Recollections of Gasoline "Rationing"
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Kestas
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I remember back then that the government was seriously considering rationing to the point that they had printed gas rationing coupons ready for distribution. Thankfully that never happened.
We had gasless Sundays, with the exception that 10% of the stations could remain open. We wondered how that would affect our family with regard to the fact that we often traveled to Chicago on weekends, and whether a tank of gas will take us home. But it turned out that wasn't a serious concern.
The gas shortage and prices were a pain back then because nearly everybody drove big V8 RWD vehicles. The cars in our fleet got only 12-14 mpg. Except for Pinto and Vega, there were few choices of economical vehicles back then. Naturally, the gas shortages were a kick-start to manufacturing econoboxes, which started showing up in the late 70s.
We had gasless Sundays, with the exception that 10% of the stations could remain open. We wondered how that would affect our family with regard to the fact that we often traveled to Chicago on weekends, and whether a tank of gas will take us home. But it turned out that wasn't a serious concern.
The gas shortage and prices were a pain back then because nearly everybody drove big V8 RWD vehicles. The cars in our fleet got only 12-14 mpg. Except for Pinto and Vega, there were few choices of economical vehicles back then. Naturally, the gas shortages were a kick-start to manufacturing econoboxes, which started showing up in the late 70s.
There are plenty of gas rationing coupons and $ scrip in cold storage somewhere. But if Katrina is any indication they'll probably use EBT cards.
Nothing creates extra worthless consumption like idling in line waiting for fuel.
If I had to institute a ration plan I'd allow a provision for expensive emergency fuel with another dollar/gallon tax or something so people weren't displaced broken down on the side of the road. There's less common sense now than 30 years ago so you know it'll happen.
I sat in a gas line during Katrina in an unregistered, uninsured car from my fix-up stable when a local station owner somehow couldn't go over $2.609. The mood was somewhat jovial actually, a nice old school full serve station with a teenager pumping. Everyone else was $2.90 and going up 20-30 cents a day. Owner figured it out the next day, $3.609 and no line.
Nothing creates extra worthless consumption like idling in line waiting for fuel.
If I had to institute a ration plan I'd allow a provision for expensive emergency fuel with another dollar/gallon tax or something so people weren't displaced broken down on the side of the road. There's less common sense now than 30 years ago so you know it'll happen.
I sat in a gas line during Katrina in an unregistered, uninsured car from my fix-up stable when a local station owner somehow couldn't go over $2.609. The mood was somewhat jovial actually, a nice old school full serve station with a teenager pumping. Everyone else was $2.90 and going up 20-30 cents a day. Owner figured it out the next day, $3.609 and no line.
They won't do that now if any major elections are near.
As a side note, as a kid I found some stamps in a little booklet in a crack in a sidewalk.
They were sugar rationing stamps from WWII, and this was almost 20 years later!
As a side note, as a kid I found some stamps in a little booklet in a crack in a sidewalk.
They were sugar rationing stamps from WWII, and this was almost 20 years later!
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For the first crisis, I wasn't driving yet. Friends of mine sat in lines, I recall them telling me, but I had another who worked at a gas station, and he never seemed to be without fuel.
In 1979 I was working a night shift and got off work at 9 am, after most people were already at work. So the lines for me were minimal.
The shock to me was seeing the stuff race up from the 55 cents a gallon it had been in 1976 to over a dollar -- and remembering my father gassing up at stations in the mid- to late 60s with signs reading 25 cents a gallon.
In 1979 I was working a night shift and got off work at 9 am, after most people were already at work. So the lines for me were minimal.
The shock to me was seeing the stuff race up from the 55 cents a gallon it had been in 1976 to over a dollar -- and remembering my father gassing up at stations in the mid- to late 60s with signs reading 25 cents a gallon.
In 87/88, they announced rationing on afternoon at around 3PM.
Wasn't listening to the radio, just saw cars pile into the driveway, in through exits, bumping into each other etc.
Wasn't until a bloke told me that he was lucky that my station hadn't started rationing that we worked out what was going on.
Max $5.00, which was about 10 litres back then.
Was funny to watch people creep up to their $5 limit, then put in an extra couple of cents...Women were attrocious. They'd sneak up to $5, look away from the pump, then squeeze the handle for as long as they could before I shut their pump down.
Wasn't listening to the radio, just saw cars pile into the driveway, in through exits, bumping into each other etc.
Wasn't until a bloke told me that he was lucky that my station hadn't started rationing that we worked out what was going on.
Max $5.00, which was about 10 litres back then.
Was funny to watch people creep up to their $5 limit, then put in an extra couple of cents...Women were attrocious. They'd sneak up to $5, look away from the pump, then squeeze the handle for as long as they could before I shut their pump down.
I was driving a 66 bug when the 1st one hit in 74. My bride and I set out to Ormand Beach FL with a full tank, a 5 gallon can, and 5 one gallon milk jugs. I toppped off the tank in Hartford, and then the can in Jersey. We gassed up in MD, including the can, and drove to GA. On the way home, we used the can. It gave the bug a range of about 475 miles.
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
I remember it all too well. I drove a Mercury station wagon with a 390 ci V-8. Seems like I was in line daily.
