Salutations Gang.
With all of the oil talk and varied criticism/speculation on the causal effects of said "oil shortage", I have to wonder 'why?' Now understand I claim no great level of knowedge in these areas, and many of the postings I've read (or started to read) covered too much in too much detail for my ignorant lil' .mil mind to handle. (Although some of them were a great soporific when I was in insomniac mode)
Anywho, to continue. An observation from last nites commute home. On the way, (in Boston) to the house, traffic was backed up for a goodly distance. I was wondering if the current bad weather was responsible, when I saw a sign "Gas Ahead" with an arrow on it. Let me tell you, not since the gass cruch of the seventies have I ever seen a line like this. Local PD directing traffic, and scores of vehicles lined up in both directions. I noticed one of the local radio stations had a van nearby parked, so I dialed them in. Now normally, regular gas can run from $1.29 (cheap) to $1.40 (right off the highway). This station was having a 99 cent sale as a promotion! I naturally got in the line, and after an undeterminal time I feuled up, (Mind you this included the three empty 5 gallons I had in the back) While "Joe Gaspump" was filling me up I asked how he (or his boss) could afford a stunt like this. His response was surprising. He essentially said that the gas companies have decided to manipulate prices for a while, in an effort to see just what the consumer would pay before screaming. He also said that his boss, due to this promo stood to pull in a massive profit for his effort, and wanted to try it again on a weekly basis. Now mind you, his response was not as succinct or literate, but you get the idea from the distillation of obscenity.
So... any ideas? Are we once again being manipulated? (Like I can't already guess.) Jes a few observations...

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), January 26, 2000

Answers

When someone can show me DATED. IR photos of full storeage tanks I'll believe we're being manipulated. Until then, I tend to think we are seeing JIT/Tax drawdown/Y2 disruptions.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), January 26, 2000.

Billy Boy, can you provide the name/location of the Gas station as well as the radio station name/location?

That way we can do our own verification. Many are now doubting the verasity of the stories.

If you provide this information as I did in this thread:

Update to Major Computer Outage

I think we can go a long way toward promoting grassroots, verifiable reporting! You'll notice that the pollies have stayed away from my thread.

Thanks for you post!

-- Duke1983 (Duke1983@aol.com), January 26, 2000.

Thanks Billy Boy! Guess time will tell, but I think the states pressuring the pres to access 300 mill er funds is a pretty loud scream to the national oil industry. But who knows what TPTB are truly up to?

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 26, 2000.

Hokie .... As I asked in a previous thread on release of 300 mil to buy home heating oil ; IF there is REALLY a shortage , how will more money to buy what you DON'T have solve the problem ? Answer , it won't , BUT , it will help to keep the price UP , as MORE people will be chasing LESS PRODUCT !!!! Eagle

-- Hal Walker (e999eagle@FREEWWWEB.COM), January 26, 2000.