Nashville makes national news...

[Guest Verbal Kint]

... for being stupid. That kind of coverage is priceless.

CNN LINK : >HERE<

Nashville pumps dry after panic about rumor of no gas

Officials said panic regarding a rumor of a lack of gas caused customers to to rush to the pumps.

Story Highlights

• Nobody knows origin of rumor that Nashville was running out of gas
  
• Of 13 Nashville gas stations called at random, only two said they had gas
  
• Residents panicked and hit gas stations to fuel up
  
• People were filling up containers, cans, with some waiting an hour for gas
  

(CNN) -- Call it a self-fulfilling prophecy: An estimated three-fourths of gas stations in the Nashville, Tennessee, area ran dry Friday, victim of an apparent rumor that the city was running out of gas.

"Everybody has just gone nuts," said Mike Williams, executive director of the Tennessee Petroleum Council.

He said he has no idea about the origin of a rumor that there was going to be no gas in Nashville. One reporter called him, saying she had heard that Nashville would be without gas within the hour, he said.

Hearing the rumor, drivers rushed to fill their cars and trucks.

CNN called 13 Nashville gas stations at random. Only two reported having gas, and one said it was almost out. The stations said they were being told they would not get more until Monday or Tuesday.

Katie Givens Kime, visiting from Atlanta, Georgia, was trying to fill up her tank for the trip home when she ran into trouble -- when she was already low on gas.

"We panicked and looked online," she said. "And holy cow, there is no gas in the city. ... It has definitely gripped the city, for sure."

One store clerk told her there was no way she could get gas to go back home, she said.

Williams said some drivers were following gas trucks to see where they were headed, and lines at some stations were a mile long. Fuel was continuing to enter the city, however, as pipelines were working and barges were coming in.

He likened it to Southerners rushing out to stock up on bread and milk when they hear it might snow. As stations began running low, the situation snowballed, he said.

One station reported selling as much gas Friday as it usually does in a weekend, Williams said.

The phenomenon seemed to be isolated to the Nashville area, he said.

Givens Kime said she found a station online that still had gas and waited more than an hour to pump it.

"People were freaked out," she said. A "renegade bunch" of men helped direct traffic to and from the pumps, even taking drivers' cash inside for them. She described people filling cans and other containers as well as cars.

She said that the station was not engaging in price gouging but that "emotions were running very high" among drivers.

[TripleDigitRide]

Well, I saw it with my own two eyes. The Exxon near my house had a parking lot full, and lines out to the street. It was a nightmare just trying to get in to use the ATM machine. Complete morons, they are.

Most of these idiots are probably going to waste all that gas on trips to the darn mall anyway.

I decided not to get any gas, even though I had less than a 1/4 tank. I'm looking for a reason to blow a few vacation days.

[Mr. Brooks]

Yeah, I can't believe how out of control it's gotten. Some of the gas stations that still have gas have hired security to make sure people don't do anything too stupid.

I'm just waiting for someone to end up dead over this nonsense.

I can see the headline now, "Man run down in gas station parking lot for trying to take all the gas to fill up his H2"

[TripleDigitRide]

Yeah, I can't believe how out of control it's gotten. Some of the gas stations that still have gas have hired security to make sure people don't do anything too stupid.

I'm just waiting for someone to end up dead over this nonsense.

I can see the headline now, "Man run down in gas station parking lot for trying to take all the gas to fill up his H2"

I gor a 10 spot that this happens by time they air the AM news. This place has gone nuts.

Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if all this is happening because some 17 year old punk thought it would be funny to call a news station claiming to be a gasoline supplier or something. Gas is going to run out within the hour. What idiot bought that line of BS?

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Plenty of gas up here... and cheaper.

[Guest gsbell]

Thu on my way home it was like 1 in 20 with gas, Fri morning it was like 1 in 50. If fuel is flowing through that pipeline up to here it must be awful damn slow.

[Mike.357]

What idiot bought that line of BS?

it was a self fulfilling prophecy

[Guest Major Pain]

Hey you city guys, just a little taste of when SHTF, be prepared. The sheepel will panic in crisis or rumor of crisis.--MP

[mrming]

Its all absolutely hilarious. Lavergne had a plain clothes with lights spinning at the one station that had any gas left.

I'm not sure I'm buying that they went through quite this much volume. Is some one claiming the hoarding capacity of the general population is three (3) times their nominal use rate? Across the entire midstate?

Come on. If the supply was this rigid we'd be seeing this happen every time it was predicted to snow or heck.. even the titan games. I know too many people who didn't go get any, or couldn't get any. I know its a bad sample size and all, but of the 7 people I asked only one got gas today.

Then again, maybe I don't associate with enough crazy people any more. Can't quite see these stupid trends coming any more.

**Country Gents** Don't worry, the escaping masses will wreck your decentralized supply infrastructure just as surely as the cities that were meant to handle 'em.

Lesson is, city, country, suburbs.. keep your own stockpile to buffer out market stupidities.

Edited September 20, 2008 by mrming

[TripleDigitRide]

Come on. If the supply was this rigid we'd be seeing this happen every time it was predicted to snow or heck.

Actually, the supply is that rigid. I have a friend (yes, one of those "I have a friend" stories) who has been delivering gas and diesel in and around the Middle Tennessee area for several years, and he says that if anyone was to cut the fuel supply to the Middle Tennessee area at any given time, gas would run out within a few short days. This is based on normal consumption.

