Gas Supplies Run Out in North Carolina; Drivers Come to Blows

Greensboro, North Carolina -- For those of us old enough to recall the gas lines that occurred during the oil crisis of the 1970s, it was deja vu all over again. Driving through Charlotte, North Carolina, it was nearly impossible to find gas stations which still had a supply of gasoline, and those which did had lines of cars for several blocks, including a few cars that were completely out of gas.

I observed one line of cars at the one Exxon station still pumping gas that included three young men pushing their car towards the station as the line slowly crept forward. They had run completely out of gas while experiencing the 45 minute wait to get to the pumps.

Using the car radio in hopes of getting news of where gas might still be available, I heard a report of customers actually fighting at the gas pumps in response to one driver attempting to butt into the line of cars which had been waiting their respective turns. Police were called and the more aggressive driver, who attempted to butt in front, was arrested.

As increasingly more gas stations shut down from a lack of gasoline supplies, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley reported he was taking action to increase the gas supply to western North Carolina where the shortages are most apparent. Easley is having transport trucks move gasoline from eastern North Carolina near Wilmington to the larger cities in western North Carolina, including Charlotte and Asheville, where shortages are now devastating.

The people of eastern North Carolina are concerned that the move by Easley will only shift the problem to their doorstep.

In response to these concerns, Easley announced he is also seeking supplies from the border states of South Carolina and Tennessee, which seem to have adequate supplies.

There was no word when the refineries may be back on line to help provide relief for the southeastern states.