Do we all remember the gas lines of the 70’s

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SimplyTired25@reddit

I was and still am in Washington DC. I don't remember them lasting all that long a period of time. During one period my boyfriend waited on line for me and got my car gassed up. That was true love. Obviously we're not experiencing that problem now.

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That_Yoghurt_3361@reddit

My wife was working for the Department of Energy in 1979, allocating fuel for gas stations.

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TheContinentalMan@reddit

This was a gas station when I was a kid in Pittsburgh, I remember you were allowed to buy gas on certain days depending on whether your license plate ended in an even or odd number, and I remember sitting in the back of the station wagon waiting in a very long line.

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Rational1x@reddit

I worked for a home improvement store in Los Angeles. For two months the only thing I did was take our largest delivery truck with 50-gallon drums in the back, and get in line at the gas station, fill the truck, and then fill the drums. People really got aggressive when they realized I was going to pump 450 gallons of gas before they could fill their car, but without that gas the store would have closed. Yes, I was TAH.

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parkeb1@reddit

This just happened when I first started to drive. It really cut into our party times. I lived in a rural area, and the only entertainment was driving around and smoking weed

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SRART25@reddit

Vaguely. In Detroit metro it wasn't a big problem, I expect the rules were more than just plate numbers for commercial vehicles. Probably a better question for the boomers rust actually were driving and know what was going on.

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Blackjack-54@reddit

I was in Metro Detroit (Northern Oakland County) during that time and it was a problem for me. Long lines and lots of stations out of gas. I remember driving around trying to find a gas station that was open before I ran out. I think the limit was like $5 or $10.

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vodeodeo55@reddit

We didn't have gas lines after 9/11, and we won't now.

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oldmanlikesguitars@reddit

Different situation.

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DanDanDan0123@reddit

Since I was 8 in 1973 I don’t remember any gas lines. The internet shows there were gas lines in 1979 I don’t remember that either. Do not all remember sitting in a car waiting in long lines to get gas.

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theinspireddesigner@reddit

It was based on license plate numbers in Cali and I still remember ours from 1978! 833 WPK

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Silent-Warning5654@reddit (OP)

Back when they were still 6 digits.

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Temporary-Library597@reddit

We thought this in 1991 for the Gulf War. In 2001 for Bush's Imagination War. It didn't happen for those.

Of course, the leadership we have now might not be sentient enough to mitigate thulis sort of impact like the leaders back then were. Hold on tight.

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InevitableStruggle@reddit

There was a gas station near my apartment complex. One morning I headed out for work and found myself trapped because the line extended across our exit driveway. People wouldn’t let me cross—assumed I wanted to cut in line.

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WritingRidingRunner@reddit

I remember them in NJ! Getting gas was an event. Also remember waiting on multiple days with my grandma and my mom, since their cars had different even/odd plates.

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lawtechie@reddit

My dad was a salesman at that time. He kept two different sets of plates in his car to get around this.

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LomentMomentum@reddit

Not old enough to remember the gas lines of the ‘70s. But I don’t think they’ll be gas lines this time (unless a gas station creates a promotion to cut the price of gas to $3 or something). The U.S. produces a lot more oil than it used to, for better and worse, and vehicles are generally more fuel efficient these days. What will happen is a return to $4+ per gallon, last seen in 2022.

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texachusetts@reddit

Along with gas lines there was carpooling. Do we still live in a society where carpooling would work?

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213737isPrime@reddit

Or, and I'm just spitballing here, what if we invented some really big cars that could carry even more than 4 people at once? Like, ten or twelve people at the same time!

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CoverCommercial3576@reddit

You’ll see them again. Yay

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Phobos1982@reddit

I remember them doing an even/odd license plate limitation. My parent's car had both an even and odd plate so we got a lot of shit from other people in line.

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bobs_big_bob@reddit

I don’t get it, wasn’t it the last or first number? How can one number be both odd and even?

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paintingdusk13@reddit

They are saying their parents had two cars, two different plates.

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bobs_big_bob@reddit

So why would they get shit from other people in line? Like somehow other people in line knew they were there yesterday with their other car?

