No gas! No gas! No gas! How bad is the situation in your area?

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

Entire FL panhandle is empty?

I was able to fill up both truck and car on Monday but now every station I see is closed, pumps bagged.

I'm retired so I wont need gas for a month at least, but its looking crazy out there!

[MineralMan]

1. The Gas Will Return.

No reason for panic, especially if the tanks in your vehicles are full.

There's an actual reason for the gas shortage, but that has now been corrected, apparently, and the gas will start flowing through that pipeline again.

What has happened is the usual panic hoarding done by people who know nothing about why the gas shortage happened, and just reacted in an unintelligent way.

This, too, shall pass.

[Treefrog]

2. There was really no shortage at all. Until people made a run on the gas stations.

Everybody buying at once made the stations run out. If they hadn’t done that, including all the hoarding activity, there would still be gas.

[Casady1]

8. My kids filled up two days ago

just as the crunch started. One was down to 35 miles left on his car and the other maybe 70. They had to get gas as they were at the point that they would have run out.

[MineralMan]

19. Exactly. It's just like the toilet paper shortage

at the beginning of the pandemic. People panic and act irrationally.

[Johonny]

11. The same people now have plastic bags of gas sitting on shelves next to the 1000 rolls of TP

they bought last year.

[brooklynite]

15. No they don't.....

Are People Hoarding Gas in Plastic Bags During the Shortage?

In May 2021, a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline led to an interruption of gas services to the southeastern parts of the United States. This, in turn, lead to some “panic buying” as people rushed to the pumps to fill up extra containers of gasoline.

On social media, photos and videos started to circulate that supposedly showed how some people were using plastic bags to transport their surplus gasoline. One photograph supposedly showed a car trunk loaded with plastic bags filled with gasoline:

A video supposedly showed a woman filling up plastic bags at a gasoline pump

Both of these pieces of media are real, but neither relates to the May 2021 gas shortage in the southeastern United States. Both of these images are several years old, and one was taken outside of the United States.

The picture of plastic bags filled with gasoline in the trunk of a car comes from a March 2019 incident in which two men attempted to steal gasoline from a gas station in Huauchinango, a city located north of the state of Puebla in central Mexico.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/hoarding-gas-plastic-bags/

[jimfields33]

36. And in 5 years, when a roll of toilet paper is 5 dollars,

They will still have their dollar a roll. Big savings.

[Hortensis]

41. Yes, but how many people have 1000 rolls of TP? Two?

Out of a couple hundred million households? At that, it'll be more than keep gasoline in bags.

These stories give people very warped views. For perspective, we normally buy one large pack of 36 rolls, and that lasts us most of a year, though I understand we could get 48. Yes, we're selfish, panicking "hoarders," albeit 100% of the time.

[LeftInTX]

58. The gas hoarders are reselling on ebay

Just kidding, but I think that's what the TP hoarders did

[Hortensis]

59. :) Can see TP drawing less undesirable attention on ebay and through

the mail than gasoline.

[Zeitghost]

54. For many (even most) it's not lack of intelligence...

It's game theory. Even if you know it's irrational, you'll get left out if you don't participate. It's nice to be rational and logical, but if you need to get to work by car Monday you're gonna need gas and if there is a panic buy going on, you'll need to join in. I initially passed on the TP buying craze. I had a month or two worth at home and didn't want to join the stampeding herd. But after a few weeks, I didn't really have a choice and when I did find it, I bought more than I usually would, both to fill my now depleted supply and because I didn't know how long the shortage would last.

[MineralMan]

56. Yeah, well, if you need gasoline, you should buy it.

However, that doesn't account for the people who brought multiple 5-gallon gas cans to the gas station, some of which they bought just before going there.

Buying what you need makes sense. Hoarding does not, in any way, and adds to the stress of the situation. Clearly, that gas shortage was not going to be a long-term thing. It was caused by a computer hack. The system is back on line now, and the fuel is flowing again.

Intelligent, thoughtful people do not make irrational decisions like hoarding. The two things are not compatible with each other at all.

[hatrack]

60. And all that gas in all those cans will sit in the garage and degrade by Labor Day

Oh well.

[Buns_of_Fire]

3. These are the times that try men's souls. First toilet paper,

then gas, and now Chick-Fil-A sauce. It's the End Times, I tell ya!

