bcla
On our rugged Eastern foothills.....
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2012
I'm a little older than dirt, and I've ridden out a lot of hurricanes, too. The worst of the gasoline runs was definitely the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973-74. It lasted a full six months, and when it was over prices never dropped back anywhere close to previous levels; nothing since has come anywhere close. At the time I knew several country families who chose to sink a tank in the yard; one of them still uses it.
During the embargo certain days were designated for purchasers whose license plate number ended in a particular number; you got gas that day whether you needed it or not, because there might not be any available locally when your designated purchase day rolled back around.
I was around, but too young to remember how that worked. I do remember a gas crisis in the late 70s. Also prices going up in the 80s. We finally saw one gas station that had leaded regular for 99.9 cents per gallon and that was a milestone.
The last time I ever saw fuel that cheap was the late 90s on a business trip in Arizona. Name brand gas stations were 79.9 cents/gallon for unleaded regular. Still - around the time I'd see regular unleaded selling for about $1.25/gallon in California.