Living Car Free - Anybody remember the gas shortage of the 1970's?

Every once and a while we get a reminder of how gas panic can really shake-up our economy.

Does anybody remember the 1970's gas shortages? People waited in LOOoooong lines to get gas. Some gas stands tried to ration gas by selling only to cars with odd or even licence plates (depending on the day) or other crazy ideas.

Gas went from $0.30something per gallon to $0.70 something per gallon nearly overnight. The USA economy experienced "stagflation" (inflation without corresponding economic growth). What a mess that was.

The 24 hour gas stand was a forgotten dream.

Suddenly, it was cool to conserve energy. Bicycling was cool and went through the biggest boom in USA history.

Yeah I remember it. I was a kid, but I remember odd/even and calling the local station to ask if they have gas before driving down there.

Sure do and the US blew the chance to do something about our dependence on cars and oil.

I remember it, but unfortunately for most the memory faded shortly after gas became plentiful again.

Just think where we would be now if our leaders had taken that catastrophe seriously enough to start the wheels in motion to limit our dependency on fossil fuel...

Az

Sure do and the US blew the chance to do something about our dependence on cars and oil.


Yup just like we are blowing it right now. Too bad, really kind of sad. But that's life. I'm glad I don't have to worry about it. Heck $10 a gallon would be fine to me.

Ya I remember it, and it was the reason my dad got rid of his '68 cuda 340S too, they quit making 103 or 105 octane gas. Things would be quite a bit easier now if the US didnt use so many "boutique" fuels, there's about 20 different grades/formulations of fuel, there only needs to be a couple of them. The US is going to have to deal with its propensity for borrowing $$ to operate, something its been doing since that era as well, dollar hegemony wont last forever.

Yes, sonny, I remember it well. I was a very young adult. I didn't have a car then either, so it didn't affect me personally. But it sure hurt the economy and helped to put a couple presidents (Ford and Carter) out of office.

My parents told me about it. I do remember when they got rid of leaded gas. I didn't know why because I was too young to understand it, but my mom said it wasn't safe. Maybe we'll have a repeat of that (other than in Texas and Louisiana, where it's already happening).

Koffee

I just reached the legal driving age in my state back in 1973 (now everyone has figure out how old I really am-oh well). My father with his long history of driving up to that point a series of small compact European and Asian cars and light trucks (lorries) finally gained the recognition of being smart enough not to give most of his paycheck to the oil megabusinesses. I adopted the small car/bicycle lifestyle at that point. Today, I still live this way.

Even though I am from Georgia I had nothing to do with the energy crisis.

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t049/T049147A.jpg

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/gallery/images/06.jpg

Oh Man, Georgiaboy, nice find on the photos!

Jimmy and Billy eatin' frog legs on dirty chairs at the local garage. Priceless.

Do Dah Do Dah Do Da Do Dah Doooooo

Actually, Jimmy turned out to be a pretty intelligent fellow. I think he took a bum rap for a lot of crap that happened to the USA during his administration like the Iran hostage crisis, the fuel crisis, the Billy Carter crisis...

http://www.angelfire.com/az2/beercandave/images/Billy.jpg

I remember it, but unfortunately for most the memory faded shortly after gas became plentiful again.

Just think where we would be now if our leaders had taken that catastrophe seriously enough to start the wheels in motion to limit our dependency on fossil fuel...

Az

Actually Carter was all about finding solutions for the oil dependency problem.
He gave an excellent speech to the American public on April 17th, 1997 and
was promptly TRASHED for his ideas. The likes of Ronnie Reagan and all the
OIL BARONS including BUSH 41 jumped all over his ass and reassured Amerika
that there would be oil for hundreds of years to come. The final blow came
when Ronnie Reagan took Carter's Solar Panels off the White house the first
day he occupied it.

For a good read, check out the entirety of Carter's comments to the nation
at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carter/filmmore/ps_energy.html

Be sure to read it all as the end of the speech details 10 salient points
which if they'd been followed, we wouldn't be knee-deep in caca right now
what with expensive gas, the War in Iraq for oil domination, Gas Guzzling SUVs
and all the rest.

