Even/Odd plate numbers would determine which days your family could buy gas.. at least in Massachusetts not sure about everywhere else at the time.
My dad was driving into Boston at the time from the “suburbs” and my oldest brother was in High School at the time had a car so they would have to switch cars, a lot, and my brother would have to take the bus sometimes when there wasn't enough gas to get Dad to work.
I learned to “drive” from having to steer an out of gas car being pushed along in the gas lines back then, my brother learned to always try to fill his tank, so we could siphon out, so Dad could get to work and back home....
While those lines of people in our small town (13k or less) were fairly pleasant, I do remember at there were times that were not...God Help Us if we don't remember what got us there in the first place