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Phobos1982@reddit

Because they'd see that we were in line on the "wrong day" and accusing us of cheating.

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bobs_big_bob@reddit

No doubt people thought they traded one plate with someone else so they’d both be able to get gas everyday of the week.

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Phobos1982@reddit

Pretty much.

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paintingdusk13@reddit

That you would need to ask them, as I am just the interpreter

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Phobos1982@reddit

Not two cars. Same car. DMV fucked up and we didn't notice.

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paintingdusk13@reddit

That...is weird and not something I've ever seen.

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Phobos1982@reddit

Two different plates and we never noticed.

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srdnss@reddit

I am early Gen X. I remember both 1973 and 1979. My Dad asked me if I wanted to go to the gas station with him. He packed snacks and drinks.

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CFRPH@reddit

Wow. Born in 86 here. This sounds wild. If that starts up again, I bet with how unhinged the world is now ( especially USA ), guns will become involved.

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

No, the world will not become unhinged, and guns will not become involved. People have the ability to adapt, survive, and come out stronger than before.

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CFRPH@reddit

You mean like how, when Covid was in full swing, a worker at a dollar general refused a lady entry into the store without a mask, so she went home, got a gun, came back, and shot him dead?

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

Isolated incident.

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Seachica@reddit

I’m sitting pretty with my EV. It’s great not being dependent on middle eastern politics.

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Diligent_Actuator950@reddit

60 percent of electricity in this country is generated by fossil fuels. You aren't sitting as pretty as you think you are.

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Seachica@reddit

I realize that I have other dependencies. But I’m leas so than people who are worried about gas lines for their cars

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Big-Sheepherder-6134@reddit

I’m halfway lol. I have a hybrid that goes 600 miles on a tank. I am also retired so I don’t have a commute. We are considering an EV but there are many reasons why we don’t want one (yet).

I should get an electric bike though. It would help me do two things at once. One, as a manual bike I could get more exercise. Two, when I need it to be an EV I can run errands quickly and not worry about gas.

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Wake95@reddit

EV bikes and even scooters are awesome. I stick the EV scooter in my EV car when going to an event and use the scooter for last-mile transportation to zoom past the parking mess.

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Big-Sheepherder-6134@reddit

Nice idea!

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Sufficient_Stop8381@reddit

Barely. My dad bought a Vega to save gas because his Torino guzzled too much. Of course he kept the Torino and had I think four cars so he could rotate to fill up the tank, depending on the tag number.

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mikedorty@reddit

We are a net exporter of oil in the us. I doubt very much we will ration gas. The price is just going to be insanely high.

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

High prices are a form of rationing, if you think about it.

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ruet_ahead@reddit

We are not.

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sludge_dragon@reddit

“In 2023, the United States imported about 8.51 million barrels per day (b/d) of petroleum…In 2023, the United States exported about 10.15 million b/d of petroleum.”

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&t=6

The US became a net petroleum exporter in 2020. This is a result of the shale revolution.

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ruet_ahead@reddit

Petroleum products. Not oil. It's an important distinction.

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sludge_dragon@reddit

Why is the distinction important? If the US just exported the crude that it instead refines and exports as a higher-value product, then we would be a net crude exporter. Are you saying that the US is somehow more dependent on foreign oil because we refine a lot of our oil before exporting it?

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ruet_ahead@reddit

It means we are fudging the numbers. We refine a sizeable portion of the oil we buy then export it to the global market as various products. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that but it is what it is. If you just take crude numbers we are not a net exporter.

Let's say you make ice cream. You get two thirds of your cream from your own cows and another third from a farm down the street. You then sell that icecream to the farm down the street. That does not make you a net exporter of cream.

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mikedorty@reddit

We have been since 2020

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ruet_ahead@reddit

Nope.

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andybrwn@reddit

Do you mean LNG?

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Ok_Blueberry304@reddit

I started keeping the tank full the day he started it. Never let it go down more than a quarter of a tank. Over kill ,maybe. So yes, I remember.

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

We filled all three of our cars the morning this war began, as a hedge against rising prices. My gf's car is the only one used daily (\~30 miles), and I have her top off daily. (She drives developmentally disabled adults to work and is a job coach, and people depend on her.)

