I heard is it's panic buying that's causing the shortages, not lack of fuel. I hope that's true.

Someone in my town posted on Facebook last night that Walmart was totally out of gas because of the panic buying. I decided to get gas at 1:00 am last night when I got off from work to avoid long lines or gas being gone. I filled up at a Shell near where I work that is open 24 hours.

There was a news report also that one station is limiting everyone to $30 of gas and you have to go inside to prepay. I don't blame them, if people are going to act stupid...

The news reported long lines at some stations here yesterday afternoon (Costco was one line shown), but I bought gas yesterday morning (I needed it) on the way into town. No problem and only one other car there. However GA, NC and a few other east coast states were reporting gas shortages. Mostly due to people panic buying. Things are supposed to resume production and be up and running again by Friday.

Hackers are gonna hack, especially lower-tech industries/businesses and those who provide a large-scale product (petroleum, electricity, power, etc) to our population. We generally don’t hear about it because things are stopped before getting to the point they did with the Colonial Pipeline.

Not certain how it would work but one news article this morning mentioned by passing the bottleneck by diverting gas from other places around the problem areas. Would not help some because the flow is computer directed which is what caused the initial problem.

I had planned on going to a plant nursery in Minnesota this morning until my mind said no. First thing I was going to do was to top off my tank last night. Something I try to do because traditionally gas has been much higher in Iowa and I wanted as much gas as possible in my tank. While the driver above may be taking precautions against a shortage there are other reasons that someone does not wait until their tank is empty before filling.

I am still subscribed to Beau of the Fifth Column although I seldom look at the videos. Yesterday one about the shortages caught my eye. It explains some of what the federal government is doing to lessen the problem. Link: Let's talk about pipeline and supply chain concerns.... - YouTube

Krystalmoon, Just want to say thanks a ton for your DH's hard work!! :-)

krystalmoon.....I like your take on things. Very logical. Thanks for speaking up.

No panic here in Colorado. No price hikes or lines.

gas prices almost always are higher on the interstate highways ... which is why the illusion of higher gas prices to the sojourner

bragu if that was directed toward me Iowa does have higher gas prices as do other states because the taxes are higher. Then there is the thing that most of my trip would be through small rural towns where the gas is often higher because of the transportation costs to fill the station's tanks. It all depends on where a person is traveling as to what costs they find. Sometimes interstates or major highways are cheaper than the gas station where the nearest station is twenty miles away. I wish Harvey's nursery was closer to a highway.

I'm reading about the hack the last few days, but haven't noticed anything taking place here as far as lines or shortages on this coast. We do try to keep both vehicles full at all times to be prepared for any emergency with Mom. If you see one of us topping off a tank, it's for that same reason the last several years. Enough on hand to get there 135 miles is not good enough for me. If I've done something for her and I'm tired, I want to be able to drive home without stopping.

Gas in this state has been about $3.50. It hasn't changed that I've seen. 'Reservation' gas at stations owned by native americans is running about $3.29 and is typically where we fill up, station directly down the hill from us where DH will often top off both his truck and my car so I never have to think about it.

maifleur, were you going to a peony nursery? I remember you've mentioned them in the past.

Here in Atlanta, several stations are closed. The station we went to this AM, limits the amount to $15.00 worth. The price was $2.95 a gallon. As usual, the media had a hand in causing panic.

Nickel I was going to Hidden Springs nursery just outside of Spring Grove Minnesota. Harvey and I have known each other about 20 years now. Earlier this year he did some cuttings from a blood orange. He saved me one although it was damaged when a problem with the greenhouse developed. I was to go up last weekend then I realized it was Mother's Day a major plant sales day. I decided last night to wait. Highway access is either I35 then cut across country or cut across Missouri to one of the highways along the Mississippi river then west on bluff roads. In the past I did the I35 and spent a night somewhere when returning via backroads. Not something I am comfortable doing this year. Link to his nursery: Peonies for your home garden from Hidden Springs Peony Farm (hiddenspringsflowerfarm.com)

Yesterday just about every gas station in Charlottesville was reportedly out of gas. Today at noon I drove past three, two were closed and out of gas, one had a 1/4 mile long line stretching down the street.

Of the 5 vehicles here, two are nearly empty. And all of the 5 gallon gas cans and most of the smaller ones for the equipment are empty. And I've got mowing to do.

Hey bob, take a few days off. Enjoy yourself, you can always work another day.

thanks Maifleur his site looks exceptional -- really lovely plants. I wonder if I can convince DD she needs a peony border at her house (mine is full) ....

I hope you can make your expedition at some point soon. Shopping for plants beats shopping for just about any other item I can think of.

I have a gigantic problem!

