I said it...
And you know I said it...
Right in a post I wrote (Gas... How High Will It Go? Part II) on August 26, 2005, a mere five days ago.
I knew this was going to happen...
But I didn't know it would happen so fast. I know it has sent somebody's weave spinning...
Gas Prices in Atlanta shot up.
This morning, a gallon of regular unleaded gas cost $2.59. When I left work today, the price of regular unleaded gas went from $2.59/gallon in my neighborhood to $3.99/gallon.
Why did this happen?? It was reported on the evening news that the two companies that supply gas to Atlanta, Plantation Pipelines and Colonial Pipelines, are not operational. These companies' refineries are down due to the power outages in the state of Mississippi.
A rumor about this phenomenon was going around today. E-mails were sent out. Phone calls were made. The word spread. Panic broke out.
It was if someone had lit a match and threw it into a dry forest.
My friend Lady Tee called and said that her boss made her leave her job early this morning and go fill her car tank with gas. I kind of just blew it off. Ignored it completely.
As a result of pipeline difficulties, the price of gas shot up anywhere by as much as $0.70 to $1.40 per gallon of regular unleaded gas. News Radio 750 AM reported that there was a gas station in Deklab county (Decatur, GA) that even went so far as to charge $4.59/gallon for regular unleaded gas. (Some fool on my street is charging $5.99/gallon for premium unleaded gas. I didn't need any gas, but I wanted to go into that mini-mart and give that idiot a piece of my mind...but thankfully, I decided against it...)
So Georgia's governor, Sonny Perdue, did the right thing: he signed an executive order today to activate a price gouging law. In other words, he declared a state of emergency, thereby freezing gas prices at the current price, which on the Atlanta's southside looks to be about $3.99/gallon for regular unleaded gas.
Shocking. I would have never thought I actually would see the price of gas jump that high... that fast!
One gas station near me (the BP on the corner of Old National Highway and Flat Shoals Road in College Park) did the right thing. They only increased the price of regular unleaded gas to $2.79/gallon. As you can imagine, everybody and their mama was lined up at that station. The gas station directly across the street from that station was charging $3.99/gallon. That gas station's parking lot and pumps? You guessed it? VACANT!!
I found a good website for Atlanta gas prices (www.atlantagasprices.com/). Check it out if you live in Atlanta.
Me? I'm a little perturbed that some of the gas station owners would take advantage of a desperate situation.
But at the same time, I can't complain too much.
...I'm thankful that I have a car to put gas in.
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Very true that you have to find your blessing in all of this madness. True, I'm blessed to have a car to put gas in. I'm also blessed that I can actually sacrifice driving. And that's what I'm doing. I did go and put gas in the car yesterday since prices were on the rise. And I have to use Premium (tried a lower grade before and my engine knocked). But in the meantime, it's sitting in the garage and I don't drive unless I absolutely have to.
ReplyDeleteIf you are ever on Tara, don't be surprised to see me on my bike and Chayse on her "trike" furiously pedalling trying to make it up the hill to the Park and Ride. Hell, we need to exercise anyway...she pinched my stomach the other day and said "pat, pat" thanks to her dad.
ReplyDeleteCherlyn..
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by so often! I really appreciate it!!!
It's rare to see people sacrifice driving. People look at me like I'm crazy when I say that I make it a point to live within walking distance of a MARTA busline or within driving distance of a MARTA train station. I want to drive because I choose to drive, not because I have to. And if something bizarre happens, like this supposed gas shortage, I won't have to be in such a panic.
anonymous (Ol' Mean Ass Cynthia)...
Hey, don't you have Baby Chayse out there peddling a trike! She's already beginning to take after you,i.e., she's already getting real mean (LOL!) No one needs that much exercise. But seriously, Tara Boulevard is a jacked up road!! I'm glad you can park and ride at the Park and Ride. Especially since we get free tokens/cards at work. I bet it was taking you an hour to get to work when you drove straight in, hunh? It's nice to save on gas, ain't it??
Ladylee
Ladylee, I asked my mom this question Saturday. We live in Houston by the way. I said, " Mom can it keep going up and up like this? " She said, " Shoot with Bush in there, yeah. " Enough said. I don't think anything will be done until the car dealerships start losing money. If they don't think this will effect people with buying cars they are in for a rude awakening. Three out of five people I see now are on bicycles and more taking cabs and public transportation. It will probably be the big dogs like the car people that will be able to stop this cheating of yanking up gas. Why? Because they aren't about to lose millions just because people aren't buying cars due to gas prices.
ReplyDelete