Traveling home to New York for Thanksgiving may be more than I bargained for if gas rationing continues. Though the system was an inconvenience for residents, it eased some of the pressure on gas stations and lightened up lines in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. For non-residents, there may be a bigger issue involved. Will the city be returned to normal in time for Thanksgiving? If not, how might gas rationing in New York affect holiday travel there?

The way the gas rationing system works in New York is that if a license plate ends in an even number, a motorist can fill up on an even day and those with odd plates can fill up on odd days. Plates ending in a letter also fill up on odd days. Unfortunately, there’s been a bit of price gouging with pumps in parts of Queens ranging from $4.19 to $4.59 for regular gas when the average price has been around $3.49. Motorists had to pay for gas with cash, forcing them to go inside to a register, thus making the buying process (and lines) longer. In addition, residents were limited to $40 worth of gas at some stations. Compounding the issue, many of those stations were running out of fuel by day’s end.

I think people are hoping that the issue is resolved completely by the holidays. However, if the city suffers more weather issues, the gas rationing system may stay in place in New York and the term “home for the holidays” may take on a new meaning. Drivers traveling to and from New York and New Jersey should prepare themselves for a long journey and maybe even longer lines.

 

Photo courtesy of freefoto.com.