Scary oil situation

Last night I drove past six gas stations before I found one with any gas to sell... very scary. Odd how unorganized the fuel supply is more than a week after a couple of relatively minor hurricanes.

I am well insulated against such crises. I can ride my bike or walk to work if necessary. Most of the people in my office live 20 miles or more away. I wonder if they'd be able to work from home in times of crisis.

I considered buying a locking gas cap last night, too. Major civil disorder was on the horizon, with people starting to queue up at the pump. What if this were winter and there was no heating oil? My survivalist/permaculture inclinations are validated.

Gas is the latte

Has anyone ever wondered whether gas might be some kind of status symbol? Obviously some people view their cars as ways to prove they are superior to the lowly masses. Do these people really care about how much gas costs, any more than they care about the price of coffee? Isn't it just another way to prove how important they are?