Ned

When I was a kid everyone hated Carter, but looking back and reading a little, he was an admirable guy. He really did come up from nothing, and was truly white working class, the one catagory of people who get NO breaks and NO help rising up, everything they do you can bet they did on their own. Yet somehow he got into college (less quotas and exclusion of his type in the old days) and went into the Navy as a nuclear officer on nuke subs - the Navy gets to pick and choose exactly who they want in that department, and they choose the smartest, most stable, and able as a rule, hang the quotas. That's where he ended up. Served with distinction as far as I know, then had to hack his way on upward and onward in politics.

A lot of liberal stuff that gets blamed on him was actually enacted by others, most notably Nixon who brought in all kinds of left-wing nonsense in an effort to be liked. That ultimately was Nixon's downfall, trying to be liked - he'd have been a truly great president if he just didn't give a damn. But back to Carter. It's really hard not to love the guy, he was not afraid to do what was needed, and pretty soon the great mass of people will see how far-sighted he was. He knew how to look out for his people. Hey you gotta drive a small car, and you gotta use solar water heaters, etc but it's good for you.

Actually Carter was all about finding solutions for the oil dependency problem.
He gave an excellent speech to the American public on April 17th, 1997 and


Minor correction, that should read 1977.

Az

Yes, remember it and smiled as I pedaled past folks standing in those long lines on odd/even days to buy gas.
Well, doing the same thing again! History repeats itself and Americans are s-l-o-w learners!

Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

i remember having to wait right along with my dad in those long lines, and i even got to pull the car up ever now and then when the adults would all dash around the corner and come back all giggly and in better moods...

and i remember them all laughing and telling peanutman jokes as well...

I remember my older brother showing me how you siphon gas, as well I remember a the advent of the locking gas cap; the national 55 mph speed limit and new gas station signs with 3 digits instead of 2. Sure, it’s satisfying to ride by folks paying a ton of money for petrol, and feel validated in our choices, and sacrifices (last week I once again couldn’t get the job because I don’t have a car) but this is really gonna hit people hard. As stated before I made a choice, and some of these folks aren’t even aware that there are choices to make - they must feel extremely vulnerable, like I feel riding on high-speed roads with no shoulder. I also think it is far too easy to mock the automobile junkie, but really if you earn a paycheck then you too are living off the droppings of the petroleum based economy. It would make me truly happy if this ‘hit’ would alleviate some of the animosity between ‘them’ and ‘us’ because it’s becoming quite obvious that our dependence on petrol isn’t doing anybody much good.

With the damage of Rita less than expected. Lines may be delayed until the next crisis.

regular is $2.88 here.

Yes, remember it and smiled as I pedaled past folks standing in those long lines on odd/even days to buy gas.
Well, doing the same thing again! History repeats itself and Americans are s-l-o-w learners!

Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Americans will learn-but painfully with alot of kicking and screaming to the local bike shop or internet dealer.

Every once and a while we get a reminder of how gas panic can really shake-up our economy.

Does anybody remember the 1970's gas shortages? People waited in LOOoooong lines to get gas. Some gas stands tried to ration gas by selling only to cars with odd or even licence plates (depending on the day) or other crazy ideas.

Gas went from $0.30something per gallon to $0.70 something per gallon nearly overnight. The USA economy experienced "stagflation" (inflation without corresponding economic growth). What a mess that was.

The 24 hour gas stand was a forgotten dream.

Suddenly, it was cool to conserve energy. Bicycling was cool and went through the biggest boom in USA history.


Oh Boy..gonna date myself here... I was a Teenager working in a Gas Station at the time... Gas was under 0.50 / gallon.. then shot up. Yep I remember the lines and shuttting off the pumps so we would have gas for the next day to sell. Who'da thunk... gas would hit 3.00/gal Hell I quit driving a vehicle when it hit 2.00/gal Course I will drive again... but not yet! I gotta a goal to make it through this winter... Hell I might even set a Goal of No Driving for 1 whole Year!