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-Mos_Eisley-@reddit

Oh I remember those. With the flags out, green is gas available for all, yellow emergency vehicles only, red no gas available.

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Silent-Warning5654@reddit (OP)

Was that 76 or later? I remember the flags in a traffic cone on the entry

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

1973-1974

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gringoloco01@reddit

I remember my grandfather lost his mind when gas jumped from a nickel to 20 cents LOL.

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Jops817@reddit

Yeah but back then you could buy a nice house for $40k.

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metacholia@reddit

Laughs in electric. Looks around. Cries anyway.

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IWantTheLastSlice@reddit

I’d be the first person to get an electric vehicle if it had similar ranges and fill up time to a gas powered car. I’d happily even pay a little bit more. It’s just not fully baked yet.

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metacholia@reddit

Not saying it applies to you necessarily, but for most people’s needs (if there’s a place at home to plug in), range and fill up are a nonissue.

Road trips are a weak point, but typical commutes are well within most electric cars’ range. I plug in at home, so I don’t have a noticeable “fill up time” — I unplug, get in, and drive.

Sure, there are exceptions — compliance cars are often just that and no more. Mach E, Ionic, Rivian, or Bolt — all are reputable cars with decent range.

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IWantTheLastSlice@reddit

All fair points

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Th1088@reddit

I don't think any Gen Xers would have been driving age. I was too young to notice/care.

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elcad@reddit

I remember waiting in line in Mom's VW 411.

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notevenapro@reddit

My mom made me a couple thermoses of coffee. I took those , cups and sugar to the train station and sold coffee.

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JitteryTurtle@reddit

58 here, and I remember one line in particular. Parents mostly got gas on their way to work.

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Dpgillam08@reddit

I was mowing yards for money, and couldn't get my gas can filled. Dad had to have them fill the can when he went to get the car filled.

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Fresh-Anteater-5933@reddit

Definitely not driving, but sat in the lines all the same

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NeighborhoodNo4274@reddit

I wasn’t driving age, but I definitely remember riding my bicycle past the cars lined up at the gas stations and laughing.

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allaboutaphie@reddit

Doom and gloom//it will be okay just breathe

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Jacmac_@reddit

There is a YouTube video of a gas line with a reporter doing on site reporting and recording B Roll. It brought back a lot of memories watching it.

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Zetavu@reddit

There was a cheesy movie about it called "Gas", track it down, it would totally not be worth it but now you must.

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_TallOldOne_@reddit

I remember my father having yet another thing to be angry about. I remember being in the car with him waiting in line once or twice.

Am I worried that will happen again? I don’t think it will. Even the “economy” cars like the Maverick my dad drove got incredibly shitty gas mileage. These days? Eh… my 10 year old Civix gets 30+ MPG. I don’t think we’ll see lines at the gas pump. Just insane gas prices. Runaway inflation, etc. It’s going to feel like the 70’s financially.

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OhSusannah@reddit

I was too young to drive so I was able to blithely ignore it. It impacted me only insofar as my Dad was not about to waste gas driving me to places I could bike to. But I was going to bike anyway.

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BalboaCZ@reddit

I remember it well. Why would you think this would happen in today's situation? We hardly get any oil from the Middle East.

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sharp-calculation@reddit

Reddit seems to amplify every fear, every niche belief, and every negative idea.

Gasoline availability is just fine. Move along.

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Capital-Bobcat8270@reddit

I remember my mother saying she was done driving. I wasn't sure how that was going to work out.

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Mill-Work-Freedom@reddit

Red Ford pinto packed full of kids, long lines. I am sure my dad was stressed out.

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No-Win-2741@reddit

But was it a 73 pinto?

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Mill-Work-Freedom@reddit

I don't know, I was 5

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No-Win-2741@reddit

Lots of excitement with those 73 pintos!

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Wake95@reddit

Can you imagine waiting all day for gasoline just to have it explode on your drive home?

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tbodillia@reddit

Parents bought a 2 gas tank van for our trip to California because of the fear of gas lines. We never saw gas lines.

