Searching For Fuel

Yesterday I had to leave work early because I had to go find gas. Yes, you heard me right. I was tempted to stop at the first place I saw that appeared to have product, but I also know that this place charges very high prices. I eyed my 1/8 tank full, and headed home, gambling on finding something better along the way.

I pulled off the highway into a place called "Race Trac", and large gas-convenience store combo, which has over 20 pumps. I slowly cruised thru, noting alot of parked cars in front of the pumps which all had yellow bags over them. People out of their cars, hanging around, waiting. Waiting for gas. I looked around some more and saw a giant tanker on the corner of the property, and I realized it was delivering fuel. I actually found a pump that did not have a vehicle in front of it and parked. And waited. I wondered how much I would be paying for this when we finally got it, but the marquee was stripped. I guess they had been out of gas for awhile. I saw the driver of the tanker walk inside with an invoice, so I figured we must be getting close. A sign on the pump said if you were not paying with a card you had to pre-pay, so I went inside too. I tried to pay for my gas and the lady said there would be no gas at the pump I was at. Fuel was only being supplied for the pumps in the BACK. I was in the FRONT. How would I know that? The answer is, I wouldn't if I had not asked. There were plenty of other lined up at the wrong pumps. I went back out and actually could not believe my eyes, there was one OPEN pump at the back. I had a clear shot if I hurried, so I pulled forward, did a 3 point turn, and backed up to the pump. I went back inside and paid. The girl looked out the window and verified twice that was my vehicle at the pump. A super-husky deputy sheriff stood at the end of the counter, eating ice cream and flirting with the cashiers. I wondered if he was there to monitor the mob. Maybe. He looked pretty benign, but he also looked like he could get real mean on a moment's notice. I went back out to the pump and started to fill up. I wondered how much I was paying for this, as the marquee was still down and after all that, I forgot to ask. I felt lucky to have found some fuel. ($3.98, surprisingly. It will be more, alot more later in the week, if you can get it) The news media says we will have regular supplies by next week, but they also said last week there would not be any shortages due to Gustav damaging the major pipelines that supply this part of the Southeast. I am more than skeptical of the news media, so we shall see.

All this is a horrible flashback to the early '70s when this country was on gas rationing. I was barely a teenager back then, but I remember it well.

My mom had a white Pontiac Catalina like this one. I think it got about 8 miles to the gallon:)

I pray that we find solutions and we find them soon. While this little shortage is *temporary* it indicates how fragile we really are. Even another hurricane, and we stay in the hole. I remember the bad old economic days of 19% interest rates on mortgages, over-inflation and astronomical taxes. I have no desire to return to that. Or worse.

I think about Haiti, and countries like it, and how they deal with this and much worse all the time. While that is true, it does not help globally if we are in the hole too.