Gas crunch, how'd everyone do? Ideas?

[Saphira22]

Curiosity has this cat. In the Southeast and definitely Hendersonville/Asheville NC areas have been under the effects of a severe gas shortage the past couple weeks. How'd everyone fair? Any ideas how to prevent this from happening again? This was the ugliest I've ever seen my hometown get over gas and I really found it to be a bad shock that this could happen. I'd like to know if anyone has any ideas on how to keep it from happening again, cause I dont know about everyone here, but I was very disappointed by what I saw and observed from everyone involved. The gas stations could have handled the situation better, I observed several tenants at one station in a panic and in another flat out being rude without a thought for those affected by this. Only one station handled it gracefully and surprisingly, everything went very orderly and peacefully. On the flip side, there were some drivers that didn't take this very well either and were positively violent towards everyone around them over it, notably some of the larger vehicle drivers. But the question thats been eating at me is, what do we do to keep this from happening again? We have hurricans on a annual basis an I doubt anyone wants to go through this ordeal again, Versas or not, gas is still gas and shortages, unravel us.

[biggie]

Most people on here haven't had a problem, its only been Charlotte/ Western NC and Atlanta it seems.

If you know something is coming (hurricane) then you could have a couple gas cans filled for backup.

[keanucosmo]

I'm in the Atlanta area, and had no problems. I worked from home a couple of days a week for the last 2 weeks. I think part of the problem was a media fueled panic causing people to change their normal pattern for buying gas. Another part of the problem in Atlanta was slow reaction by EPA on a waiver on the required blend. At first they said a local shortage was no reason to grant a waiver. But unless regional reserves can be increased, it will probably happen again. Just imagine if there had been substantial damage to the refineries.

[Saphira22]

Thats true, I can easily agree with increasing regional reserves, that would make better sense than the way this was handled. Still gas cans saved me this time, my concern is the whole issue this created. I live directly in WNC and wanted to at least try and think of things that should be commented on to see if something cant be done to prevent what happened this time from happening again. Still, it would have been a bigger nightmare had the refineries been hit, people would be killing one another over gas the way it happened here in WNC .

Still, I'm shocked to hear thats how it happened in Atanta, a shortage is a bloody good reason to consider waiving things, at least temporarily till the mess gets sorted

[faction]

Go Electric.

[BlueMango]

I doubt there is very much you can do to prevent this. You should see if you can get your city council to organize emergency plans. Things to help conserve/ration gas would be Carpooling, riding bikes, using public transit systems, allotments, etc.

[Red Devil]

Here's my Versa's MPG so far

2008 Nissan Versa SL HBMiles Per Gallon/Maintenance Log

2/29/08: Purchased vehicle with 73 Miles on odometer3/12/08: ¾ tank/ $32.55/468 Miles3/25/08: ¾ tank/9.475 Gal/29 MPG/$30.50/751 Miles4/01/08: 7.741 Gal/258.9 Trip/33.4 MPG/1015 Miles4/08/08: 9.053 Gal/291.9 Trip/32.2 MPG/1306 Miles4/18/08: 9.665 Gal/313.5 Trip/32.4 MPG/1620 MilesAverage MPG for April 2008: 32.67 MPG

5/02/08: 9.240 Gal/310.7 Trip/33.6 MPG/1931 Miles5/19/08: 9.576 Gal/312.1 Trip/32.6 MPG/2243 Miles5/25/08: 9.403 Gal/342.5 Trip/36.4 MPG/2586 MilesAverage MPG for May 2008: 34.2 MPG

6/06/08: 3,750 or 3 Month Scheduled Service Performed. : 10.069 Gal/373.9 Trip/37.13 MPG/2960 Miles6/19/08: 5.872 Gal/212.4 Trip/36.17 MPG/3173 Miles6/26/08: 6.251 Gal/226.9 Trip/36.29 MPG/3400 MilesAverage MPG for June 2008: 36.53 MPG

7/14/08: 9.522 Gal/346.0 Trip/36.34 MPG/3746 Miles/$3.859 pg/$36.757/28/08: 7.585 Gal/289.3 Trip/38.14 MPG/4035 Miles/$3.659 pg/$27.75Average MPG for July 2008: 37.37 MPG

8/04/08: 8.326 Gal/290.6 Trip/34.90 MPG/4326 Miles/$3.699 pg/$30.558/11/08: 5.516 Gal/205.2 Trip/37.20 MPG/4531 Miles/$3.599 pg/$19.858/26/08: 8.646 Gal/320.4 Trip/37.05 MPG/4851 Miles/$3.499 pg/$30.25Average MPG for August 2008: 36.38 MPG

9/02/08: 6.004 Gal/236.4 Trip/39.37 MPG/5087 Miles/$3.339 pg/$20.059/09/08: 6.963 Gal/247.1 Trip/35.48 MPG/5335 Miles/$3.339 pg/$23.259/15/08: 8.573 Gal/328.0 Trip/38.25 MPG/5663 Miles/$3.499 pg/$30.009/19/08: 6 Month/6,700 Mile service/Inspection renewed/Expires: 9/099/26/08: 3.002 Gal/115.1 Trip/38.34 MPG/5778 Miles/$3.499 pg/$10.50Average MPG for September 2008: 37.86 MPG

10/03/08: 8.953 Gal/315.7 Trip/35.26 MPG/6094 Trip/$3.099 pg/$27.7510/11/08: 6.122 Gal/228.3 Trip/37.29 MPG/6322 Trip/$2.899 pg/$17.75

[Samyo]

It was pretty rough for about two weeks here in the Rome area. Sometimes you would have to drive ten or so miles to find a station with gas, where you would wait around 45 minutes in line. Versa did fine, I had to fill up twice. Many people in my area commute to the Atlanta area daily, we do a lot of driving here, and many of us don't have fuel efficient cars.

[Stumpkin]

Ride a Bike! (I mean a bicycle) I have more miles on a bike then I do in a car.

I’m pretty much an average guy who is cheap. I love cars and have six of them with three & half drivers (one only has a permit). 1. Full size van - moving kids teams 2. Titan pickup - tow the toys 3. Winter rust bucket - well for winter! 4. Minivan - family trips 5. Old car - college kid (she also rides her bike when she can). 6. Lets not forget the V - wife is a heart nurse & commutes around the center of the state. 7. If you count the collector car 86 Fiero - For the fun of it!

So as you see I’m not a green tree hugging health nut. It all started as a young guy in the Navy during the first gas crisis in the 70’s. I lived close to the base and by a bike path so I took advantage of it. When I was transferred to a new base the lifestyle transferred with me. I’ve just always been close to work and had a safe place to store the bike and a shower. The furthest I’ve commuted was 22 miles one way. Seriously by working up to the distance I believe anyone in fair shape could commute on a bike 15 miles easily and up to 25 miles if need be (bigger time commitment & better equipment).

The last few years I’ve driven more than I would like as my two girls passed though the “involved in activities” phase of life. With my youngest getting out on her own soon, it will be more biking for me. Funny thing my two kids also look at a bike as an alternative source of transportation. We live in central Minnesota now so I get some funny looks in early spring and late fall. As I’m getting older I’m not as brave in the winter. So only if the roads are clean & dry.

Just a side note: At 53 as a coach I can out run most of the H.S. kids I coach. We as a family are sick less and in relatively better shape then other families in about the same phase of life. We spend far less on gas and auto repairs. My college kid was female athlete of the year in H.S. & now plays college soccer. I believe a lot of this is due to bicycling as I stated earlier we are an average family. We are not health nuts.

What would fuel costs be if people who could bicycle commute did?

Sorry I didn’t mean for this to turn into an epistle.