When I was back in Boston briefly over the weekend I made sure to look at gas stations to see 1. the prices, and 2. whether or not there were plastic bags shoved over the pump handles to let consumers know “No gas here. Drive on.” Because that’s what you find at EVERY GAS STATION IN THE GREATER CHARLOTTE AREA.

The average price up North? Bout $3.50. What a steal. (Stupid 2008. I remember when $3.25 was outrageous). The bags? Not there. Not once. No lines. No mohawk-ed barbarians wearing football pads and leather pants shooting crossbows at me.

On my way to the airport in Charlotte last Thursday I passed four or five stations with no gas. I didn’t think I’d make it to the airport because my needle was far past the “E”. Luckily I did. After finding a place and waiting in line for 15 minutes to get like $5 worth of gas.

After I got home it was time for the hunt again. I pulled out of long term parking, which in Charlotte’s defense is still only like $4 a day, and my needle quickly crept towards negative territory again. Yesterday I left the house to help the ladies at the Green Rice Gallery hang this month’s show and passed no less than 8 stations that were out of all octanes before my truck stated to buck and stall.

Luckily I was meters away from a trucker entrance at a gas station that did have gas. I think the one gas station in all of NC that had gas.

I cranked my stalled truck one last time and with tires squealing pulled into the trucker entrance with the big rigs, cutting off all the other schleps in line. Sweet 87 flowed like wine from the pump and I drove on into the sunset.

Here’s footage of my afternoon yesterday.

Freaky times, man.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 8:10 am and is filed under Uncategorized.