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Status_Iron_3706@reddit

I remember the hot brown vinyl seats of the LTD getting hotter while sitting in line. Good thing I had Sgt Rock, Daredevil and spiderman comics with me.

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yanknga@reddit

Similar to my memory of the gas lines. Hot seats in a hot station wagon.

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No-Win-2741@reddit

Ugh! I remember those. We had a 1967 Oldsmobile Vista cruiser with the Moon roofs. My brother and I each learned to drive in that car and we eventually just ended up calling it the tuna boat.

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No-Win-2741@reddit

I remember those gas lines! We lived in Philadelphia at the time, and we had two cars. One car's license plate ended in an odd number and one car's license plate ended in an even number. And because there were no computers back then and no way to track things down quickly, my folks would just change the license plates if they needed gas in one car and it wasn't that car's day.

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1poconosmax@reddit

On the bright side.. cars were a lot longer then..

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beermaker@reddit

Our driving needs are pretty basic now we're both retired. I last filled up my A6 about three weeks ago still with 1/4 tank, my 68 Scout two months ago with 1/2 and 1/4 tanks full, and my wife's XC90 last week and it's still near full. Nothing we immediately need is further than 15 miles, most things in town here are within walking distance.

Time to seriously look into trading the Audi, selling the Scout, and buying a BEV. I'd rather use our solar panels to power a car than sell back to the power company for a pittance.

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tuctrohs@reddit

Unless this blows over really soon, which doesn't seem likely, the good deals on used EVs are going to get snapped up pretty quickly, so start shopping now.

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beermaker@reddit

We're in a position where we can absorb a pretty substantial fuel cost increase without hardship... enough that buying another car is the very last thing we want to do.

Our fleet is insanely cheap to insure at the moment. Adding a new BEV would at least triple what we pay currently, eclipsing our increased fuel costs. With our current driving needs, even adding a couple dollars per gallon remains cheaper than the insurance premium on a new BEV alone, not to mention the initial five-figure outlay for a new model with extended warranty.

Instead, we're leaning toward a new heat pump furnace & water heater and expanding our solar footprint & storage instead of a new BEV this coming year. The return on investment is a much better choice at this point.

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tuctrohs@reddit

If you aren't driving much, the savings from an EV will be not be important.

I wasn't advising you to choose an EV for that scenario. I was hearing you say you wanted to do that, and advising that if you wanted that, shopping soon would be smart.

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oldschool_potato@reddit

We used to drive to Canada to get gas.

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Big-Sheepherder-6134@reddit

I don’t think there will be gas lines. It will just get very expensive. The US is producing more oil than any country in the world. What we lack are refineries. Less refineries means higher prices. California is going to pay the most in gas prices because the gas there has to be cleaner otherwise it will be back to the smog of the 70’s. In Chicagoland where I live we pay a bit higher because our fuel has ethanol added to it but prices here are nowhere near California. If needed I can go to Wisconsin 25 miles away and pay way less too. I just try to time that with having to be up there for other reasons.

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grumpvet87@reddit

i remember . the usa is much less dependent on opec these days - might be $10 gal but we should not have the supply problems like we had

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Nikadaemus@reddit

Yeah, North America has a butt load

Although govs have tried to retain and buy externally in case of some massive disruption / siege war

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grumpvet87@reddit

i think we have issues refining some of what we can produce as well but those issues can be resolved with more deficit spending

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heythatsmybacon@reddit

Yep. I was a kid but I recall in California you could only go to the pumps every other day depending on whether your plate ended in an even or odd number. The lines were still long.

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CaptainAwesome_5000@reddit

Except now, I would fully expect people to swap plates rather than wait their turn.

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tuctrohs@reddit

Yeah, my first thought was all these people driving around with no plates or obscured plates would finally have an incentive to fix that, since we don't seem to have actual law enforcement anymore. And then I realized that you are right.

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MonkP88@reddit

Only 7% of the oil used in America is from the Middle East.

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tuctrohs@reddit

It's a global commodity. The prices go up on all of it regardless of where it came from.

