Gas Shortage in Atlanta, Georgia

The following CNN.com report is over a week old and the gas shortage in the Atlanta, Georgia area has gotten worse! Last week, I did notice that in many gas stations, only one or two grades of gas were available. In the last two days, very few gas stations in the area where I live (in DeKalb County, just east of downtown Atlanta) have any gasoline at all. And the few that do will have long lines where you'll have to wait over 30 minutes before you can get to a pump.

On Sunday evening, I ventured out to fill my wife's car. My first stop was a QuickTrip that had a line wrapped around the building, by some estimates, it was at least an hour wait for gasoline. After driving around for 30 minutes I found a long line at a Shell station. I had to wait over 20 minutes in line and the only gas available was premium grade at $4.4999 per gallon.

This morning, I took my car out to get gas and the Shell station was out. After driving around for 45 minutes, I found a BP station with gas. A 30 minute wait and the only gas available was premium grade at $4.499 per gallon. It cost over $150 to fill both cars' tanks.

The following CNN iReporter called the governor's office about the gasoline shortage in Georgia:

The following CNN iReporter drove around for hours trying to find gas in the north Atlanta suburbs:

Read the CNN.com article from last week about the gasoline shortage in Atlanta here.

plez sez: woe is me! i wasn't driving during the gasoline shortage of the mid-70's, but remember riding around with my father trying to get gas for the family's Cadillac. it was frustrating with all the gas rations and stuff.

i would like to know when the problem (whatever the problem is) will be solved. i've heard that the refineries were damaged by hurricanes gustav and ike. i've heard the gas pipeline that runs through georgia was damaged by the hurricanes. i've heard the "shortage" really isn't a shortage, but just rationing in certain states. i've heard that the special gas that we use in georgia is in short supply, thus causing the shortage. and a week ago, i heard the issue would be resolved in a week!

i'm concerned for the public safety: the longer this goes on, the increased likelihood that someone is going to get hurt because of (a) traffic problems around gas stations, (b) high costs causing some to try illegal means of obtaining gasoline, or (c) random violence fueled by the long lines and frustration of trying to find a station that has gasoline for sale. today, a discourteous driver cut me off as i tried to make my way to the pump. instead of escalating the situation, i calmly moved to another pump... but everyone isn't as cool and clear headed as plezWorld!

we can only hope that this shortage clears up in the coming days.