Have you ever heard of a city running out of it’s entire supply of gas? This is INSANE! I’m a pretty laid back person so when the first wave of gas shortages hit last week after Hurricane Ike, I did not panic. I had plenty of gas to get our essentials so a I avoided the gas lines. Here I am, over a week later and I’m almost on “E”. Again, I thought about riding it out or biking to our next event, but with four young kids, I quickly realized that this would not get us very far! My husband encouraged me to go out and find gas from somewhere. Not a very good idea. I drove around to 8 different gas stations relatively close to my daily world and quickly realized that there is no gas to be found. So I decided to bring my Smarty-mobile home and ride it out some more. However, en route, one of the gas stations miraculously got a new stash of gas. After waiting for an hour or so and with only three cars in front of me, the gas station ran out again. Just my luck as I burned another 1/8 of a tank waiting for the gas (not Smarty at all!!).
I’m saving my last 1/8 of a tank for my carpool duties today. Lucky for me, I am in a 3-way carpool at both of my schools (very Smarty, I would highly recommend this!) and I only have to drive one way to either school 3 times per week. So today is my carpool day. I’m thinking Ansley is going to have to skip out on her birthday party because well, I just don’t have enough petrol to get her there. We’ll be walking to our soccer game on Saturday and the only other place we have to go is church on Sunday. Let’s hope this city gets some fuel by then! So I’m wondering…why is Charlotte, NC on the pipeline all the way from Texas? You’d think we would have learned from Katrina and other gulf hurricanes that we might want to get in on the pipelines closer to home on the East Coast??
Share some of your funny gas stories. I promise, it will make you feel better as you type!
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9 comments
I am with you – I did not go get gas early in the week. I thought people were crazy and this would pass. Boy was I wrong! So, I got up this morning at 5am to go get gas at a station close to us. I called ahead and they had gas but would not turn the pumps on until 5:30 – so off I went to be first in line! I know it sounds crazy – but at this point I was out of vapors and did not have enough to wait in any kind of line – not even one car!This brings back many memories of the gas shortage/rationing of the late ’70’s. I remember sitting in the car with my dad waiting for hours to get gas. We played games, did homework, etc. Since my dad passed not long after that – in some ways – this current situation is not all bad for me – brings up great memories.Good luck on the gas hunt!
After two attempts to find gas on anywhere near our house on Wednesday, I returned home with my gas light on and prepared for my usual lecture about WHY do I let me car get so empty. My husband finally found some at around 11:30 pm on his way home from softball and after waiting in another line for 30 minutes and then it running out. We both have relatively full tanks, but we missed our Wednesday night church small group because I just couldn’t risk it with so little gas.
I am with you! I had just enough gas to get the kids to and from preschool today, and hopefully enough to wait in a gas line on Saturday. Someone mentioned that BJs by Carolina Place Mall will have gas on Saturday, and that they will sell it to non-members for 4 cents more than the member rate. In the meantime, today is a good day to stay at home and clean out closets!
I found gas today at the Texco by Harpers in SouthPark. As I waited I saw this big black truck pulling up from the back of the line next to me. He cut the entire line off and this ticked me off! I had him roll down his window, a large man sat inside, but this did not scare me, not today. He explained that he was forming another line, and it was all of our faults for not thinking of this. I explained that that was wrong, and he could care less. After him this little white sports car pulled 2 cars in front of me, that is when I REALLY lost it. He had his window cracked, but didn’t want to “talk”. I called my husband on my cell, he was certain that I would be shot soon. I called the gas attendant over and told her, he rolled down his window and explained that he had been in the line or Fairview Road, but switched lines. I asked then if that entitled him to cut in front of the ever growing line and can you believe this, he gave me the finger. I am too much of a southern lady to blog what I did in return, but if you were there you saw it all, and then you saw him speed off without gas. Ha! Why do some people feel that they can do whatever they want?? The funny thing is, you would never expect this type of behavior from me, I think that is what caught these arrogent guys off guard. My husband asked why nobody else was sticking up for their spots in line. I explained nicely, that I had the corner covered! All 5 foot 2 inches of southern charm.My mother asked if I would take her car to get gas for her later today. 🙂
I live in Houston where the storm hit. Try no gas And no milk at the grocery store.
I am so impressed with the above for sticking to her guns and not taking it from the people cutting line – I guess you are a Smarty Pants that is silk on the outside and all iron on the inside. You rock!!
We should all remember that the folks in the Houston area are in so much worse shape than we are. If we don’t have gas to get to our soccer games or parties, well it will be OK. The folks in Texas have lost their homes, pets and more. Please put this situation in perspective.
Costco on Tyvola has gas!!! They are letting you fill up all they way and as off now a 10 minute wait.
I’m new to the area originally from Rockingham Nc. But Rockingham is not having this huge problem like Charlotte and west of here are. I drove down toward Indian Trail and it took me less than 5 minutes in a line near Kate’s Skates.