Gasoline: How dare you...

Here we go again. This seems a little all too familiar: hurricane heads towards the Gulf, gas prices sky rocket, and then no gas due to panic.

Where have I heard this before? I think it was about three years ago when this Hurricane named Katrina (maybe you've heard of it) decided to hit Louisiana and down by the oil refineries off the gulf shore.

Yesterday afternoon, my brother called to tell me my mom called him and told us both to leave work and get gas. Thinking my mom was over-reacting, I went and got gas around 3:30. "Uh oh" was what I said when I pulled up to the gas station by my work and noticed lines forming. I was lucky. I got in behind a little old lady who was pulling out. I scoffed at the $3.80/gallon as it had JUST been $3.59 in the morning. I filled up $40 in gas before the pump went dry. *insert profanities here*

After work, I drove all of five minutes or so to BG and BGW's house. When I headed home last night from their house, gas was $3.99/gallon. I got home, took a shower, got out, and Steven called and told me that the gas stations by his house (right down the road from me) were ALL out of gas. I didn't think anything of it. I thought, "phew! good thing I got gas!" and went to bed last night looking forward to Morgenstern's bridal shower.

I woke up this morning, and while I was brushing my teeth thought, "wait. I have gas to get down to Auburn and back, but what happens on Sunday? There won't be any gas on Sunday. I know, gas trucks won't deliver on Sundays. *profanity* What the *profanity* am I going to do for work next week? Oh sorry, I can't come in, I don't have gas and neither do the gas stations?" A sick feeling was building in the pit of my stomach (and it wasn't from the beer and cider last night). I called my mom.

Mom and dad were going to drive to Columbus and meet me there and then follow me to Auburn.

"I don't know about this gas shortage, ma."
"I know. There is NO gas down here at all."
"I know. I went and got gas when you told me to yesterday afternoon. I have enough to get down and back from Auburn..."
"Then what?"
"I don't know. I won't have gas on Sunday."
"I know. We were thinking the same thing."
"Do we know anyone with a private jet?"

So now, here I am, and there my mom is. We were clever. We were creative, and we got Amanda an awesome shower gift. And yet I sit here, sick to my stomach over gasoline.

Yes, let's strike fear and panic in the hearts of Americans in the Southeastern United States. Let's do THAT. Let's groom their dependency on gasoline by causing mass hysteria again, drive gas prices up, and then make it impossible to actually FIND gas anywhere. That's what's happened.

Now what? While I know the obvious answers, "find an alternate fuel," haven't we heard this time and time again? What about the people who have older cars who can't afford new cars with the ability to use alternate fuel? What about them? Is the government going to switch their old cars for them? Is the government going to swap their cars over to alternate fuel free of charge when we do find a solid alternative fuel? No.

What is more plausible is that every time we have a major storm approach the gulf coast, it will be inevitable for a government official (governor or otherwise) to cry wolf and send the Southeastern United States into a gas frenzy.