Carter was 30 years ahead of his time.

In fact, he still is. :D

Was he one of the greatest men of the late 20th century?

[QUOTE=mike]
. . .Does anybody remember the 1970's gas shortages? People waited in LOOoooong lines to get gas. Some gas stands tried to ration gas by selling only to cars with odd or even licence plates (depending on the day) or other crazy ideas.

Gas went from $0.30something per gallon to $0.70 something per gallon nearly overnight. . . .




Actually, there were two seperate periods of shortage in the 70s. The first was the Arab oil embargo during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, and the second was during the chaos attending the fall of the Shah of Iran in 1979.
Prior to the 1973 embargo, it was not uncommon to see gasoline hit $0.20/gal. or even slightly less during "gas wars" on busy streets with lots of competing gas stations.

Hmm I just remembered something, Carter was no angel, look up something called "The Carter Doctrine" which says that we in the US will consider the oil in the mideast to be OUR oil, and any threats to it will be countered with force. Scary. And Jimmy said it in just about those terms too. So, the idiotic viewpoint that it's "our" oil that just happens to be under "their" sand didn't start with Reagan.

Yeah, I remember. I worked at night in Seattle and lived on an island, I always caught the last ferry boat back to the island after work. When I needed gas, I just pulled into one of the two (or three) gas stations. I'd be first in line, but the station wouldn't open until the morning. I'd spend the night in my car at the pumps at least one night a week while the shortage was occuring.

an attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.


we in the US will consider the oil in the mideast to be OUR oil, and any threats to it will be countered with force.

While I think you overstate your case, your point is basically correct. Carter implied that didn't intend to allow anybody, using any means, to stop US oil companies from getting their hands on Persian Gulf oil and selling it to US consumers.

The implications of that for people who think that Americans have no more right to world resources than foreign people are complicated.

For one thing, you could say that it's an argument for voting for Green Party folks. You could also say it should spur us to vote big-business-beholden people like carter, clinton, bush, bush, and reagan out of their respective parties and have more equality-minded people take over Repub/Dem leadership.

No matter how you cut it, we've got a long way to go if we want US political leadership to reject a dog-eat-dog view of international economic policy in favor of a world-cooperation, hope-for-win-win-solutions view.

Every once and a while we get a reminder of how gas panic can really shake-up our economy.

Does anybody remember the 1970's gas shortages? People waited in LOOoooong lines to get gas. Some gas stands tried to ration gas by selling only to cars with odd or even licence plates (depending on the day) or other crazy ideas.

Gas went from $0.30something per gallon to $0.70 something per gallon nearly overnight. The USA economy experienced "stagflation" (inflation without corresponding economic growth). What a mess that was.

The 24 hour gas stand was a forgotten dream.

Suddenly, it was cool to conserve energy. Bicycling was cool and went through the biggest boom in USA history.

Oh, I do hope that the bike becomes popular again, Not only in the US, but in Canada as well! That way more places will sell bike related parts, and there may even be local bike shops in more remote areas.

In '73, I couldn't afford car insurance, so I was carless anyway and either walked or practiced the long since forgotten art of hitch hiking (a primitive form of car pooling).

In '79, I packed everything on my motorcycle and headed out to see some relatives in a town north of New Orleans with the intention to live there abouts and to escape from traffic and gas lines. That's oil country right? Surely there would at least be no gas lines. The day after I got to my relatives, I went to gas up the bike. Lo and behold, I had arrived in town just in time to enjoy their first gas line.

Heh heh Green Party, only if I can vote Hard Green, I like my green rough'n'tough like broccoli.

Remember that post WWII Japan had real gas shortage problems, and an ex racing driver named Soichiro Honda started up a company making little moped type things powered by kerosene.

http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/t049/T049147A.jpg


Looks like Houston last week...

For me, it is definately history repeating itself. What happened in the 1970s will be sure to happen now or at least in the very near future, but in a more permament way. Gas/petrol will never again be taken for granted-but becomes very precious for SUVs and their owners. The cyclist will be free of this mess.