“GAS PUMP RAGE”, 85% of the Nashville area gas pumps are empty!

Last Friday we all had bigger fish to fry with Ike roaring through. Although I had begun to post about “GAS PUMP RAGE”, I rethought it, and felt it wasn’t approperate at that moment.

Taking into consideration there are so many suffering due to Ike’s wrath, I feel I can appropriately post this now. Nashville although not hit with major destruction, it was hit with strong winds, and wind damage. And, now a week later 85% of the Nashville area gas pumps are empty!

Week ago last Friday both M, and I went to the gas pumps, both of us were on EMPTY! It was a mad house! Stations were constantly raising their prices as we waited. M’s endurance level is just above zero, so he went home choosing to hit the pumps at 6 am.

I stayed in line for ages waiting in line as everyone else was. Yes, we were all frustrated with the process. The temps were in the high 90’s, no breeze, no shade, and the permeating scent of gas fumes was overwhelming. The station looked like an accident scene with vehicles positioned in every possible direction. Despite these uncomfortable elements, people were taking things in stride as they waited.

Suddenly, some people felt they were “special” entitling them to begin a new line facing opposite of the existing lines. In doing so, there they were facing “grill to grill” with no room to move in either direction. Then all hell broke loose as one “offender” hops out of his car claiming he was next, and becoming hostile, very threatening… his face within inches of a woman pumping. He even went so far to say he would ram the next car facing him if they pulled up to the pump before him!

At this point I had completed filling my tank up, and left after advising the attendant he needed to have someone access the situation, and get back up to defuse the situation.

Here it is a week later. Pump rage is everywhere. There are few gas stations with fuel. Nashville’s resources were affected directly since our pipeline comes through the area where the rigs were shut down. Meanwhile, Memphis has another source via LA, and their fuel supply remains plentiful, and much lower.

Just in our short drive to the bank, approximately seven miles, only two station out of ten had pumps opened today, with lines backed up for block on a major street off I40. Tonight, they are empty. The cost of gas is outrageous, and just keeps going up here!

When gas prices sky rocked early this spring, Nashville greatly reduced, and even dropped some of their their public transportation system to meet budget. I am so thankful I am not a working individual who must have transportation to and from work, and more thankful we have moved here saving us a 38 mile round trip just to buy food at Wal Mart.

This is far worse than what I experienced in the 70's with odd-even days.

 

I actually belong to a TN political board, this was posted there:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080920/BUSINESS01/809200383

We're down to $3.79, high of $3.99. Gas gougers are now being prosecuted, some went as high as $5.26 in NC.

 

We're in a very scary time. People are out of work, can't afford gas, wondering what will happen next. This country has been living on a credit card for ahile now and I don't think we've seen the worst of it all :-\

Gas here in Daytona Beach just went back up to $3.70.

Thoughts and prayers for everyone who is struggling with food/gas inflation.

 

Interesting....

Our local paper, The Tennessean had this for their morning headline "OUT OF GAS, 85% OF NASHVILLE AREA SATATIONS RUN OUT, AAA SAYS"...

What a difference from the website info listed here.

 

I do not know why we haven't been hit with this here--we are in Texas and nearly all of our gas comes from Houston--on the day Ike hit shore, we had a spike at my favorite station to $3.79 but it is now down to 3.59 there and the price has never wavered much from $3.49 in many stations in town

the situation DizzAJ describes unfortunately is one I fear will become more commonplace, especially in larger cities--not necessarily right now, but sometime in the very near future--we can see how one catastrophe, even with a few days advance warning, can wreak havoc--we are nearing what they call "Peak Oil" (some say we are there, but I don't think so)--add a couple of terrorist attacks in the middle east timed with another hurricane to the diminishing supplies and increasing demand worldwide, and we may have 50 cities going through what Nashville is

would like to say be prepared not depressed, but that only goes so far--good luck Dizz, many of us may be telling those stories in the next few years

 

AJ: it does say Nashville is at 85%, it's the government site, not the local site. I didn't realize Charlotte, NC, had been hard hit, too.

 

Another reason to live in a small town. Don't have to put up with that crap.

 

It really depends on where you go around here. Yesterday I was 1/2 hr away into NY state and it was over 4 dollars a gal. Here its 3.79 or so. Seems everyday it changes but I haven't seen any signs of it running out.

 

Bergie: The TN group is still talking about, it seems Nashville was hardest it. A lot of hoarding and gas gouging.

 

Was hardly any effect in my area. Gas prices only went up 20 cents for a week and they are back down again as of Saturday! We are only paying $3.19 a gallon.

 

I'm jealous, we're "down" to $3.76. A friend just got back from Dallas and said it was $3.50 there.

 

Filled up yesterday, was $3.55. Not much change from what it had been. It's been bouncing back and forth between $3.45 - $3.55 for a while now.

 

Geez...Dumbass me! : My car uses Premium gas, thats $3.79 around here.

I think Regular is around $3.39 a gallon.

 

We are $3.99 at the cheaper pumps in MI, not sure why.
I sure am feeling for those of you hard hit by IKE.
What a disaster! Those poor people in Galveston...............Lisa

 

Yes, it looks as though many won't be able to rebuild in Gavleston as well. All the property and equity loss. :'(
http://www.galveston.com/default.asp
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6012435.html

 

Guess what we saw today when doing our errands? ??? Yep, one lone tanker being followed like it was the head of a funeral precession! They had to clear the cars in order for the tanker to leave the pumps when he was finished. Cost, $4.35 a gal…

By the time we had finished our final chore, grabbed a bit to eat, and headed back to our rental to begin loading up for our next run to our new home, the station of nearing empty again! Guess they were trying to share the wealth with other stations. ??? We have a half tank, and felt others needed it more than we do at this point, so we kept on trunkin'.

Things should improve soon (hopefully), but in the meantime, it has really hit hard on the station owners who depend on the pumps to pull in customers for cigs, drinks, snack food, lottery tickets, etc. A few owners interviewed in the press have stated this has hit them back, and they may be forced to close permanently.

Consider yourselves blessed on two counts, one, for the gas supply, and, the other for the cost.

 

Are they investigating the gounging/hoarding? It was huge problem when we lived in Savannah, GA. :-\

 

Of course, but it doesn't help now does it, no one will get a rebate.

The Colonial Pipeline is back in operations, which will ease our areas problem. Strange that both West Tennessee, and East Tennessee have a different resource that has kept them from feeling what our area has. Both areas bounced back quickly. Knoxville and Memphis are busy as usual.

 

I didn't get gas at the local place here that gouged, so I don't if he did rebates. I do know that couple places in Savannah, GA, had to rebate IF you kept your receipt. I don't even get one half the time.

 

Here in MI our govenor after Ike hit warned the gas station about gouging and that she will bring any that do gouge its cust. up on charges. She also told everone who thinks the gas station is charging more that it should to get a recipt and if it is proven that the were gouging they would have proof and would be able to get a refund.