And yes, that means windfall profits for companies producing oil anywhere else, including a bunch of American companies. And no, they are not going to share that profit with you out of the goodness of their hearts.

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WordleFan88@reddit

It's didn't prevent the lines back then either though.

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DonnyDiddledIvanka@reddit

Barely remember it but have seen documentaries on it. Fortunately, a lot has changed because and since then which should/could help to avoid those types of situations today. Not that it will necessarily keep prices in check but availability shouldn't be an issue.

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dr_deb_66@reddit

I remember. My dad worked on a line crew and had to travel hours to work - he would often come home just one weekends. He still put a lot of miles on his truck, because the closest motel could be a long way from where his crew was putting in lines. My mom was an RN and I think she was working home health at the time for the flexibility. So they were both stressed about getting enough gas to go to work. My dad told me he was friendly with the local gas station owner and he would set some aside for people he knew absolutely had to have that gas, which included my parents.

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justmeonlyme66@reddit

I remember but mostly from neighbors talking about it. My dad was a salesman with a company car. His company also had a fleet of small delivery vans and had installed their own gas pumps just before the recession. Everything was pretty much leaded gas at that time so dad filled up at work. He was allowed to use the car at home so it was our primary family vehicle. My mom had a used car but she didn't work until I was in high school so we rarely used it. Mostly just trips to the grocery store.

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f700es@reddit

Yes and I also remember the 80's real inflation when corporations didn't make bank while we suffered unlike the post Covid greed-flation. I remember car commercials bragging about offering loans at 9.99% apr.

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bobj33@reddit

No I was too young. The only things I remember from the 70's are a couple of events in 1979 when I was 4. My parents told me about it though and I learned about the oil embargo in history class.

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silveronetwo@reddit

I remember all the stations with signs that they were Out of Gas, especially in '79. It's entirely reasonable to think some version of that will come to the US with an extended conflict.

Back then the country wasn't as much about "Just in Time" supply chains. The impacts to shipping could be huge now.

Closest example we have to compare recently is the Colonial pipeline problem in the Southeast a few years ago. People went off the rails quickly.

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Migamix@reddit

considering I setup my ebike to be charged via cheap solar, and I don't drive much, I'm kinda ready. give it a few months, more bikers and EVs. walkable neighborhoods, food lines and paper checkers... damn, did I go dark again?

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mystery_biscotti@reddit

Nope. I don't remember it, I wasn't born yet. Tell me about it?

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

The 1973 OPEC Oil Embargo was when the Arab oil-producing nations, who were members of OPEC, boycotted shipping oil to the US for supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War.

Gasoline quickly became outrageously expensive due to short supply, and the US began gas rationing, which meant you could only buy gas on even-or-odd days based on the last digit of your license plate.

In turn, transportation costs rose, driving up food prices. Meat became so expensive that my mother bought a side of beef from a butcher shop and financed it!

In January 1974, President Nixon lowered the national speed limit to only 55 MPH!

There was a second "oil shock" in 1979 after the fall of Iran, but I don't remember it being as bad as 1973-1974.

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mystery_biscotti@reddit

Ah. I'd heard we once had a higher speed limit but I was a bicentennial baby, so I missed that part. For me, 55mph was always a thing!

Thanks for the clear explanation. The anecdote about financing beef hit. We just bought several types of beans since meat's becoming ridiculous.

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Citizen44712A@reddit

And now, plates that have no numbers?

No gas for you!!

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ThrowingAbundance@reddit

Just convert the letter to its position in the alphabet. M = 13

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MathNo6329@reddit

I remember they had odd even license plate gas rationing in New Jersey after Sandy because I had a rental car with the wrong plate for the day, but luckily I made it through to Connecticut.

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WordleFan88@reddit

I do, but considering we now have EVs, hybrids and cars that get much, much better average mileage than most cars back then got, it might not be as bad as it was way back then.

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maddog2271@reddit

I don’t think America is nearly as exposed as Asian countries, and even Europe is like 18% dependent on the strait. What I do think will happen is that the worldwide price of oil is going to get really high and Americans (and Europeans to a lesser extent) are going to get shafted hard on prices when they are already stretched thin.

