Asheville News

Gas prices still suck, and outages are here to stay for awhile

Jason Sandford September 22, 2008

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

I’m sick and tired of high gas prices, and I’m sick of watching people pile up at the pumps to hoard what little there is to go around. Thanks John Boyle. You people are really starting to piss me off.

Here’s the deal — the CitiStop on Merrimon is getting hammered this afternoon, with traffic lining up all the way down Merrimon Avenue with people waiting in line. Precious few other stations around town have gas. I’m hearing that the terminals in Charlotte and Knoxville, where tankers get their loads to fill up local gas stations, are empty. The terminal in Spartanburg doesn’t have a full supply.

So there’s no end in sight to this madness.

Meanwhile, here’s what I saw on my way to work this morning: car after car with only one person driving. People, driving alone in their giant trucks and minivans and SUVS, yapping on the cellphone. People driving and smoking.

That tells me that the economy must not really be that bad. If you’ve got enough money to drive to and from work alone in your giant vehicle, and suck down a pack of cigs along the way, you must be doing just fine. If you don’t need to carpool or take the bus, things must be A OK. If these conditions haven’t really changed people’s habits/behaviors, there’s no problem, right?

So stop freaking the eff out so that the rest of us sane folks can have a turn at gas station. Jesus. Mary. And Joseph.

What do you think?

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

It’s fall: Get out there and see some leaves

‘Song of the South’

10 Comments

Zipperhead September 23, 2008

It looks like the local TV station that started the panic on gasoline is starting to get politicians involved to clean up their mess they started.

How bout them apples?

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Beth September 23, 2008

Played the drive around looking for gas thing last evening before returning home with none. My daughter in Pittsburgh said they have all the gas anyone can need. So why shortages here? Want people to come and DRIVE around looking at leaves this fall and spend their money…well we better get some gas here for them to use, let alone us to get to work and live. This is nuts and makes no sense.If there are other states that have plenty and we are on a major truck route then we should have plenty too.

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Eric September 23, 2008

hey folks, i’ve started a facebook group for people to post where they have seen gas so we can make a community resource. please check it out and tell your friends.

http://www.new.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?officers&gid=27106087511#/group.php?gid=27106087511

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Gordon Smith September 23, 2008

I’m on ‘E’. My wife has a quarter tank in her car. I’m going home to grease up my bicycle.

If you have a lock on the gas tank on your car, better start using it. The siphon hoses will be coming out any time now.

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Soni September 22, 2008

Hubby probably *looks* like one of those guys, but he’s actually a remodeling contractor who has to have a truck in order to pay rent. We sure would prefer something smaller, trust me. But we’d still have to have the truck for work, plus be in for the expense of two vehicles, so we’re just getting by with the pickup. (Hey, the day he can haul 10 full sheets of drywall in a Geo, we are so there.) Unfortunately, his company keeps sending him to places like Arden and up Leicester Hwy on jobs, which really eats the gas up. What, there isn’t anyone in West Asheville who needs a room painted or a door rehung? So, sorry, but it’s not a matter of choice for us. Wish it were. But I’ve gotten mighty attached to sleeping indoors, what with that fancy indoor plumbing and stuff.

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Jan September 22, 2008

Friggin John Boyle keeps topping of his tanks

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Bill September 22, 2008

How about those of us who drive for a living?
I have been to Waynesville, Saluda and Marion today so far… 4 hours to go.

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Ash September 22, 2008

right on, ncain.

zipperhead — excellent idea.

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Zipperhead September 22, 2008

Amen, brother. How about this.

When there is a shortage in certain areas of the state those stations in that area should by law only sell ten gallons at a time to that customer. Credit card only, and the card number will only be accepted once a day at that station. Want more gas, go to another station.

This would not only make it fair but would also make it such a pain in the arse that people would chill.

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ncain September 22, 2008

I am relieved to know that our way of life is so unstable that all it takes to eff it up is a really hard rain. Let’s hear it for sustainability.

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