Here's another effect of gasoline price gouging laws: waiting lines.
On Friday, some stations ran out of fuel, some raised prices dramatically and some asked customers not to buy too much gas, said David Parsons, president and chief executive officer of AAA Carolinas.
“The run on gas stations in both Carolinas is creating a crisis before one actually exists,” Parsons said. “We are making a possibly bad situation reality when motorists top off their tanks.”
But by Friday afternoon, some stations in North Carolina were charging nearly $5 a gallon for regular unleaded and more for premium, and some in the Wilmington area were saying $5-a-gallon gas might be just hours away.
And it was apparent by the long lines at many Wilmington-area gas stations that many local residents weren’t taking AAA’s advice. Frank Johnson was one of the many hedging his bet and filling up his tank just in case Ike caused prices to go any higher or gas stations to start running dry.