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KrofftSurvivor@reddit

Yeah, pretty sure it was like that everywhere. I know it was in New England, got gas every other day, based on the odd or even

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Low-Palpitation-9916@reddit

Fuck no, we have the capacity to be energy independent if it's worth the money. If we can flip Iran like Venezuela, we'll directly or indirectly control 70% of the world's oil supply. We are about to be the new OPEC, except with actual muscle, and trading in our own currency. Russia has sold their future for generations to control a few hundred bombed out kilometers of Ukraine, and China is about to lose the cheap fuel that shored up their commie house of cards. Once winter comes around, Europe will understand the full reality of the new world order. And what did it cost us? A temporary 50 cents or a dollar per gallon increase at the pump? Not a high price to pay to secure a global empire.

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ms_directed@reddit

we have a lot yes, but we can't refine enough domestically for the amount we'd use, and it would take a decade at least to retrofit our plants into refineries...that's why we're reliant on importing oil.

we still export more than any other country...that helps us economically, but doesn't help us domestically in a gas crisis

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trashk@reddit

Say what now?

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GR1ML0C51@reddit

Be sure to pack a diary for your Iranian deployment. I wanna read about all the winning you do there.

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PigInZen67@reddit

What a fucking loon.

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Dangerous-Art-Me@reddit

Yep.

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MusicalMerlin1973@reddit

Nope. Combination of too young and my dad was a service member. Iirc he told me when I asked about it later Gas was still cheap on base

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ms_directed@reddit

i just made this same comment! i only remember filling up on base, but i remember seeing the long lines off base, tho i didn't understand it at the time

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ms_directed@reddit

i was born in 70, but i remember seeing the news stories of the long lines, and i remember being in the car and driving past them once. my dad was USAF so i only remember getting gas on base

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whatsinaname2969@reddit

Trip to Texas with my father. We ended up spending part of the night at the gas station until my grandfather showed up with gas cans. I was young but there were other people stuck there too.

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Emotional_Mess261@reddit

We were halfway between central NYS and Jersey for a wedding. The lines everywhere were incredible. We turned around and while I can’t remember exactly, I’m pretty sure we fueled up once we got back to the rural areas so we could get home

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BillyyJackk@reddit

'69 - I remember even/odd days

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TheJokersChild@reddit

Those who don't remember the past, right?

Anyway, wasn't it something like even license plates MWF and odd plates Tu-Th?

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Upset_Peace_6739@reddit

Canadian here and I remember the gas lines. I don’t remember the days but it was odd or even last digit.

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Ok-Commercial-924@reddit

If you remember thr 1970 shortage you should remember we were importing 47% of the gas used. Currently we produce over 100% of the gas we used exporting the excess.

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First-Ad-7960@reddit

Correct. Several decades of energy policy focused on this.

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Comfortable_Home5437@reddit

I remember being on a family trip in 1977 or so and my dad losing it because gas was $0.58 a gallon.

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TheJokersChild@reddit

I wish he could see the $5 diesel I'm seeing in my area.

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PigInZen67@reddit

It was based on license plate numbers. Odd and even numbers alternated days. I was quite young when this was happening, but I remember it clearly.

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imalloverthemap@reddit

I was looking at my gas gauge about two weeks ago and since it was still half full I was like “nah, I will just get it next week” 🫤

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IMBD-Shadow@reddit

Keep it topped off 🤞 I hate it, but I'm trying to. I missed filling up and thought I'd do it the next day and it jumped $.70/gallon

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damion789@reddit

Born in 1979, so no.

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SufficientOpening218@reddit

yup. i remember that. its a bit frightening

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esk_209@reddit

I was too young to be driving, but I remember the lines and the plate numbers.

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Ok_Application_2292@reddit

I guess its time I fill all my 8 cars up so I can at least have a car to drive glad those pickups have dual tanks

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Mistervimes65@reddit

I remember 1981 vividly. I was 16. Didn’t bother to get my drivers license until I was 17.