[ecstatic]

4. I saw long lines the other day. Thankfully I filled up before the hack

So glad I didn't procrastinate.

[GoCubsGo]

5. Stations all open here in my part of SC.

Only the Kroger had lines, but they usually do. Prices up only ten cents/gal. since Sunday when I tanked up which I had to do anyway.

[Turbineguy]

6. 9 MPG patriots will tell you....

"It's Biden's fault!"

[Tommy Carcetti]

7. South Florida seems back to normal.

There were some moderately long lines yesterday at the Wawa (the cheap station). Long, but not quite type the lines that you see before hurricanes.

I had to fill up but decided to go down the road to the Shell that has prices about 30 cents above Wawa. No line there.

Today the Wawa seems like any other day.

Hopefully enough people here got the word that South Florida isn't serviced by the Colonial Pipeline so there won't be any actual supply disruptions.

[PortTack]

9. The pipeline reopened late yesterday ...there's no need for panic!

[soothsayer]

12. Well it still takes days. I'm only slightly panicked

I didn’t top off Wednesday morning (or was it Tuesday?) as I’d thought about doing, now I gotta ride it out. Ah well.

[PortTack]

20. Colonial says gas will reach the markets by midday!

[soothsayer]

22. Yeah I got all excited but then I just saw pessimistic reporting that it'll take a week or two

For places to recover.

I hope they’re wrong and you’re right!

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

16. This side of FL gets most gasoline by BARGE, not the pipeline! Panic anyway! lol

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[csziggy]

51. That shows why Tallahassee was hit so hard

Even so, unless people had an urgent need to do a lot of driving - such as truckers or delivery people - I see no reason for the panic buying.

It just so happened that I filled my car up (for the first time in four months, LOL) last week. Our truck could use a fill up but since we don't need to use it right now, I'll wait until everything settles out. MY husband does the most driving, but his Prius can wait for a fill up until next week.

Now to fill up our propane tanks for the generators to be ready for hurricane season.

[Johonny]

10. I own a 2019 Prius, near full tank of gas

I'll need to refill it sometime next month or so.

[soothsayer]

14. Winner!!

[brooklynite]

17. No gas problems in NYC...

Perhaps because we're less dependent on cars.

[Sneederbunk]

18. Have been eating only beans since Monday.

[RegularJam]

21. Retired and filling up three cars.

That’s the panic problem.

An overwhelming majority of FL is just fine. No shortage here in west central Florida. Very little of FL has anything to do with the pipeline that is now up and going.

No one on the left should be aiding the panic outside of those needed to sustain through it. It’s the absolute perfect time to do nothing but put forward a message of energy security and infrastructure. If it makes the right feel more comfortable, call it protectionism.

Too many good natured people are going to pay a price for the panic.

While it might sound like I’m being a bit of a jerk I do understand it. Emotion overtakes logic during extended durations of crisis and stress. My heart does go out to those panicking. I don’t minimize that very personal aspect.

BTW, great job by a lot of people opening up public transit for free during this.

[fescuerescue]

25. It's more than just that.

The pipelines were running at full capacity and we just lost half of it.

The average person can only stockpile 3 days of gas. We are 4 days into the shortage.

[RegularJam]

26. "The average person can only stockpile 3 days of gas."

Link.

I'm going to assume such a statement omits the largest tank in the possession of most Americans. That would make it a point without distinction.

[fescuerescue]

27. link? really?

Look in your car owners manual.

I bet your tank is only 15 gallons.

But if you need proof that most Americans do not have a tanker in their backyard. well gosh.. I guess you got me!

[RegularJam]

28. Yes. Link to back up your claim of what I believe to be highly inaccurate.

Using average fuel economy that 15 gallons will get you 375 miles. The average American drives under thirty miles per day.

"But if you need proof that most Americans do not have a tanker in their backyard. well gosh.. I guess you got me!"

I never asked for proof of any such thing. Period. You seem to be struggling.

I simply asked you to back up your claim which seems to defy logic. You are clearly refusing to do so.

[fescuerescue]

29. So then. the most you can stockpile is 15 gallons

got it.

We agree even.

[TheRealNorth]

33. To be fair

If you are driving a gas-gussler and driving 80 miles a day (let's say you have a long commute), you might run out in 3-4 days from a full tank. If you have a job that makes you drive a lot ( think Uber or delivery drivers), it can be a problem.