It is not uncommon for fairly busy gas station to have gas delivered on a daily basis, so it's no real wonder why they ran out of gas in just a few short hours.

The Exxon at the corner of my road had a trailer load of gas being dropped in the ground when I passed by at about 6:30am, and before 6:30pm, they were bone dry.

[Reservoir Dog]

Yeah, people are stupid. Some moron starts spreading rumors that there will be a gas shortage, or that gas will rise sharply in price. The sheeple hear it, and rush out and start buying all the gas, thus causing that very problem. Never fails. :-\

[strickj]

cnn.com/prositutes/gascrisis

Wonder what kinda effect this will have

[Guest docvantrease2003]

went out this morning on dickerson rd two stations with gas an lined up on the road to get some gas

[raydog1]

Lines not as long here as they were last night. But still have police directing traffic at one of the stations this morning.

One thing to be proud of: Though there have been reports of angry confrontations and a little bit of road rage, no reports of HCP owners cutting a swath across town for a bit of petrol. You just KNOW the media is waiting for it.

[Mr. Brooks]

no reports of HCP owners cutting a swath across town for a bit of petrol. You just KNOW the media is waiting for it.

That was the one thing I was worried about. Hopefully nothing like that will happen.

[Guest Mugster]

Alot of the stations in the burro have been out all week. The ones close to I-24 do have fuel though, or they did last night when I came home. I went ahead and tanked up at 1:30am and they were doing a brisk business but no lines.

[Guest JavaGuy]

I usually tank back up when I start getting down to about a quarter of a tank. Of course, that was Thursday. I decided to wait and push it a bit further to see if the madness would pass...

Nope...

So last night, I drove past multiple stations with long, long lines on my way home and finally decided to wait until later in the night before going for gas. Grin.. at 2 AM this morning, I drove back out to the Mapco at Gallatin Rd and Center Point Rd. No lines.. maybe eight other cars at the pumps, plenty of regular and $3.92 a gallon. Well worth the wait.

The Shell station at Gallatin Rd and Due West in Madison also had gas at that time of the morning... $3.99 a gallon there.

My take on the whole thing? This whole kerfluffle was caused by a combination of a market disruption (hurricanes Gustav and Ike) and panic buying (yeah, it's gonna SNOW.. I mean, NO GAS!!! Get it while you can). To echo what some others have said, you can't pin the whole thing on panic buying... after all, the long lines seen at the isolated stations with gas are indicative of a lot of stations without gas. And I refuse to believe that stations would close down their pumps if they had plenty of gas... why close down your main revenue stream?

[TripleDigitRide]

cnn.com/prositutes/gascrisis

Wonder what kinda effect this will have

I don't know, but it's obviously hurting the drug dealers.

Accused Drug Dealer Adds Gas Tax, Police Say

18-Year-Old Faces 100 Years In Prison If Convicted

POSTED: 10:19 am EDT September 18, 2008

UPDATED: 10:30 am EDT September 18, 2008

PORTAGE, Ind. -- A man facing drug charges told a police informant that he's charging customers an extra $25 because high gas prices have boosted his delivery expenses, police said.

According to Porter County court records, 18-year-old Anthony Salinas, of Hammond, Ind., told a confidential source for the county's drug task force in June that with rising gas prices, he had to add the extra charge to the $215 he allegedly was charging for 7.2 grams of cocaine.

Police charged Salinas with two counts of dealing cocaine. If convicted, he could face up to 100 years in prison.

[Guest bang-flash]

Well I generally fill up when I get close to 1/2 tank. Keeps with me preps to leave and get far in a hurry.

This morning I set out early for work and find some gas. Drove by 12 stations that all bags on the pumps. Went by one more station that the day before, friday, had over 80-100 cars waiting to get gas. This morning at 4:30 am they were down to about 30 cars lined up. In disgust I headed to work but passed by a closed station that did not have bags on the pumps. Their 4 pumps were taped off but I tried anyways. And sure enough I got my gas without having to wait or be hurried.

Btw this station is across the street from several large fuel terminals on centennial blvd.

And also I get home and the station at the end of the street had a line of cars to get their gas. They had been out since monday or tuesday last week.

[dunndw]

Most of the stations in Donelson/Hermitae have fuel...and stupid long lines Saturday AM. I saw little old ladies trying to get 5 gal gas cans back into the backs of trucks...ppeople trying to cut line...backing up traffic in both lanes...stupidity

I've got between 1/2 and 1/4 of a tank in one car, the other has pretty much a full tank. If I find a station that isn't insaine I'll top up...if not I'll be OK until about Wednesday

[LazyAce]

I was thinking of heading home to the "Boro" in a couple of weeks. Maybe I`ll wait till later. Gas here in eastern Nebraska is running around $3.46 for Regular unleaded with no shortage. There was talk of a shortage but nothing ever came of it and the price is still going down. Good Luck

[Guest RISC777]

Watch the gas caps with no secure door or locking cap at night . . . Already talked to two people that had their tanks completely siphoned off/out last night. The insanity persists.

[Guest canynracer]

Hmmm Memphis is calm, and the prices dropped again...3.62

[Joseg]

http://www.bubbleply.com/player.aspx?pid=35c56117-9bea-4ada-9430-921542072a89

Nashville out of gas..

[Reservoir Dog]

http://www.bubbleply.com/player.aspx?pid=35c56117-9bea-4ada-9430-921542072a89

Nashville out of gas..

:lol::lol:

That's hilarious!

"Have Metro police attack Williamson County!"

:lol::lol: