Ｐ Ｉ Ｃ Ａ ＠ Ｌ Ａ Ｎ Ｔ Ａ 我們的亞特蘭大生活 version 3.0

今天一早邊吃早餐邊看電視新聞
(哈哈~~~感覺很像很融入美國的生活嘛!!)
中國毒奶粉的新聞後....突然主播說著更令我震驚的消息
"Atlanta drivers search for gas"!!!!!!!!

想起星期六到附近的MARTA(亞特蘭大捷運)站接老公時
老公因為發現附近某個加油站沒標示各式油種的售價
嘴巴唸著"ㄛ?現在都流行不標價嗎?....."時
我們才發現排排站好的加油器都被套上了白布套
原來不是不標價......是整個加油站都不做生意了
經過早上的新聞解說後
我才突然明白那個加油站其實並不是老闆偷懶不賣油
而是因為油都被客人加光啦!!!!
原來這個周末在亞特蘭大周圍....許多加油站都是沒油可賣的

有的人為了找到有油的加油站可是繞了city到處找
有的人因為油箱空了到加油站才發現連加油站也空了
只好把車停在該處...然後急call親朋好友去接他
有的人與朋友約好一起吃飯
但只能告訴朋友說"我找不到油? 如果還要一起吃飯....只好請你來接我"
有的人因為找不到油可加....所以只好在今天一早打電話給主管請假或問能否在家工作
理由是他的車沒由足夠的油開去上班

似乎整個喬治亞州的油料供給都是從Gulf (墨西哥灣)來的
這一陣子連續兩個颶風侵襲的影響之下
許多油商庫存短缺....因此供應跟不上需求
除了導致喬治亞州油價居高不下之外
沒想到最後甚至根本無油可用
原來這油的問題不只是油價(請參考油價追逐戰一文)
竟然大家還得到處找油哇!?

德州同學說 : 啊?怎麼會?颶風不都走了很久了?我們這也都沒這樣呀?
我說 : 大概是德州的油先提供給你們用去囉!!
是呀!!!!要把油供給到喬治亞州來.....除了需要千里迢迢地運送
運送時那運油車還得很吃油感覺真是不划算
大概就是因為如此....所以我們就被犧牲囉!?

Gas shortage makes finding fuel a challenge from ajc.com
By BRIAN FEAGANS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, September 21, 2008

Gas remained hard to find around much of metro Atlanta on Monday morning, as lingering supply complications in the wake of two hurricanes had many motorists driving miles out of their way in a search for fuel.

Overnight deliveries replenished supplies, at least partially, at some stations that were closed Sunday. But others remained dry. And some that did have fuel, like the Shell station at Clairmont and North Decatur roads near Decatur, were running out as cars lined up during the morning rush hour.

"I should be out, maybe before noon," said manager Andy Jiw, shortly after putting a bag over another nozzle. By 7:30 a.m., cars were lined up five and six deep behind the only two pumps with gas.

Maureen McCarthy, who lives near Emory University, waited in line as the needle on her fuel gauge hovered at empty. She was late for work."It's a nightmare," she said. "I've gone to four different stations. When I saw this one I was like ‘Hallellelujah.'"

State and industry officials say the problem stems from supply interruptions from the Gulf, where refineries are still rebuilding capacity after the double whammy of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and the required use of cleaner-burning fuel in metro Atlanta. That means gas can't be easily diverted from other areas where supplies are ample.

There were mixed signals about how soon the shortages will abate. Industry officials say refineries are rapidly restoring supply, and state officials say they're taking steps to boost the flow. Some station owners, however, say they've been warned not to expect normal supplies for days to come.

Adding to the frustration, metro Atlantans who find gas are paying well over the national average for it. The average price in the area Monday morning was $4.01 a gallon, about 30 cents higher than the U.S. average, according to AtlantaGasPrices.com.

Spot shortages began more than a week ago but appeared to peak by Sunday evening, when it was hard to find open stations in many areas. Nearly all stations in the Fayetteville and Peachtree City areas, for instance, were gas-less. Earlier Sunday, gas was available at only three of 13 stations along a five-mile stretch of Roswell Road in north Atlanta and Sandy Springs.

Michael Tate of Dawsonville gave up on a gas line that stretched 40 cars deep at a local Kroger on Sunday, even though he had less than an eighth of a tank in his mini-van and had to make a two-hour round trip to the Blue Ridge area to drop his daughter off at school.

Tate planned to dip into his emergency stash, "the five-gallon can for his lawnmower," and he hoped to find stations without long lines farther north. He said his family had four vehicles, but hardly any gas."We're just a bunch of middle damn class people," he said, "who are trying to figure out how to get gas out of one vehicle and into another."

Paul Kota, owner of a Phillips 66 in Sandy Springs, covered his nozzles Sunday as patrons squeezed out the last few drops.

Kota said he had been asking motorists to pump no more than 10 gallons all morning, but few were listening. His supplier said it could be two to three weeks before shipments arrive as normal. Until then, he'll get smaller loads. "We'll get the gas," he said, "but they're not sending the whole load."

Jim Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, said his group's 2,600 stores continue to report four-gallon top-offs and people filling gas cans. "I think one of the challenges we continue to face is that motorists are still showing concerns about availability and refueling when they don't need to," Tudor said.

At least one fuel supplier is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily loosen fuel sulfur standards. That way, gas could be trucked in from other cities to metro Atlanta, where cleaner-burning fuel is required because of air quality problems.

Tex Pitfield, president of Saraguay Petroleum Corp., on Friday fired off an e-mail to Gov. Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA), urging the state to lobby federal officials to allow imports of higher-sulfur fuel."The Governor's office needs to be at this point a leader and stop hiding their head in the sand," Pitfield wrote.

Bert Brantley, spokesman for Perdue, said the governor's office is doing all it can, from extending the time gas haulers have on the road to deliver fuel, and increasing the amount they can carry in one trip, to providing as much information to the EPA as possible.

"It's up to GEFA to decide how bad it is," Brantley said.

Jill Stuckey, the director of GEFA's Energy Innovation Center, said she hasn't heard similar complaints from other suppliers in Georgia.

"We're living under EPA's rules right now," said Stuckey, who works as a liaison between suppliers and critical users such as farmers and hospitals. "If others come forward and say this is too burdensome, we'll certainly take a look at it."

Stuckey said the hurricanes hit at a time of year when fuel supplies are already stretched thin. The system is sending fuel oil up to the Northeast, and suppliers in metro Atlanta are switching from summer to winter formula gas. This week, her unit had to arrange a special shipment of fuel to Children's Hospital of Atlanta and Henry County government.

But she said Chevron, Conoco and Marathon Oil are reporting supplies from the Gulf Coast are now at 80 percent, up from just 30 percent last weekend. That should start showing up at the pump soon.

"We're doing good," she said. "It's going to get better."

Staff writers Katie Leslie and Rachel Pomerance contributed to this story.