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R67H@reddit

I only remember them from the news. Never got stuck in them because at the time we filled up at dad's business tank. He had a small fleet of vans for DME delivery, and had a pump at the shop. I kinda feel cheated out of a cultural touchstone. But I'll sure get to experience it this time.

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user_uno@reddit

Sure do. So many people aren't old enough to remember. Others have forgotten and/or didn't care.

I lived in St. Louis at the time. I recall a big oil tank along I-40 that went up and down (strangely) being unusually low consistently then. Just not enough to store.

We had the even/odd days as well. Also had the green/red flags and gas/no gas signs cobbled up.

The station in our town was often without gas. One of the dad's that drove for the school carpool (we had no bus service at that school) worked for the oil company. Mobile I think. He drove the tankers. He'd tell us when gas was coming so we could let our parents know.

I've hate the oil tyranny's ever since. They are nothing without oil. They have little future without it. But I cannot wait to tell those tyrannical dictators to go pound sand eventually. Hopefully in my lifetime.

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glaciers4@reddit

As an Xennial this was a bit before my time, but I’m so glad to drive an EV now (past 2 years) and be liberated from the gas pump. I have no idea what the current price of gas or a quart of oil is. It’s been a great transition.

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user_uno@reddit

It's going to be a while before I go full EV. Hybrid? Maybe.

But my use cases are not a good fit for a EV. Just doesn't work and then there is the additional cost. Also not a fan of the downsides EV/Hybrids bring ecological. Almost like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

It is though another part I hope to see more mainstream in my lifetime. Much like the transition from equine local transportation and coal/steam for long distance. Just to be clear though - I am not that old to have seen that! My grandparents did though...

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Mistervimes65@reddit

I’m 60 and love my hybrid. I average 50 mpg.

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thatotterone@reddit

I do remember that. I was in preschool but the memory stuck with me

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LisaLisaPrintJam@reddit

I was about 4 or 5. My mom drove a car with black interior and no air conditioning. I remember standing up in the back seat (after climbing out of my booster seat with the nose-high shield) and looking out of the back window, seeing what looked like miles of cars behind us. I don't know how long we were trapped in that line, but it seemed like forever.

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TheSpatulaOfLove@reddit

When gas skyrockets, it’ll be the time to buy that luxury suv you’ve had your eye on.

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Craig1974@reddit

I do

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SergeantBeavis@reddit

I remember the news reporting cars lined up down the main street of our town. Glad I have an EV.

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RealtorRVACity@reddit

It was odd/even, thankfully I am full electric now ha ha

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Badger242@reddit

I remember being really young and my mom loading my brother an I into the crawl yellow massive Buick with snacks and toy so she could get in line for an hour or two to get gas and my dad riding an old schwinn cruiser bike to work.

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CalBearFan@reddit

That was an embargo from all of opec and the US didn't have fracking. We won't have the same scenario. Higher prices yes, rationing no.

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kingerxi@reddit

I'm loving my Mustang Mach-E, it costs $8 to go 150 miles (@ .16/kWh).

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paintingdusk13@reddit

That's also when they started putting locking gas caps in cars because people were going around siphoning gas.

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ave427@reddit

Reminds me of the time my brother siphoned gas and accidentally swallowed a small amount. He started panicking begging us not to light a match near him. Not sure what my parents did if anything.

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mpls_big_daddy@reddit

I remember that our family was only allowed to fill up on even days.

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Tin_Indian455@reddit

Even # for m,w,f and odd # for t,Thu,sat. Most stations were closed on sundays. ALSO remember gas being sold by the 1/2 gallon because the pumps price only went up to .99

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ElectronicDoubt9905@reddit

I was selling soda and stuff to people stuck on the lines.

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Hilsam_Adent@reddit

Young turd in SoCal at the time and I remember it not being plate number, but month decal. I was pretty young, so I could be wrong, but I do remember our days were Tuesday and Saturday, plus waiting for hours in line at our local 76 station.

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stannc00@reddit

Twice. 1973 and then again in 1981. In New York it was odd/even based on the last digit of your license plate and of course people had extra plates.

Some stations had a $5.00 or $10.00 limit.

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No-Perspective872@reddit

I wasn’t driving, but I still remember seeing the lines. We lived near a gas station.

