Getting Gas: A Bloodsport
Few service stations are open, but those that are have lines that stretch into roadways and block intersections.
At the Exxon station at Route 70 and New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood, gas station attendants frantically directed cars coming into the pump area.
They came from multiple directions as drivers made dangerous U-turns in the middle of long lines to point their vehicles' tank access door toward the hoses.
Meanwhile, two men got into a fender-bender at the station's entrance and were arguing as a police officer arrived to take a report.
Getting gas has become sort of a bloodsport at the Jersey Shore - and all over New Jersey - as people in Brick, Long Branch, Eatontown, Toms River and elsewhere are fighting to get a spot at any of the few stations that are open.
And, police say, they're also creating potential traffic hazards by stretching their lines into traffic, blocking intersections and causing traffic jams.
At the Costco Wholesale station in Brick Township, a line stretched down the state highway back to Shorrock Street as hundreds of vehicles waited to reach the pumps.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority, meanwhile, is asking motorists to use extra caution as they travel on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Long lines for fuel are stretching from the service area lots onto the roadways. At Garden State Parkway milepost 98, for example, traffic for the gas station was backed up two miles Wednesday afternoon.
The only storm-related disruptions are at the Grover Cleveland Service Area on the northbound Turnpike between Interchanges 11 and 12 in Woodbridge Township and at the Vaux Hall Service Area at milepost 145 on the northbound Garden State Parkway in Irvington.
The Grover Cleveland Service Area is completely closed because of flooding. The Vaux Hall Service Area remains open for rest rooms and water, but fuel and food services are not available because of power issues.
No fuel, however, is available at the Cheesequake Service Area at milepost 124 in Sayreville because of a maintenance project that was started on Oct. 1 and is scheduled to continue until Nov. 8. Food service and rest rooms remain available at Cheesequake.
On Tuesday night, the parking lot was pitch black as the rest area appeared to be running on generators. Inside, Natonal Guard members munched on cheeseburgers as they squeezed for seats within the big, packed crowd.
Outside, cars were slowly turning away from the dark pumps, going back to the Garden State Parkway with the hope there was somewhere else to go.
TDonohue
5:40 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Please contact us if you need any home repairs or need to rebuild. I myself am an Ocean City resident and we'd like to help get the community back on its feet.
Tim Donohue
http://tecbuilds.com/
GB Shore
7:11 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tim, do you do crawls space work and evaluations?
Rico
6:13 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Hgff
wtf_u_say
9:11 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
TD - cheap ad.
John E
9:21 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Isn't it against the TOS on Patch to place ads?
GB Shore
7:13 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
there are those who need immediate help.....finding someone is tough to come by...get over it with being insulted...it is what it is...that is why you have insurance etc. Maybe YOU folks don't need help and have a childish view, but many of us DO need the help. Why don't YOU try to find someone who has not been affected that can come assist? A-holes....maybe they should prohibit a-holes from making stupid posts...
John E
9:25 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
It would be a smart move to get gas before the hurricane hit ( I did)..to many don't take warnings seriously.
Chico Little
10:30 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
And "too many" don't know the difference between "to" and "too."
GB Shore
7:13 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
uh, maybe folks are running generators...NOTE, when you consume gasoline, it goes away and you need more....I can't believe some of the comments on here...
WMS826
10:28 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Dopes did not fill up before deserve to wait.
GB Shore
7:14 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
See above you moron.
Karen Schachel
10:58 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Maybe some did and need to refuel because they have to get to work. Or maybe they are filling up gas tanks to refuel their generators at their homes that are without power. Maybe some of you should think that instead of mocking people when you don't know. Shouldn't we come together at a time like this???
GB Shore
7:14 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
EXACTLY Karen...what a bunch of moron's and a-holes
Danielle Foundopoulos
11:27 pm on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
People also use gas to power generators to run oxygen machines for the elderly. THINK...before you speak.
John Hayes
7:14 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
It takes less time to drive to PA to buy gas than to wait in line around here.
jsrm1010
7:42 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
People did fill up but some people had to make trips to get what's left if their home in storage and that uses up gas. Maybe instead of mocking people you should get out there and help.
Michael Hendrickson
9:13 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
People should of filled up before the storm hit
GB Shore
10:21 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Another a-hole moron...
Christian
9:27 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
MH - What if people filled up before the storm but ran out of gas for their generators? Glad you are sitting at home with a fridge full of food and the t-stat set to 70, but have some empathy and stop trolling the patch
Michael Hendrickson
9:33 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
You stop trolling the patch..What are you the patch police
GB Shore
10:22 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
Christian isn't the only one who thinks you are a moron
Brenda Gibbons
10:05 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Who cares!! It's the Zombie Apocalypse!
Patch police
10:06 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Knock it off you two!
mindy
10:35 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
People need to get to work . My daughters both work at emergency animal hospital. In Red Bank, they are siphoning tanks while people are in work. Storm brings out both best and worst of people.
Bricktown Lew
11:11 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
It's just very strange to many what the meaning behind STATE OF EMERGENCY means and exactly what TRAFFIC BAN means. During a state of emergency, a traffic ban is place on everyone that is not with emergency services conducting emergency service. That means that stores should have never stayed open to begin with and people should have been prepared for the storm before and not gone out.
As for work, employers should not even be asking employees to get to work. Why? Because nothing should be open and people should not be on the road yet. Also, we now have gas siphoning and looters to start up in full force.
I'm telling you, people are pathetic. The complaints are pathetic. Just be thankful it
wasn't a larger storm. the best part about it will be after a few days when everyone gets power, gas, etc. everyone will forget about this storm and will blow off the warnings for the storms in the future...and then it will start all over again...
John E
11:31 am on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Like I posted before...to many don't take warnings seriously.
ray
2:37 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012
With work and generators people need gas bonehaed
ray
2:38 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Some of us don't have a choice
Meg
3:05 pm on Thursday, November 1, 2012
Citgo on rt 88 and bay ave in pt pleasant beach is open! $20 limit. 711 across street also has power. And to comment on the "state of emergency." I understand everyone being out on the roads makes it hazardous and harder for emergency services to do their job. If this was the case then it should be mandated that people do not need to go into work. Ups and FedEx should not be out delivering packages. But with no power, food supplies running low, what else are we supposed to do? Order food to have delivered via ups.