Yes, that’s a real picture from Wedgefield, South Carolina. A viewer snapped it. With so many photoshop geniuses, with too much time on their hands, I thought for sure this was a hoax. One of our producers called the gas station this morning and confirmed it.Yesterday, we found ourselves in the midst of a full-scale gas-buying frenzy. A rumor started circulating early yesterday afternoon that gas would skyrocket by 5:00 to $5.00 a gallon. It was a whole 5 at 5 type thing. The basis for the rumor: Hurricane Ike would devastate oil rigs and the prices had to go up.
People lost their minds around here. This is a picture that I snapped in Summerville at a normally slow gas station. The station attendant came out and talked to me. He was amazed at the business they were getting as drivers rushed to area gas stations trying to beat the rumored price jump. He wanted to know if the rumors were true. According to AAA they are completely unfounded.You would think it was the end of civilization or a hurricane was barreling straight for Charleston. We didn’t have a gas-run like this last week when we thought Hanna was going to hit us head-on. I hadn’t seen anything like this since I was in Louisiana before Hurricane Rita in 2006.
Some gas stations apparently ran out of gas as folks flocked to the pumps. There were even reports of fistfights as tempers ran high and fuel ran low.
And yes, I admit, I gave in to the hype myself. I always operate on that old adage -- “better safe than sorry.” We know that the price of gas isn’t going to drop, so why not get gas – just in case. I went to my favorite secret cheap gas station and got a few gallons. I guess no one is immune to rumors and mass hysteria.