I took my child to the East Tennessee/North Carolina border, and they met friends so they could go camping on the coast of North Carolina. I have a full tank of gas and I can get all the way to pick them up, and most of the way back. I found enough containers and filled them so that I can make it all the way back (just enough for the trip). But they can't get to me at the border. They're almost out of gas, and cannot find a gas station to fill their tank. 😡

I live in Middle Tennessee, not even on the East Coast, and the below is what I saw today. Visited three other gas stations and they were all fine.

Our grocery store here had every item on the shelf that could possibly get on the shelves, you might wonder if they're worried about interruption to supply.

Rob333, I'm pretty sure Tennessee is one of the states that is affected by the pipeline issue. I looked at the map, wondering if KY was and it goes completely around us, to I think, W. VA and VA and then south of us, including TN. Unfortunately it has affected other states because people are being irrational and hoarding.

bob, that's the first thing I thought of when I saw on the news tonight about lines at the gas stations and stations out of gas! My mower tank is 3/4 full and I still have some in the gas can, not a whole lot tho, plus I mowed all the property today. It won't need mowing for four days or so - I hope.

But then didn't I hear that the pipe line is opening back up?

Did my best to only take exactly what I needed! Only to get my child home. Before they run out of money.

It's the hoarding people that really piss me off. They have enough to get around town till everything gets back to normal, but are filling up 5 gallon containers for no good reason. It's going to get back to normal quickly.

If they could just get enough gas to get home. Oy!

"It's the hoarding people that really piss me off."

You have every right to feel that way.

It's the same thing that was going on a year ago with other goods. I wonder how many of the selfish hoarders have yet to work down the excessive stocks they bought up of various things that made other people scramble and have to do without..

From several news sites the gas has started flowing again. Not certain how soon it will arrive in your areas morz and robb but things should be better tomorrow.

Krystalmoon my SO has been a truck driver for over 20 years. He has run jet fuel, gas, diesel,chemicals, molten sulphur and asphalt among other things. He is not a rookie. He is a owner operator and the loads are paying less. And less. And less. In my job I have met thousands of truck drivers over the years,both OO and company drivers and over the last few years many thay have been in the game for decades are leaving because of the money. No other reason. The money is not worth the work. And as I said, its a lot of work and long days.Thats where my comment came from.

So did we pay the ransom demand? Last I read we offered $100,000.

Heard this morning that the pipeline is slowly pumping again but will take a few/several days to get back to near normal, not sure if a ransom was paid? I recall back during the gas crisis of the 70's some states were restricting gas to cars via their odd/even license plate number and/or limiting gas purchases to 10 gallons max. This may be too short lived to implement limits like that, and some of today's plates are personalized with just letters.

I heard on the radio this morning that $5 million was paid in ransom. If that is true..... :(

"It's the hoarding people that really piss me off."

I'm worried I'll be perceived as one of those hoarding jerks. When I go to get gas for the farm, I will bring 5 five gallon cans and 2 or 3 two gallon ones. It certainly looks like hoarding, but during the mowing season, that is about a weeks worth of gas for the farm vehicles. Conversely for my car, since I work from home, and don't often go anywhere, I usually go a month or two between fill-ups.

We'll be demonstrating at your driveway entrance when you return from the gas station with those jerry cans.

That's a lot of gas to haul every week. What a drag.

People here in FL have been overbuying too - and we don't even get our gas from that pipeline! It comes in on ships. People can be so dumb.

And I think another issue is a lot of people don't pay any attention to news at all. I heard some clips yesterday of folks in line at gas stations and one said she was traveling from CA and had no idea what was going on, but had been to 10 stations looking for gas before they found some. Another lady said she saw people lining up and thought she'd better get in line too.

And yes, things should be back to normal in a few days and it's only affecting the South East USA.

Just got back from the local BP station (to buy ice cream - they carry Breyers), and no lines, no panic. Attendant inside says there was never any of that at this station. Also that the situation should return to normal by tomorrow. So he says.

Rob, how are the kids doing. I read that lines for gas in NC are slightly improved today Thursday. My niece is there, in Raleigh/Durham but I haven't talked to her.

morz, thanks for asking.

One of the four is back home. The other three didn't get gas today, but hope for it tomorrow, and anticipate leaving no later than Saturday. 🤞

UPDATE: they have gas. Now if I can just get the kiddo back here without incident, I'll be 110% relieved. I still have to get the four and half gallons into my tank in East Tennessee, and back to Middle Tennessee with the extra gallon unused, perfection.

suppose the gov't spotted the company five mil covertly, and then announced no masks as a diversion?

Translation please.

I agree with Elmer. What does that mean Bragu?

> That's a lot of gas to haul every week. What a drag.

It is. I've been looking into getting an above ground tank and pump for farm use. But new ones cost a couple thousand dollars.

bob, I hope you're able to buy untaxed gas for off-road use. You certainly would be able to with your own tank.

