Gas panic rumor prompts Nashville to run out of gas
Photo of Nashville by Exothemic. Licensed under Creative Commons license 2.0.
Need another reason to move away from our oil-dominated transportation situation? Take a look at what happened in Nashville, Tennessee this weekend. Thanks to rumors that the town was about to run out of gas, well, the town pretty much ran out of gas. About 75 percent of the gas stations in Nashville were gas-free Friday, according to CNN, but no one knows how the rumor started. Mike Williams, executive director of the Tennessee Petroleum Council, told the news giant that, "Everybody has just gone nuts." Not people driving an EV or running on biodiesel, but apparently everyone else. The empty stations should be resupplied today or tomorrow, but who knows when the next gas panic will hit. We need diversity yesterday.
[Source: CNN]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lou Grinzo 11:33AM (9/22/2008)
"We need diversity yesterday."
Truer words were never said.
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Tim 11:47AM (9/22/2008)
What is this were real?
What if it was about food or banking system collapse?
VERY scary stuff!!!
Keep you powder dry...
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GoodCheer 1:32PM (9/22/2008)
Tim: What do you mean "if"? Have you read the news recently?
Tim 1:58PM (9/22/2008)
We ain't seen nothin yet...
Even though the traitors in Congress promised $ BILLIONS of taxpayer debt (unFederal Reserve Notes) to the theives on wall street to reward them for their greed, the dow is still dropping like a rock while REAL Constitutional money (gold & silver) soars in value.
Foreigners will no longer support the Fiat Federal Reserve Note and they will no longer buy Treasury securities.
The comming hangover will make the "great" depression look like a party and the NeoCon-fascists and Democrat-socialists will use the "state of emergency" to implement totalitarian control. NEVER EVER give up your guns!!! This is why the 2nd Amendment was written for the security of a FREE state!
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Woodenbee 2:13PM (9/22/2008)
Tim , it must be so confusing being you, don't fear people being social and thinking communally, if we don't work together against the powers that be then we have nothing, that's why you've been brainwashed to fear communal/socialist action, your simply obeying the corrupt powers your so afraid of, they want you to stay isolated, that's why you think a gun is your only friend, your so much easier to control that way. The socialism your so terrified of is as close to reality as the Christianity of the Spanish inquisition is to the teachings of Jesus. Your dead right about wall street and all that, but watch Cspan see who is fighting for your money, see who is putting forward bills to help veterans, see who is trying to put a cap on executive's outrageous payouts, it aint Bush's crowd and the "fiscal conservatives" that's for damn sure
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comie 10:30AM (9/23/2008)
Wodenbee... being communal and think social is ok at the local level but once it is centralized and in the control of people that are much more powerful than you it will become a way of controlling the masses which I am guessing is against your every belief. Also, If being social is taking from the rich and giving to the poor then you are infringing on someone rights. Most of us trade our lives for money on a daily basis when we go to work. when you take that and give it to another forcefully, it is just as bad as stealing.
It is kind of like a complete laissez-faire economy, it only works as long as everyone is scrupulous and working for the common good. There must be controls in place to protect the peoples rights to be free and then they can chose to be communal, you cannot force them.
MikeW 2:39PM (9/22/2008)
Time to get your Stabil
http://www.goldeagle.com/sta-bil/
hyper-inflate this!
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Tim 2:51PM (9/22/2008)
woodenbee (#5) -
Over time gov't power always concentrates into an Oligarchy. Much of this power is gathered via propoganda “news”, fraud and false-flag operations like bombing buildings and then saying that “too much freedom causes terrorism”.
Once the population is fooled into disarming itself and relinquishing their privacy and liberties in the name of "security", it is left defenseless. Then liberty and security are replaced with Totalitarianism controlled by the Oligarchy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism.
2008s “Totalitarian Twins” are the Deocrat-Socialist (Obama) and the NeoCon-Fascist (McCain). They have NO true ideogical differences regarding Sound Money, Central Planning, First Strike Empire Building, Social(ist) Programs, etc. McBama is a ONE PARTY anti-Constitution, anti-freedom candidate for a true Single Party Tolitarian State.
Don’t waste your vote. If you enjoy FREEDOM, vote for ANY 3rd party in the 2008 election to send a message that (1) you’re not a fool and (2) we demand an alternative who will HONOR his oath to the Constitution!
Our founders knew that history repeats itself. That's why they wrote the Bill or Rights to limit the scope and power of Gov't. All 3 branches of Gov’t today are ignoring these limitations!
Those who ignore the Constitutial Limitations on their power are TRAITORS!
What’t the punishment for TREASON?
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SteveCT 3:14PM (9/22/2008)
Tim, you do realize that accumulating powers beyond those prescribed by the Constitution is a proud tradition that goes back all the way to John Adams and perhaps even George Washington, right?
Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts which essentially banned free speech and eliminated habeas corpus.
Jefferson made the Lousiana Purchase, a violation of his own strict interpretation of the Constitution.
Jackson ignored a Supreme Court decision in order to murder Native Americans.
Lincoln ignored habeas corpus and jailed many Confederate sympathizers.
Teddy Roosevelt began the modern presidency, in which the President in large part sets the legislative agenda.
Wilson violated the First Amendment during World War I.
And on and on. Are you suggesting that none of our Presidents has ever done their job properly, and that each of them was a traitor? If so, what exactly do you suggest, since the Constitution therefore seems entirely unable to produce a leader who does not engage in treason?
Moreover, what good is a vote for a third party? It's the same thing as not voting: you voted for the winner. By eliminating your say in the political process, you relinquish all of your power over the decisions of those in office.
