passing gas

Nashville is a great town, except when it acts all fcked up.

My Nashville friends' FaceBook updates kept talking about the dearth of gas in Nashville. I asked Jonny about it and he said that the city was out of gas. I asked why, and he said, "For the same reason stores run out of milk and bread whenever there is a forecast for flurries."

Oh for Heaven's sakes.

Nashvillians, in general, tend to panic. And then do stupid things.

Seriously. When Sno Bird warns of a cold snap (honestly, who gets their weather from a freaking bird puppet?), everyone from the city center to the Boonies rushes to the stores and stocks up like they will need to survive eighteen months in a fallout shelter. I used to work in the family grocery stores. The onset of winter is just insane.

So, now hits the news of a possible oil shortage. Nevermind the time it takes for global factors to actually affect local supply, Nashvillians panicked and stocked up on gasoline.

I couldn't believe this one.

And now, no one can find gas in Nashville/Metro Davidson County.

Jonny recognized it as a self-fulfilling prophecy: The Chicken Littles claimed there was going to be a gas shortage—when there wasn't one—and everyone panicked and rushed out for gas, causing a gas shortage.

This is just nuts. And kudos brother Jay and his family who drive a hybrid SUV.

The silver lining, this video posted to a Nashville Scene blog (thanks again to a Nashvillian's FaceBook update).

OMG. LOL.

There is some local humor that may be lost on non-Nashvillians, but trust me, this is funny.

If the embedding is still acting twitchy. Here's the direct link.

UPDATE: Mom informs me that the reason the city is out of gas is that Hurricane Ike destroyed regional production and production lines to the area. Refineries are again operational, but regular fuel deliveries will not resume for a few weeks. What stores do have gas, have rationing (5 gallons) and very long lines. And police to manage the can't-get-on-the road rage.