs,

Poodlepet2

---

@Poodlepet2  Rigs are not in Houston.  They could be in a number of places, including Alaska and West Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico but not Houston.  That's when they do the refining.