Industrialized Cyclist Notepad

The lines themselves only exacerbated the problem; reports in the local media provoked drivers to buy gasoline before stations ran out. Some spent what fuel they had searching for more and could be seen pushing vehicles toward relief.

“I just want to have it, because you don’t know how long this is going to last,” said Richard Bianchi, waiting in the half-mile line at the Sunoco in Union with a tank that was three-quarters full.

via Gasoline Runs Short, Adding Woes to Storm Recovery – NYTimes.com.

This is also what happened after Ike n’ Katrina Gustav in many areas of the South when the refineries went out. (2008 — As described in Cyclist’s Manifesto.) Scarcity of supply does not cause the people to get together, conserve and steward resources. In fact it causes just the opposite reaction. They go nuts, and try to acquire more fuel than they ever did before, faster than they ever did before. Petrol panic! Every man for himself!!

When the going gets tough, the tough do not get going.

Politicians could get pro-active by (1) telling the truth (2) encouraging conservation so those who most need fuel (those who perform critical tasks for the rest of us, for instance) will have it, and (3) instituting a temporary rationing program in advance of supply problems like this, which are easily predicted.

Ha! Can you imagine? No wonder Chris Christie looks like a deer in the headlights.