Speaking of the 70's and long gas lines....

[Rhondabee]

(boy, I can't wait to do Modern history next year!)

 

I was young, so my memories are vague. (As in, I remember thinking it would be cool if suddenly everybody had to have a horse to pull their cars - and then we could all live like the Ingle's in Little House On the Prairie - LOL!!!)

 

So...why is it that even though gas prices have spiked, we aren't seeing the really long lines now? (Sorry to be so dense!)

 

Thanks,

Rhonda

[Jeannie in NJ]

I was living in LA, calif during the 70's and well remember the long lines. here were some of the reasons\

 

gas stations were only allowed to be open certain hours, for ex. 10:00 am to maybe 3:oo pm or maybe even as early as 2:00 pm and not weekends (people would actually have to take time off from work to go wait in line)

 

people could only get gas on certain days (either odd or even based on the last digit in their license plate

 

you could only fill up if you had less than 1/2 a tank which was a problem if it was not "your" day to get gas and a weekend was coming up and you wanted to say drive to San Diego

 

I remember lots of fistfights when cars would cut in line, but I also remember some gas stations would send employees down the lines handing out free coffee

 

also since some of the gas stations were in residential areas, homeowners would often or usually get their driveways blocked by the cars waiting in line so that would lead to some shouting and fighting, it was not a pleasant time

[Sara R]

I think it's because they put in price controls in the 70s. Price controls lead to shortages, because the comparatively low price leads people to use more than they otherwise would.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

The only thing I remember is my Dad being so upset that gas was 72 cents a gallon when it used to be 50 something cents.

[Vida Winter]

Because the prices of gas didn't really go up that much in the 70's. Maybe they went up from 87 cents a gallon to $1.95 a gallon (I am estimating - it's been a long time). Then prices started to come back down when the situation eased up a little. Since the prices were still fairly low, the demand was high, and we waited in line. I think in Florida we did odd-even days and I do remember looooong lines. I am not sure why the price stayed low but it may have been due to government intervention (price fixing), something I am completely against. Let the free market determine price.

 

These days, people are sincerely trying to cut back their driving. So, no need for lines when the demand for gas has gone down somewhat. At least in my part of the country that is the case.

[Nicole M]

I vaguely remember long gas lines as a child, too.

 

And, in fact, we are seeing very long lines here at Costco, which has the cheapest gas in the city. (But no fistfights, so far!)

[MJN]

is that Walmart opened up a new gas station. Everybody is flocking to it like flies on butter. I'm going there on Thursday morning for a doctor's visit and you can believe I'm filling up. :-) The crazy thing is that the town I actually live in has been at $3.99 for a few weeks now. Funny how we think $3.69 is a "deal" now, isn't it? ;)

[Adrianne]

I found this on wikipedia:

 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis

 

I found this article interesting too:

 

http://useconomy.about.com/b/2008/03/04/with-oil-prices-at-1970s-levels-where-are-the-gas-lines.htm

[JFSinIL]

I worked at a donut shop and we were allowed to park our cars at the pumps of the closed gas station in the same small shopping center - a moment before the station opened, we'd run out and get ready to gas our cars. There would be a line of cars behind us by then! We gave the station owner free donuts and coffee for the right to do this.

[Rhondabee]

Though it is rather maddening to think that since we are *still* so dependent on OPEC, the same thing could happen any day.

 

:001_smile:

Rhonda

[LMA]

I remember the gas lines clearly. Those memories are the reason that I do not really complain about the price of gas now. At least, we don't have to stand in lines for hours to fill our tanks.

[Retired]

on the Gulf Coast after Katrina, there were no gas stations open for about a week.

I remember when the radio announce the first gas station opening. The line was so long. This lasted a couple of weeks. I couldn't image a whole nation waiting in line for gas.

[GSMP]

That was when the slug lines came into existence here in Northern VA.....

 

Definition of a slug line....sanctioned hitch hiking.

 

I got excited because I found gas this morning at $3.89...!!!

 

I remember the 70's.....wow...I am really getting old.:D

[LisaNY]

I found this on wikipedia:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis

 

I found this article interesting too:

 

http://useconomy.about.com/b/2008/03/04/with-oil-prices-at-1970s-levels-where-are-the-gas-lines.htm

 

Wow! I didn't know the history of that situation. I remember my mom going for gas in the morning and not getting back for a couple of hours.

 

I didn't know that President Nixon took such a risk. He may have done some bad things, but I have a whole new respect for him because of what he did for Israel.

[Diana in OR]

That's an interesting observation b/c I have noticed that in the past few months the lines at the gas stations are longer. They are not as long as in the 70s, but when I'm going to stop for gas, I need to plan an extra 10-15 minutes just in case. Dh thinks it's b/c people are filling up more frequently.

[brehon]

I think one of the biggest differences between today and the 70's is the difference between supply and demand. In the 70's, OPEC cut supplies to the US because of our support of Israel in the 1967(?) war. High demand, low supply. Today there is still high demand, but from more of the world (think especially India and China), but there is not the same intentional drop in supply, all the angry rhetoric from Venezuala and Iran not withstanding. Many of the OPEC countries, especially Saudia Arabia, have not really invested much of the money in upgrading their drilling equipment.