I guess I got lucky when I filled up my tank prior to leaving for Las Vegas (September 10).  In order to avoid having to fill up the morning I had to return to work, I wound up saving almost 50 cents a gallon due to the price hike after Hurricane Ike had it’s way with the Gulf Coast.  I also was fortunate that I didn’t have to fill up, as the supply of gas started to deteriorate this past weekend.  It’s really hard to find gas in the metro Atlanta area and your chances of putting gas in your car depends on luck and location.  Some places have put a cap on what you can get (my mom was capped at $20 at her gas station last night) while others are making you purchase a minimum amount to deter “topper offers” who are adding to the crisis by filling up their tank each day in case the situation becomes even worse (if that’s possible).

Coworkers have had hour+ waits the past few days so I decided to attempt to fill up my tank after 8 PM last night when maybe some of the rush hour madness had subsided.  Boy, was I wrong.  Over the course of the next 45 minutes, I went to EIGHT gas stations.  6 were totally out and 2 had lines that spilled into the streets.  I wasn’t willing to wait an hour and try to maneuver past hotheads and people freaking out.

There was one seedy-looking gas station that had 4 pumps that appeared to be dispensing gas.  I pulled my car up to one and selected the low grade fuel, since that seemed to be the only blend all other stations had before they closed.  I noticed as soon as I began that this tank was cashed out so I took my receipt for 10 cents.  I tried the mid-grade blend – no luck there.  The premium grade dribbled out 80 cents worth before I gave up and told the owner that tank was out.  It was at that point that I made the decision that hunting for gas in a panic-stricken city wasn’t worth my time or safety.  Two of the stations that I pulled up to were putting the bags on their gas dispensers (symbolizing they were sold out) and hearing the panicked pleas from people who were running on fumes really crystallized to me how quickly public panic could possibly turn into chaos and hysteria even if it’s not warranted.

Thankfully I’m one of the few people in the metro Atlanta area who has access to public transportation by my house and near my work office.  In a car-centric city like Atlanta, this combination doesn’t exist for a large portion of the population.  If we continue to have this shortage last beyond this week, it will have dire consequences for a city so utterly dependent on cars.  This shortage is much worse than the one we had after Katrina.  We were price gouged for a day but then supply came back to normal although our governor panicked and cancelled school for two days.

Part of the shortage issue is also tied to the fact that gas in metro Atlanta has to be refined to a low-sulfur blend in order to combat the horrific air we have here thanks to our addiction to cars.  The governor has requested and received a waiver to eliminate that requirement temporarily, thus allowing “normal” gas to be brought in and sold.  My only hope though is that the ban is only temporarily lifted and not removed as part of a scare tactic campaign by lawmakers who will play the “See what economic chaos happens when you put environmental restrictions on gas?” card.  Sadly, a lot of people in Georgia, under the guise of “pro-business” will be quite vocal about this and refuse to admit that there are consequences to unfettered gas consumption.  If we don’t watch it, Atlanta could easily outpace LA for smog and one day have air like Beijing.  I’m not a big fan of being able to feel and touch the air I breathe and my asthmatic lungs agree.

The bottom line is since I have the ability to take the train (albeit it makes my ride longer, especially in the morning), I’m staying out of my car (with the exception of taking my daughter to school in the morning) until this mess is resolved.  I refuse to play the game of “Find the gas station with gas and maneuver your vehicle to cut everyone off so you move up in line”.  I refuse to cave into the panic others are feeling right now, I refuse to be a slave to my car and I refuse to waste valuable fuel looking for fuel and waiting in line for fuel.