^ or some cows? sheep? goats? all of which come with their own problems and expenses, of course!

No shortages here, of course, but prices are starting to creep up (as they always do at this time of year, in advance of Memorial Day and the "summer driving season"). Should see a 25-45 cent jump (at least) pretty soon.

> bob, I hope you're able to buy untaxed gas for off-road use. You certainly would be able to with your own tank.

I haven't looked into that. If it is possible, that could produce savings equal to the cost of the new tank. I know it is possible to get "off-road" diesel, I don't know about that for gasoline. A friend's son runs one of the local petroleum companies, that seems a good person to ask.

Do check with the person you mentioned. My experience with this was a few decades ago with fuel bought for the boat I owned at the time. Gas docks in marinas sold untaxed fuel (untaxed meaning with no road taxes added) and the rules may have changed since then. The fuel was for sure untaxed (a sign saying "For Offroad Use Only" was on the pumps) and if I remember correctly, the fuel was dyed red. I think the federal rules can be different from state rules.

And, I also remember seeing untaxed fuel pumps at industrial, truck stop type places back in early prehistoric days when diesel fuel was hard to find and the Mercedes diesel I drove required me to go such places. I didn't buy the untaxed fuel but there were a couple of pumps for it off to the side.

Bob I do not know/remember where you are located but if you have a farmer's COOP or Farmland Industries facility in your area check with them. You may have to become a member and it may not offset the taxes you pay. In some farming communities there may be a stand alone pump often by itself for farmers to use.

I return victorious! I took the 5 large gas cans with me, and went to a rural gas station that I had heard still had gas. The was only one other vehicle in line (as opposed to the 1/4 mile long lines I had seen elsewhere on previous days.) I managed to fill all the cans, and the truck (which was at 3/8ths full).

The station operator said many place in town were prohibiting filling gas cans at all.

I returned to the farm feeling like the cave man returning from the hunt, striding back into the cave, dragging a dinosaur to the feed the whole clan, receiving a roar of acclaim. Though in this case I didn't have a dinosaur, I have the distilled juices of many long dead, buried and decayed dinosaurs.

Glad to hear you got gas in TN! We always have 4 gas cans of ethanol free gas for lawn tractors, mowers and bikes, we have about 6+ aces to mow between the properties we own every week. Did you get ethanol free gas by any chance? Small engines don’t like ethanol though. We have no gas shortage here, but chlorine is sold out everywhere. Hopefully all the gas stations down south will be back to normal next week.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

Totally made it. Totally glad I took fuel with me. Didn't take theirs in their cities, and didn't worry about making it back. Pretty sure it was all back to normal, but didn't bother to find out.

If farm-use gas is taxed at a lower rate in your area, bob, I surprised that you hadn't heard of it on the farmers' grapevine.

It has been here in Ontario, north across Lake Erie from Ohio, for at least a generation. When I was a farm kid replacing the hired man who'd gone to World War II, woe betide you if you were caught with purple (strictly farm-use) gas in your car on the highway.

ole joyfuelled ... joyful cause substantial contributions to church, charities and political meant low to no income tax, this year - larger than usual contributions to charities, as demand for their services have increased but fundraising opportunities much reduced due to covid

Is farm-use gas ethanol free?

Speaking of blockages of petroleum pipelines ... a pipeline that brings petroleum from the west to serve about half of the needs of Ontario and much of Quebec, as well as substantial areas of several U. S. states, which crosses the lake junction between Michigan and Huron at Mackinac was ordered shut down by the governor of Michigan as of last Wednesday, due to worries about a leakage causing major pollutants through several lakes.

The pipeline hasn't been shut down and the matter is now in litigation.

ole joyful ... who runs his car on gas and heats his house (to lower than usual temperatures) with furnace oil

"If farm-use gas is taxed at a lower rate in your area, bob, I surprised that you hadn't heard of it on the farmers' grapevine. It has been here in Ontario, north across Lake Erie from Ohio, for at least a generation."

In the US, the federal fuel tax is thought of as a road tax and so it doesn't apply to off road use such as for boats or commercial construction type vehicles. When taxed fuel is purchased, a refund can be obtained for exempt uses. However the mechanism works in Canada would be even more important since the taxes on fuel there are quite a bit higher than in the US.

Is it because of the higher amount of taxes that accounts for why gasoline seems to be more expensive in Canada than in much of the US? And also why Canadians historically would buy gas when crossing the border for other reasons ()including lower cost shopping)?

By the way, "furnace oil", heating oil, various other names in most places is the same substance as diesel fuel so presumably that's a similar off-road use not subject to road tax. That would be cheaper, although presumably subject to the higher than US rates of the Canadian equivalent of sales tax.