Gas crisis in Hawaii and other states

[IChing]

Molokai, July 28

Our first stop is the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Suddenly and without warning, most of the island's 7,000-plus residents are rushing to gasoline stations.

They mob the pumps. They wait on two-mile lines for an hour or more, anxious to fill their gas tanks and their five-gallon cans.

Gas station owners insist there's no actual shortage of gas on the island. But rumors of shortages, whether true or not, effectively create the very shortages that are rumored.

Gas prices, already at over $3 per gallon, are no restraint. Residents want gas for their cars, trucks and home generators. Tourists want gas to avoid being stranded mid-way on 4-day island tours. So they'll pay any price.

An isolated phenomenon? Not quite.

Decatur, Alabama, August 18

We fast foward three weeks and travel 4,500 miles to the East where residents of Decatur, Alabama have a similar experience.

The rumors are different — about a truckers' strike disrupting supplies to the region, about a likely price surge of 30 cents per gallon in just one day, and about the possibility of $4-per-gallon gasoline.

But the result is the same: Residents mob the gas pumps, again causing local shortages.

Petroleum and trucking officials insist that the rumors are false and that any strike, even if one does occur, will not affect gasoline delivery trucks. But the panic buying at the pump continues nonetheless.

One gas station runs out of regular unleaded gas by Wednesday afternoon. Another reports 14 cars waiting in line at his pumps at 3:30 p.m. Still another, despite filling its 8,000-gallon tank Tuesday morning, is already almost empty by 4 p.m. Wednesday.

These spot shortages, however, are minor compared to another gasoline panic on the other side of the world.


From Santa Maria to San Luis Obispo, dozens of truck drivers went the distance to protest high gas prices.

Truckers say if prices don't dip soon, they'll be forced to turn their trucks off. With the cost of diesel fuel at $3.29 a gallon in Santa Maria, driver Joe Utnage says it costs him $900 to fill up his tank.

"When it hits your pocketbooks, when your grocery bill goes up by a couple hundred books, maybe even $1,000, then you'll understand the dilemma we are facing," says Utnage.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9015466/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Molokay the friendly isle NOT

but that is a story for another day...

This is the kind of panic that will lead to even more problems

Fasten them seat belts this ride is bout to take off (in a noticeable way)

[IChing]

2. It affects the food you get, the paper you buy and the life you live

No one should should kid themselves
on trucking costs

IF IT DOUBLES !!!!!!!!!

[GasolineBoycott]

3. Wake Up!

Conserve as much as you can, stop buying the product that gets soldiers killed and children bombed.

[IChing]

4. Welcome to DU GasolineBoycott

your life and the world's is tied to this misdirection and ill conceived conception
of what is available]e for this planet. The technology has been there
since Jimmy Carter said no more dependance on foreign oil and here is a PLAN.

But that was a time where they (THE REPUGS) came back in and said

NO TAX CREDITS FOR SOLAR
NO TAX CREDITS FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

THANK YOU RAYGUN.

[Solon]

5. You know, in principle, I agree with you...

especially the username, I try to conserve(mountain bike) and other methods, but it is simply impossible to boycott gasoline and/or oil entirely. What we really need is a public system set in place to transition from petrochemicals to more renewable and enviromentally friendly technologies and techniques to produce energy and chemicals.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. I know that and you know that

but when you have panic buying it just raises the pressure

All I am sayig is, fasten your seat belt

That said I LOVE my hybrid