People seem pretty sanguine in Pennsylvania. I filled up yesterday for $2.84 a gallon. Highest price I've seen anywhere is $2.99. I asked the attendant if he was seeing any supply shortages or customer panic, and he just laughed. It's unfortunate that so many people panic on rumors - they are creating a shortage that otherwise wouldn't have occurred. I don't know how you stop people from being stupid.
In the southeast there IS a real shortage. Should be better after the weekend but right now a lot of stations simply are out of gas.
This soooo nails this situation on the head. I just hope and pray the stupid are outnumbered; this could get real ugly fast if cooler heads don't prevail.
You've seen just a temporary glitch in your area. Prices are rising station by stsation depending on tanker delivery schedules. Highest volume stations getting one or more tanker-loads a day have raised their prices -- the ones getting one or two tanker loads a week have not. But they will. Look for $3.80 or so regular next few days.
I had driven down from Pennsylvania that morning and observed prices in the same area around 2.59 (I think I might have seen 2.44 but I don't quite remember exactly).
I drove until I saw a station still charging either 2.59 or 2.69 and bought enough gas to get home. AFTER I purchased the gas, I asked the attendant if he knew that other places were charging 2.99...he answered in the affirmative
I then stated that it must be the storm (I was referring to Katrina). His response: "The storm is bull$hit."
You can't. Unfortunately, there aren't enough voices out there in the mainstream that spout common sense.