Boy I hear you. I had an older model Oldsmobile with the 394 (I think) high compression engine. In Southern Ca. we did the odd/even thing - and you couldn't get gas if you had 1/2 of a tank or more. I remember waiting in line for more than 2 hours praying I didn't run out of gas before I got to the pump OR that they didn't close the station before I got there. That happened quite a lot. I think this was 1978 or 1979.
The odd/even didn't apply if you were more than 100 miles from home.
I was friends with a guy who owned a car wash/gas station at my end of town. The first week or so he checked everyone's plate for odd/even. The next week he told me that he was basically going on an "honor system". He said he wasn't making much money as it was, and couldn't afford to hire 2 - 3 more people everyday just to check license plates.
I remember it all too well. I drove a Mercury station wagon with a 390 ci V-8. Seems like I was in line daily.
Boy I hear you. I had an older model Oldsmobile with the 394 (I think) high compression engine. In Southern Ca. we did the odd/even thing - and you couldn't get gas if you had 1/2 of a tank or more. I remember waiting in line for more than 2 hours praying I didn't run out of gas before I got to the pump OR that they didn't close the station before I got there. That happened quite a lot. I think this was 1978 or 1979.
The odd/even didn't apply if you were more than 100 miles from home.
I was friends with a guy who owned a car wash/gas station at my end of town. The first week or so he checked everyone's plate for odd/even. The next week he told me that he was basically going on an "honor system". He said he wasn't making much money as it was, and couldn't afford to hire 2 - 3 more people everyday just to check license plates.
I was too young to remember the 1974 embargo too well( I was only three) but I definitely remember 1979. No gas signs at a few stations. You were limited as to how many gallons you could buy and it depended if it was an even/odd day. Honestly, even though I have a V8 truck, I could live with a rationing system today.Maybe that would cut down on all the kids joyriding around town with nowhere specifically to go. We waste far too much gas everyday in this country.
Yep, I remember those. I worked at a service station (not a gas station... there's a difference) from '73 to '81. The first crisis was in '74 and the second was in '79.
I would have liked to see a political cartoon where Detroit is sleeping and the (digital) alarm clock shows "1974", goes off, Detroit hits the snooz button, then the alarm clock shows "1979" goes off, and Detroit hits the snooz button again, but I digress.
I remember starting the day and as we started our opening-the station-chores, a line started forming. By the time we switched the pumps on, the line was quite long. I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach "another long day" hopefully not too many cranky customers.
At the end of the day, we use to tape a "LAST CUSTOMER" sign on the back of the last car in line to shut things down. You'd ask the customer if you could put the sign on the back of their car, no one ever refused (of course). Anyway, the "last customer" would often get to the pumps, and surprize, surprize, he wasn't the "LAST CUSTOMER" anymore. The sign had migrated back a few cars. We never fussed about it. It was just part of the game.
On the positive side, working at a service station had it's perks, I never had a gas shortage...
I would have liked to see a political cartoon where Detroit is sleeping and the (digital) alarm clock shows "1974", goes off, Detroit hits the snooz button, then the alarm clock shows "1979" goes off, and Detroit hits the snooz button again, but I digress.
I remember starting the day and as we started our opening-the station-chores, a line started forming. By the time we switched the pumps on, the line was quite long. I remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach "another long day" hopefully not too many cranky customers.
At the end of the day, we use to tape a "LAST CUSTOMER" sign on the back of the last car in line to shut things down. You'd ask the customer if you could put the sign on the back of their car, no one ever refused (of course). Anyway, the "last customer" would often get to the pumps, and surprize, surprize, he wasn't the "LAST CUSTOMER" anymore. The sign had migrated back a few cars. We never fussed about it. It was just part of the game.
On the positive side, working at a service station had it's perks, I never had a gas shortage...
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Remember them well. I also remember hearing about guys swapping plates between their cars, so they always had an odd or even plate, whichever was needed.
The biggest thing I remember was about the '73 embargo - gas prices doubled and tripled in a month or so, it seemed. I'd just purchased a Mach 1 Mustang gas hog and the future Mrs. RWEST's family had just moved 45 miles away (she was only 1/2 mile away before that!!!). Boy, did I spend some money that year, till they moved back home again...
The biggest thing I remember was about the '73 embargo - gas prices doubled and tripled in a month or so, it seemed. I'd just purchased a Mach 1 Mustang gas hog and the future Mrs. RWEST's family had just moved 45 miles away (she was only 1/2 mile away before that!!!). Boy, did I spend some money that year, till they moved back home again...
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The price wasn't the issue during the embargo. It was availability. Within a year the price was invisible. In (iirc) 1974 the minimum wage was $1.85+/- and gas was (in the rough) $0.60+/- gallon. Typical wage was $3.50+/- and gainful employment was $5. Now it's $2.75-$3.00 and minimum wage is about $7.25+/-. Not that far off the profile.
Kestas
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I remember back in the early 80s when I was working as a junior engineer, paying $1.25 a gallon. This was also a time when my car was getting half the gas mileage that I get now, and my salary was one-third what junior engineers get now. If you do the math, that comes out to today's equivalent of $7.50 per gallon. I remember a good part of my spending budget back then went to gasoline, to keep up with my active social lifestyle.
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