[RegularJam]

34. Fully agree and that is a part of my tangent. :)

Logic should rule the day. A retired person should not be running out to fill up their three cars. We should be responsible enough to self prioritize for those who truly need it, including those who drive gas guzzlers for work. I'm not discounting them in any way.

I will add that the "facts" the other poster dropped are anything but actual facts. They are completely made up and hold zero weight.

Again, I agree with every word you wrote and that is a cornerstone to my argument. People in need are going to pay a price for the panic.

[marybourg]

35. I just gassed up for only the second time since 3/20.

[keithsw]

23. My little town

In Western North Carolina has 4 gas stations. All 4 were completely out yesterday. Today one of them has Premium only and the line has 30 cars in it. I just drove by

[fescuerescue]

24. Nothing within 10 miles at least (Central NC)

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

38. Yeah I heard the Carolinas are being particularly hard hit

[marie999]

44. Not around Jacksonville NC. Some lines but not bad.

[maxrandb]

30. I don't give one "blank" about a couple of days delay in gas, BUT

I do care that the Retrumplican Party is cheering this attack and planning to use it against President Biden.

That's right folks...Russian hackers ATTACKED the United States of America, and if you caught 1 minute of Hate Radio or Faux News yesterday, they were absolutely giddy.

It's time to stop treating them like a normal opposition party, and start treating them like a terrorist organization.

They were unable to control their glee over a Russian attack on the United States.

[pwb]

31. Upstate N Y. Has all the gas we need.

Just got home and no lines or gas station closings. We have refineries up here too.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. No Issues Here

Southern fringes of Chicagoland.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

37. Its a southern thing, not a good time to go RVing, and there are tons here

[ProfessorGAC]

50. I Saw Panic Buying...

...in VA & NJ, too. Dumb.
I don't understand how companies this big can't spend the $ on a closed network that never touches the internet.
The control systems at the manufacturing sites where I worked (& visited) all had their controls network fully independent of the business network.
Some noncritical pieces were fire walled into a gateway that allowed engineers to troubleshoot from home.
But, critical processes were only accessible from 1 or 2 computers in the controls office. Those pieces never touched the main network nor the internet.
Seems giant petro companies could afford this level of protection.
Then, the RV folks wouldn't be worried.

[BoringUsername]

39. Plenty of gas and no one rushing to get gas in Maine

Gas stations are operating like normal around here. I got half tank this morning.

[dsc]

40. I have half a tank, normally enough for more than a week

but I want to go Durham on Saturday, I can get there but not back. I hope to get gas today or tomorrow.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

43. Headline news, "73% of Pensacola gas stations out", I-10 is draining them

[BannonsLiver]

42. Tons. Zero issues.

[Amishman]

45. Not bad in SE PA

Not worried; I topped up the 30 gallon gas caddy and the 30 gallon diesel caddy in the garage.

[ibegurpard]

46. Almost empty and filled up again yesterday

In Montana. No issues. It's gotten more expensive but my car takes about 9 gallons to fill. About 25 dollars. Should last me a month or so. I don't drive a lot.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

49. Montana? Why would it affect you? Its a major pipeline to the South East!

[Betty88]

47. North NJ no issue for me

Prices went up but no issue getting gas

[Dorian Gray]

48. Totally normal here in Brooklyn

gas is more expensive than it was a week ago, but I filled up about an hour ago, and all the gas stations here are open and selling gas.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

52. Washington D.C. gas shortage reaches critical level, nearly 90% of stations OUT

The majority of gas stations in the United States capital Washington D.C. have now run out of fuel

This was despite Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline saying on Thursday that it was making "substantial progress" in restoring operations.

Gasoline deliveries were being made in all of its markets but it would take "several days" to return to normal, Colonial stated.

https://www.dw.com/en/washington-dc-gas-shortage-reaches-critical-level/a-57539855

[Generic Brad]

53. I drive a Prius and work from home, so...

..I am basically unaffected. I'l buy gas in two weeks after the price comes back down a bit.

[Angleae]

55. No problems here.

Just filled up today. No lines, no problems.

[LeftInTX]

57. Texas: No lines. No problems...Thank God!! We don't need more probs around here!