Remember when there was that big gas shortage? Mom and Dad could only gas up the car on even numbered days or something,based on your license plate # and there were huge lines at the pumps. People bought toyotas, bought motorcycles and mopeds. We were told to shut things off when we left a room, to be aware of our energy usage and not be wasteful. So what happened??? Was it just that whole greed-fueled 1980a Reagan era, people just went crazier and crazier to where we are now with the Hummer and the oil war? sad...we got off course as a nation. It didn't have to be like this, we knew back then, and somebody just decided to blow it off.
Mopeds became the rage in the U.S. too. There's little effort today in the U.S. to conserve energy in terms of public relations messages on TV and radio like there was in the 70s. It's practically the opposite today. The only time bush used the dirty 'conserve' word was right after Katrina when gas was going over $4 a gallon in some places. You could hear his voice cringe when he said it. .
I left Alaska for a trip down the Al-Can hi way bound for California. In 1973 No gas shortages in Alaska, Yukon or British Columbia. Not until I hit Washington state that I saw the odd and even signs, lucky for me I had Alaska plates on my van and didn't have to wait a day to get gas. When I got to the California coast at Eureka, Calif. I saw 7-9 oil tankers at anchor in the harbor. I stopped again for gas and asked what all the tankers were doing anchored in the harbor? I was told all the tank-farms for the refineries were full and the tankers didn't have any place to pump their crude to. Well kids thats when regular gas went from 25 cent a gallon to 42 cents a gallon. It was all bullshit government lies and economics for the fat-cats in the penthouse offices. Makes me almost feel good that gas prices in Sept.06 were 3.13 and now are 2.45, until I think back and get pissed all-over again.... Alaskan
Many of the price hikes are due to speculation that results from the uncertainty that politicians and leaders create, such as invading and overthrowing other countries and the like. There was that kind of uncertainty in the 70s and also during the past 4 years or so. Not to mention price gouging at the pumps. Gas went over $5 a gallon overnight at some stations near me the day after 911 and some people were buying it at that price. The mayor threatened to prosecute anyone doing that. After a few days things starting getting back to normal. .
