The massive rush of thousands of drivers, rushing to all get gas at the same time, has lead to a gas outage at many gas stations across Dallas and the D/FW area. Rumors of a gas shortage began spreading across the Dallas area on Wednesday, leading to thousands of people topping off the tanks in their cars, even if they didn’t need to get gas.
At one point during the rush for gas and the Dallas Gas Shortage of 2017, some gas stations had lines of cars and trucks 50 cars deep. I saw reports and photos of some hoarding gas, filling up 50 gallon drums in the back of box trucks. Still, others brought their trailers full of gas cans and were filling up every gas can they had.
Dallas Gas Shortage Due to Panicked Drivers
According to the Dallas News, the Dallas Gas shortage was due to panicked drivers. Social media was adding to mass hysteria, and drivers were not thinking right: they just thought that there would be no more gas. Dallas News, on the panicked drivers:
“In the short-term, gas shortages are often created by the panic of people keeping their tanks topped off. This sudden demand throws off the supply. As a result, regular deliveries to pumps — which are based on normal seasonal demand — become inadequate to meet the new rush for gas.
There were multiple reports on social media about long lines in front of gas stations in the D-FW area.
At a 7-Eleven station on Plano Road in Richardson, there were more than a dozen vehicles lined for gas Thursday morning. Mike Aynkulu, the store’s assistant manager, said he wasn’t sure how quickly they’d run out or when they would get resupplied. When the pumps get low, an alarm sounds and a gas truck usually arrives in 30 to 45 minutes, he said. That won’t be the case today.”