filling up w/gas = hoarding?

[queenlives]

folks,

on the rita thread in this forum there was a brief exchange wrt filling up w/gas being viewed as hoarding... (here's the snippet) what say you?

***

Yes hoard as much gas as you can people, this will keep prices nice and low.

Personally I won't be hoarding.

boy, isn't this a dilemma... don't fill up your vehicles at today's availability and prices so that other (theoretically) more needy people will have gas available

OR

fill up your vehicles (suv, gs400, nsx, 75gal motorhome and 75 gal boat for me...) and *hope* that the availability will remain and prices will be at their current or lower prices.
***

 

[dave22]

I'll continue to buy gas as I need it. It won't break me if the prices spike. Then again, I don't have anything that holds 75 gallons of fuel

 

[VBNSX]

I hate to sound selfish but honestly. Look at the gas stations. How many people do you think are at those pumps thinking...

"Gee... i'll do what I always do and not hoard gas so that others may have some."

tanks are full... even some spare cans.

x

 

[nsxtra]

just came back from the gas station where lines are long from the influx of evacs, lets face it gas will go up whether people fill or not since production is halted. Of course hoarding doesn't help, but its not the main reason.

 

[NsXMas]

I just siphon gas from those who hoard.

 

[ss_md]

I just siphon gas from those who hoard.

LMAO - Too funny ! :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[NSX-Stalker]

The comment was from me.

The price is relative to supply and demand. When people fill extra containers along with everyone filling their tank it drives up the price somewhat and decreases supply causing stations to run out and fuel the panic.

I saw so many people in a panic after Katrina and I didn't change my buying habits at all. I got laughed at for saying prices would be within a few cents of pre-Katrina prices two weeks after the storm. It turned out they were. Same thing will happen with this storm.

Sure I wish gas was cheaper, but at the same time I have to chuckle at all the panic that's been going around lately.

The sky isn't falling.

NSX-Stalker

 

[queenlives]

The comment was from me.

The price is relative to supply and demand. When people fill extra containers along with everyone filling their tank it drives up the price somewhat and decreases supply causing stations to run out and fuel the panic.

I saw so many people in a panic after Katrina and I didn't change my buying habits at all. I got laughed at for saying prices would be within a few cents of pre-Katrina prices two weeks after the storm. It turned out they were. Same thing will happen with this storm.

Sure I wish gas was cheaper, but at the same time I have to chuckle at all the panic that's been going around lately.

The sky isn't falling.

NSX-Stalker

along these lines, the prices here in the silicon valley are remarkably stable...

 

[H-carWizKid]

Prices will spike if the infrastructure for supply is affected like w/ Katrina- My oil industry resource (VERY RELIABLE: My Father = executive with major oil company) adv there is plenty of Gas on hand- but power outages, and environmental factors affect the pipelines used to get oil out of the refining zones along the gulf coast (by pipeline, I mean literally the pipe the oil is shipped through) This means the industry is reduced to using Trucks, and Trains- both are more expensive than shipping by pipe, neither can move the volume of the pipe, therefore the efficiency is obviously lacking. All this means, shortages at your pump, and prices go up.

Once power is restored, the companies go back to shipping by pipe, prices "normalize" to the market value, and chicken little shuts up again.

I await the inevitable response now that you know I use my Daddy for my oil industry information, but really- Can you get more reliable than that? What agenda would it serve for him to BS me?
Dad lives in Houston too- so I am obviously keeping my fingers crossed that life won't be affected more severly than just paying a few extra cents per gallon at the pump...

To answer the question about hording... It took approx two weeks for the prices to come back down after Katrina, A few questions to ask yourself...

Are you using the RV, or the Boat within the next 3 weeks, or can you do without filling them right now?

Remember the bit above about how the trucks and trains can't get the volume of gas out to the pumps, and there being shortages that will increase the prices at the pumps?

Do you really want to expedite the shortage by filling vehicles you won't neccessarily use?

Ever heard of a self fulfilling prophecy?

I usually fill my tank when I buy gas- During Katrina- I rode my bicycle a little more often, and skipped going on long car trips- one tank that cost me $40.00 held me over for 16 days until the prices normalized.

The idea that we might need to skip going tubing behind the American Skier this weekend might seem like a major bummer, but really you are contributing to a greater good to reduce your usage in times of crisis. This is something that we as Americans in general just don't seem to "get" anymore, but
our parents, (or in some cases our Grandparents) understood it once.

