Hobbit
Senior Member
I live in Georgia right now, about an hour from Atlanta. Atlanta is supplied by two pipelines coming from the Gulf region. Both pipelines are currently down due to power failure at the pumping stations in Mississippi and have not been damaged. Sonny Purdue (the governor) and gas companies alike have both informed the public that the southern pipeline will be running at 25% capacity in a few hours (sometime before midnight, tonight) after the Baton Rouge pump has its power cranked, and that northern power line will be good as new tomorrow. There is also a massive gas reserve in GA in case of a crisis like this.
That having been said, there has been a rumor traveling around, almost entirely by e-mail and word of mouth, that there's only one pipe and that it will be down for at least four days, during which the entire state of Georgia will completely run out of gas. Being people, and people being stupid, the urban legend is believed over the official news and people are racing to the pumps with every car, lawn mower, string trimmer, and gas can they can find to fill up with as much gas as they can hold. Ever the profiteers, many gas stations, most notoriously Citgo, have gouged their prices beyond reason and are making a bundle. Also, some gas stations which usually recieve their gas shipments on Thursdays or Fridays actually have run dry due to the panic buying, thus prepetuating this rumor.
Even my parents, normally reasonable people, joined in on the hysteria and ordered me to go fill up my tank, as well. I waited an hour in line at a 12-pump station for $2.91/gal gas. My mom waited half an hour for $3.69/gal gas at a, guess what, Citgo station. There was also a ten minute line at the BP station charging $4.99/gal. My dad was out of town or he would join in, I'm sure. I'm just going to start riding my bike everywhere. This fillup was almost $30 for short of 10 gallons of gas, and if I can help it, it'll last a month.
That having been said, there has been a rumor traveling around, almost entirely by e-mail and word of mouth, that there's only one pipe and that it will be down for at least four days, during which the entire state of Georgia will completely run out of gas. Being people, and people being stupid, the urban legend is believed over the official news and people are racing to the pumps with every car, lawn mower, string trimmer, and gas can they can find to fill up with as much gas as they can hold. Ever the profiteers, many gas stations, most notoriously Citgo, have gouged their prices beyond reason and are making a bundle. Also, some gas stations which usually recieve their gas shipments on Thursdays or Fridays actually have run dry due to the panic buying, thus prepetuating this rumor.
Even my parents, normally reasonable people, joined in on the hysteria and ordered me to go fill up my tank, as well. I waited an hour in line at a 12-pump station for $2.91/gal gas. My mom waited half an hour for $3.69/gal gas at a, guess what, Citgo station. There was also a ten minute line at the BP station charging $4.99/gal. My dad was out of town or he would join in, I'm sure. I'm just going to start riding my bike everywhere. This fillup was almost $30 for short of 10 gallons of gas, and if I can help it, it'll last a month.