And don't just call me a socialist; I'm not. I'm sure we disagree about a lot of governmental principles, but by no means do I support government control of private enterprise. That's why the current bailout plan bothers me so much. Moreover, as far as civil rights/liberties go, I'm just as libertarian as you are (including support for ending the War on Drugs and supporting the Second Amendment).
No, don't give up your guns, but don't give up your vote either, for the vote is a more powerful weapon by far.
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MikeW 3:46PM (9/22/2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgcdRCWEt4Q
Go Chakotay!
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Tim 5:41PM (9/22/2008)
SteveCT (#8)
A vote for either candidate in this ONE party system sends strong message to them that you ENJOY IT when they roll you over and rape you endlessly. By voting FOR them, you are telling them that YOU, the mindless sheeple LOVE it when they take away your freedoms and give you a false sense of security in exchange. You're telling them that you ALSO have not honor or integrity and YOU are willing to prostitute yourself TOO by believing what you KNOW are half-truths.
When you are voting for the lesser of 2 evils, you are telling evil that YOU support it. So go ahead, keep your eyes tightly closed and pinch your nose when you cast that precious vote. But KNOW THIS... NOTHING will change until THEY know that YOU aren't going to give them YOUR support.
Yes, you are correct in that power corrupts and abuses have happened in the past. Because human nature NEVER changes, they will happen in the future too. But it is the JOB of well informed citizens to DEMAND that Politicians honor their oaths of office. When they don't... IT’S OUR DUTY TO THROW THE BUMS OUT.
Corruption exists because of "Wise Monkeys" like YOU!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See_no_evil,_hear_no_evil,_speak_no_evil
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stevefazek 5:59PM (9/22/2008)
Dammit there another steve from ct here now LOL :-P
Tim go back to your Ron Paul cave please
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Ron Paul... Who is he? 10:30AM (9/23/2008)
Stevefazek... Tim is correct. Don’t be a douche.
Stevect... Yes, every one of those presidents were not doing their jobs correctly. They should have followed the constitution to the letter and not set the precedent for bending the rules, which each president and congress does a little more until we have an oligarchy as today.
Did any of you know that the last four CEOs of Goldman Sachs have gone on to "serve" in the government? For both parties… As Tim suggests, both parties are complicit and serving themselves. I do agree that there is nothing that can be done about the two party system (although the republicans seem to be imploding before our eyes) but I will not send an incumbent back to Washington with my vote. That is the change that we really need. The current group has run this country aground and need to be replaced completely. I am voting either third party or if there is not a choice, for the challenger.
Read through this if you want a really good scare.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Paulson
Rojo 6:11PM (9/22/2008)
Wow, did that go off topic. I was going to regale you with a little ground-zero story but maybe I need to interpret the constitution first...
Anyway, the general populace in Nashville pretty much despises the media and the gas companies for their shenanigans when it comes to Gulf-related natural disasters ever since Katrina. The day after the levees broke, we saw gouging in the range of 6+ dollars a gallon for no damn good reason other than there was some disaster somewhere. Ergo, Nashville has a great deal of disdain for high fuel costs because we *have* to drive everywhere. The whole region is fairly spread out, with a large number of people making long commutes from surrounding suburban areas. Mass transportation is virtually nonexistent and far too problematic.
Now then: here comes Ike... Ike is heading straight for Houston, where supposedly there are some refineries or something, I guess. EVERYONE PANIC!?!? Oh wait, no... no they didn't. No one panicked at all. There were a great deal of people that decided they would top off their tanks because they knew damn well that gas would SKYROCKET in price because of news reports and a natural disaster, gulf or no. So then you get a mild run on gas stations (not including myself) to top off before prices jump through the roof again. That mild run is interpreted as a panic, and what do you know? They raise fuel prices IMMEDIATELY, generating thousands of price-gouging reports and in response, a number of gas stations decide to shut down, saying they're out of gas. Half of the city's supply is essentially cut off by late afternoon Friday, which THEN creates hysteria for all the people who just really need to fill their tanks for everyday use. A snowball or three later and you have mile-long lines at the few stations that have decided they'll sell gas along with (supposedly) the occasional fist-fight. Meanwhile, people such as myself are stuck running on fumes, practically unable to leave the house (or unwilling because of the mess) wondering how they'll get to work on Monday.
If I didn't have a second vehicle ready to go with half of a tank, I wouldn't have made it to work myself.
Sad state of affairs, and somehow it's still all the consumers' fault.
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McHoffa 7:03PM (9/22/2008)
There is gas almost nowhere in Asheville, NC right now... if you can find it, you wait in line for a long time and pay $4.29/gallon.
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Davsot 9:10PM (9/22/2008)
This happens in Puerto RIco all the time. It's actually quite funny to see y'all surprised.
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Jim 9:56AM (9/23/2008)
Turns out it wasn't a rumor at all. Middle TN uses a special blend in the summer to cut pollution some - it sits in a bowl where winds don't blow the air clean often enough, so particulates hang around. Stations and local suppliers were trying to run low on this special blend, since it is more expensive, because they were almost to the time when the EPA cuts off the requirement for the blend. Stocks were low and the onrush of Ike reduced incoming stocks to the point that supply was drastically reduced. Lines started forming after stations ran out..
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Jon 9:59AM (9/23/2008)
Well Im in nashville. Not wanting to contribute to the craze me and my wife waited untill she was practically on fumes to go get gas.......last night. Called 4 gas stations before finding one with gas, 6 cars in line.
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Gary 11:26AM (9/23/2008)
How ridiculous.
"We're almost out of gas! Buy some before it's all gone!"
"But our tank is 3/4 full?"
"Who cares! Buy and horde as much as we can in jerry cans!"
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Rojo 1:40PM (9/23/2008)
Oftentimes it's a good idea to pay attention to some peoples' first-hand experience in the comments before displaying your complete ignorance of the subject matter.
Just a suggestion.