Philip

 

[DocL]

I remember during the oil crisis in the '70s when my father had a 30gal accessory tank installed in his Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Just as the OEM tank filled up, he pulled a lever that opend an accessory valve that led to the other tank. The attendants at the station would get on their knees looking for a gas leak as they couldn't even guess where the extra gallons were going. It was a hoot!

 

[NsXMas]

I remember during the oil crisis in the '70s when my father had a 30gal accessory tank installed in his Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Just as the OEM tank filled up, he pulled a lever that opend an accessory valve that led to the other tank. The attendants at the station would get on their knees looking for a gas leak as they couldn't even guess where the extra gallons were going. It was a hoot!

That's funny. I'd be worried about fire danger during a crash.

 

[DocL]

That's funny. I'd be worried about fire danger during a crash.

Come on, that was the Seventies, safety was not even an issue back then. I remember sitting in the way-back of the Wagoneer on the floor playing with my Army men. I may have even poked my eye out once. :wink:

 

[NsXMas]

Come on, that was the Seventies, safety was not even an issue back then. I remember sitting in the way-back of the Wagoneer on the floor playing with my Army men. I may have even poked my eye out once. :wink:

LOL, it's a wonder we all lived to grow up to today despite all the dangers, and the lack of consumer notices/tags back then.

 

[paladin]

the lack of consumer notices/tags back then.

Thank god we have them now. Those puppies save lives.
http://rinkworks.com/said/warnings.shtml

 

[queenlives]

<snip> thanks...

To answer the question about hording... It took approx two weeks for the prices to come back down after Katrina, A few questions to ask yourself...

Are you using the RV, or the Boat within the next 3 weeks, or can you do without filling them right now?

Remember the bit above about how the trucks and trains can't get the volume of gas out to the pumps, and there being shortages that will increase the prices at the pumps?

Do you really want to expedite the shortage by filling vehicles you won't neccessarily use?

Ever heard of a self fulfilling prophecy?
<snip>

thanks for the thoughts... i realized after making the post that i may have been unclear - i'm not contemplating filling my rv/boat (between them, they currently have ~100 gals of fuel on board from summer vacation and given my motorcycle/bicycle lifestyle, that oughta last me awhile) - but i was too lazy to rewrite.

 

[H-carWizKid]

thanks for the thoughts... i realized after making the post that i may have been unclear - i'm not contemplating filling my rv/boat (between them, they currently have ~100 gals of fuel on board from summer vacation and given my motorcycle/bicycle lifestyle, that oughta last me awhile) - but i was too lazy to rewrite.

Re-reading my post it would seem to address you directly since you had mentioned you had the RV and the boat- but I was trying to address the broader spectrum of folks who were out filling everything that would hold gas in the days before the hurricane with the idea that this was a solution to a shortage that appeared imminent.

In fact that behavior only facilitates such a shortage.

The point I was trying to make was that it might be a good idea to economize during a period of shortage rather than worry about sprinting to the pumps and topping off the tanks- using less costs less and it would preclude temporary shortages due to supply line issues.

There are a few people in this thread who planned to maintain their normal buying patterns- this appears to be the best answer to the question.

Usually a panicked reaction is a bad reaction- and fuel hoarding strikes me as a panicked reaction to what recent history suggests will be a temporary increase in fuel costs.

Just my perception of the situation-

Philip

 

[SilverStone05]

along these lines, the prices here in the silicon valley are remarkably stable...

what part of silicon valley you in? my bro lives in sunnyvale and my pops lives in saratoga.

 

[SilverStone05]

the funny part is that you see idiots that will drive miles away to get gas that is just a few cents cheaper per gallon. its ridiculous.

20*.03=.60 savings.

way to save money.

 

[queenlives]

<snip> There are a few people in this thread who planned to maintain their normal buying patterns- this appears to be the best answer to the question.

Usually a panicked reaction is a bad reaction- and fuel hoarding strikes me as a panicked reaction to what recent history suggests will be a temporary increase in fuel costs.

Just my perception of the situation-

Philip

understood and agreed, thx for the feedback.
hal

 

[queenlives]

what part of silicon valley you in? my bro lives in sunnyvale and my pops lives in saratoga.

i'm in campbell....