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RickRI401@reddit

Yeah, I recall those days. 5 gallons was the limit to purchase.

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bongart@reddit

Barely.

I remember my dad always used to say "Oh, we got enough gas to get to Boston and back" when the Ford LTD wagon was on E. I remember a time we were on the way home, heading up a long hill, and we ran out. We (mom, my brothers, and I) waited in the car while my dad schlepped to my uncle's house nearby with a gas can. I remember him popping the hood, putting some gas in the carb after putting just about all of it in the tank, and having my mom turn the engine over. I remember the sleeve of his shirt catching fire.

Nothing major. He patted it out, put the air filter cover back on, closed the hood, and drove us home.

We drove on E for much of the '70's. I do remember him avoiding Reed Schoolhouse Rd. for a long time though. He also got a part-time night job at a Mobil station after that, on top of his regular day job.

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drone-on-and-on@reddit

Odds and evens

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Ghee-Buttersnaps-@reddit

Only from Mad Magazine

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DJErikD@reddit

Red flag one day, green flag the next!

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danjouswoodenhand@reddit

Yes. We lived on a cul de sac around the corner from a station, so we had lines on front of our house. As kids, we thought it was fun to go out in the front yard and see all the people waiting in line.

I don't think the people in line were having as much fun as we were.

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skinisblackmetallic@reddit

Do not recall.

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Lemonking_@reddit

I member. We had a white Rambler station wagon at the time.

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ruet_ahead@reddit

I remember seeing them on TV but I don't remember actually waiting in any.

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ranchoparksteve@reddit

In Los Angeles, there will be some gas stations charging 10 bucks a gallon with no lines. (There are still full service places in a few rich neighborhoods) In the 70’s there was some effort to be fair.

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LouAgain@reddit

Relax. Not going to happen. We already have operational control over the Straights and 80% of our Oil use is domestic now.

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Impossible-Driver69@reddit

So many times during this clowns first year back in office I have heard "not going to happen" only to have it happen and usually worse than expected.

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Atlanta_Q_Ball@reddit

Late GenX here, born in 78, I don't remember the lines or high prices.

The only time I've ever seen gas lines was around 2008. Bunch of idiots freaking out over a temporary shortage and driving around trying to find gas. Hilarious watching them run out instead off staying home and conserving what they had.

I got an EV last fall, so I'm kinda laughing at the ridiculous price increases.

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GataPapa@reddit

Same. EV since 2015 and solar since 2017. Nothing better than making your own fuel and the cost is always the same.

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_the_credible_hulk_@reddit

Vote for clowns. Get a circus.

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RetroactiveRecursion@reddit

Yeah we had odd/even license plate days too. Used to get on I-95 for 10 minutes to the thruway rest stop because that was the only one nearby that actually had gas.

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happycj@reddit

Yep. Lived in Los Angeles during the gas crunch. Waited in line for gas. (In my dad's car, of course. I wasn't driving (legally) yet.)

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some_one_234@reddit

I go to Costco. They usually have a line unless you go early so I’m already used to it

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Baebarri@reddit

I don't remember the first shortage because I was still riding my bicycle whenever possible.

The second one I remember because I ran out of gas waiting in line.

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UrsaMajor7th@reddit

The OPEC oil embargo was one of the first global political issues I was aware of. I was 6 y/o.

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leicanthrope@reddit

I was born in '75, so no.

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Paperbackpixie@reddit

I do remember being 5 yo in Texas in the middle of a heatwave. The car had vinyl seats and I sat on a towel in shorts. I remember at least an hour or more. My mom packed a cooler for water and snacks and I recall drinking the water that the ice made.

I also remember thinking, mom, don’t we have fields and fields of this stuff, why can’t we just get some? It’s in our backyard.

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Thunderbird1974@reddit

I remember the gas lines in Florida. It was based on your tag number, if it was odd or even. And I think we were limited to 10 gallons at a time.

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VansAndFaygo@reddit

I was born in 1970. I remember eating Jack-in-the-box with my sister and brother in the back of my mom's station wagon while we waited in line for gas.