The question about gasoline has been raised, and it is an excellent one. The price at the pump will be a great barometer over the coming weeks and months as to how we are all faring with the Y2K bug.

There are already price quotes on gasoline; anyone checked propane? I ask about this because it is a great, easily stored and portable fuel, and can be used for heating(houses, stoves/food, etc) cooling(absorption type refrigerators and air conditioners) and automotive fuel(conversion kits are easy and fairly cheap).

Add to all of this the relatively low cost(at the moment) and the ease of use(it is fairly low tech to store and hook up) of propane, and one can see why it may be the fuel of choice for stockpiling now and in the coming months(thus driving prices up, along with decreased availability).

When I was up picking up my repaired propane refrigerator in Robert Lee, Texas about a month ago, the good folks there said they had seen a major jump in propane prices(this was at an absorption refrigerator repair shop/propane dealer) from their provider. They were surprised at the price jump, as they bought directly from the refinery(which is not too far from them). I failed to ask them what the price jump was; whish I had, now.

Any and all factual info appreciated.

Peace y'all,

Don

-- Shimoda (enlighten@me.com), January 01, 2000

Answers

I paid $8.14 to fill a 40lb tank on Thursday, that is the same price I have paid for the last two years.

-- William R. Sullivan (wrs@wham.com), January 01, 2000.

Don,

Didn't think that YOU would be asking about gasoline. As I recall, your Travel Air never needed any.

Claudia

-- CD (cdokeefe@firstva.com), January 01, 2000.

Let me know about those cheap kits for converting automobiles. I've got an ancient Celica (1979) that has a beat to hell body, but the engine is -- at 180,000 miles -- just past its break-in period (if you're familiar with that engine, you know I ain't joshin').

I called one place that sells propane conversion stuff, and they said that it was essentially impossible to do it "cheaply or easily" on anything newer than '77 or '78 due to recent regulations.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), January 01, 2000.

DH and I just bought a hundred gallons to top off our tank. It was .85 per gallon. That is up from .70 per gallon just a couple of months ago. FWIW.

-- Sharon (Sking@drought-ridden.com), January 01, 2000.

Funny you should ask. I just filled up the second small tank today...just cause. I paid $0.99 a gal, the same as it has been. The fellow that filled 'er up, told me that yesterday he had pumped 2000 gals of propane in ONE DAY. Many times the normal. "Just crazy" he said. We talked a bit about how happy we were that SFSG. He echoed my sentiments about the good sense it made to be prepared for the unknown.

I'm so glad to have been part of the scaredy cat crowd. I disliked having to experience the fear, and anxiety. But I wouldn't trade the efforts, and coming snide remarks, for a single "Dad I'm hungry". Nope, I wouldn't have been part of the *BLOAT or GLOAT* crowd for all the tea in China!!!

BTW, I haven't and won't go back to the P Pipers crowd ever again either. I'm not sure all's well yet, but my pants will be securely fastened about my waist from here on out! {8^>`X~~

-- Michael (mikeymac@uswest.net), January 01, 2000.