This May Be True…
Airlines Face Growing Fuel Shortage Risk
WASHINGTON — Lost luggage, bad weather and now … no fuel?
While fliers haven’t yet had to add that problem to the list of headaches associated with air travel, it may not be far away. Airports in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada recently came within a few days _ and at times within hours _ of running out of jet fuel.
…but in Pensacola, running out of gasoline is getting to be a regular thang.
Drivers fuming over lagging fuel supply
Gasoline shortages persist as Dennis – then Emily – hamper delivery
…After the stress of not having enough fuel before and after the storm, residents and store managers Wednesday said they were fed up.
Gasoline stations still selling fuel had limited supplies. Some were left with only regular fuel, while others had only premium grades.
Heather Kimbrell, 24, of Pensacola didn’t learn about the shortage until a client who ran out of fuel called her office to cancel their business appointment. Then she needed gas for herself.
“This is ridiculous,” she said Wednesday as she left an empty BP station at North Ninth Avenue and Cervantes Street. “This is the third place I’ve been to.”
Now, mind you, that article was written on the 21st of July. The 25th of July, when I had to trek to the airport to pick-up Major Dad, every single gas station had yellow bags over their pumps.
Every. Single. One.
It is now the 10th of August, damn near three weeks later and guess what? Last night, at the third gas station he went to, Ebola found a pump full of mid-grade gas ~ everything else was gone. Needless to say, he filled the Little White Mazda of Death to the brim. Now, I feel for the rest of you, but we’re living the life of fuel shortages and long lines already, and this freakin’ storm season hasn’t really fired up yet. Drudge can have a cow about FEMA paying for funerals all he wants. Honestly, we could give a rat’s ass. We’ve been playing this ‘find the station with no yellow pump baggies’ game since Ivan (count it people ~ ELEVEN MONTHS ~ that makes it almost a year) and you still don’t dare let your tank go below half full. Because you can blow that half looking for the fill-up. So we’re screwed, for God knows how long.
Welcome to The Third World, FL.
August 10, 2005 10:44 pm 
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Man gas hit $2.35 a gallon here in south Georgia today. WunderWife put $20 in the WunderVan and it did not go to half full.
My little 2% cost of living “raise” sure does not cover the added cost of the gas. Luckily, I work only 5 miles from home. If things got to bad, I could always ride a bike. It would do me good anyway.
So what happens when the have even further gas supply problems? I do not even want to think about it.
What happens when we get into a war with say, China or North Korea?
At 3:30 this morning, during a rescue mission for Ebola’s LWMoD, I noticed the gas price on the Citgo sign under which he’d come to rest. $1.41 gal/reg. Even that early in the morning I was able to go “Holy SH$t!” I am so thankful for the stroke of luck that got a Camry parked in the driveway a couple weeks ago. Instead of the Little Red Truck of Death, Ebola’s Mazda has been doing 32 mpg since we got it and now the Camry’s running at 25 or better, instead of the Commando Wagon (’87 Pathfinder) which causes giddy excitement on the rare occasions it nudges 17.
Mind you, this is when we are able to purchase gas for whatever the going rate is.
I’m not concerned with war on foreign shores. I think the greatest immediate danger is knocking out a refinery or two. You don’t have to destroy the whole thing to jack it into shutdown. Part of that barrel price surge yesterday was a BP refinery closing. They’re being worked into the dirt, the newest ones are over 25 years old and there’s NONE in construction to replace what we have, less mind a spare or two. I keep chanting the mantra but it’s so true. It’s not about oil, it’s about refining capacity.
And hurricanes.
Really, really glad the Commando Wagon gets to sit home a bit now.