Beyond Opinion

This weekend we had to get gasoline for both of our cars. We tried to get gas for our Corolla on Friday evening, 2004 July 30. The first place we went to was full to the hilt with people - four pumps, four cars. So we bypassed that and went to a Wawa on the route to our destination with about 20 pumps. All were being used! So we went to a 7-11 further up the road, and we finally got gasoline there. The next day I tried to get gasoline for our Plymouth minivan. I stopped at another Wawa and found all the pumps full. So I went on home and came to the first station that I was speaking of. Again loaded to the hilt. So I waited until today to get gasoline for the van. This time when I stopped at the nearby mart, there was room, but all of the regular 87-octane pumps were plasticbagged over. Apparently they had none. So I went to a 7-11, not the same as before, and was able to get it there. That is 5 stops out of 7 that we could not get gasoline.

Is there a gasoline shortage in the Richmond area that no one seems fit to talk about? If not, how else to expect the crowds at the pumps or the plasticking at one of the pumps? If there is such a gasoline shortage, we need to know. And are we hitting the point where this upcoming oil shortage will cause gasoline high prices and maybe shortages? The weird thing about the entire deal is that gasoline prices are actually falling , from $1.73 a gallon a little while ago to $1.69 now at the cheapest pumps.