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Arizona Drivers Deal with Gas Shortages

Aired August 19, 2003 - 13:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Don't horde that fuel and stay calm -- words to live by for Arizona drivers caught in the middle of a gas crunch.
Mike Watkiss of CNN's Phoenix affiliate, KTVK, says despite the shortage and the long lines, motorists are at least exercising patience.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE WATKISS, CNN AFFILIATE KTVK REPORTER (voice-over): In the sizzling valley of the sun, things are always bone dry this time of year, but usually we're talking about a lack of water, not a lack of gasoline.

(on camera): Is it a crisis?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATKISS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's chaos.

WATKISS: Chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is chaos.

WATKISS: You need gas to run your truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day.

WATKISS: Every day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's $40 a day every day.

WATKISS: Forty dollars a day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, now $50 a day.

WATKISS: But, of course, throughout the Phoenix metro area, gas pumps are either completely tapped out or rapidly drying up, as we found out along a stretch of Chandler Boulevard on both sides of the I-10.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I don't understand why -- if they're saying it's just the one pipeline, why is it affecting everything else? And why can't we get the other gas up here? WATKISS: Why can't we?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

WATKISS: You're out of gas?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just ran out of gas.

WATKISS: You just what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just ran out.

WATKISS: You just ran out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATKISS: How long have you been in line?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two hours.

WATKISS: Two hours in line. You're the last person. You know that. They just ran out of gas here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, well, move, so I can get my gas can.

WATKISS: Then get in there. Get in there.

(voice-over): Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is saying this situation is not a crisis, but instead a problem. But, hey, after sitting in a hot car for two hours, only to be turned away at the pumps with fumes in your tank, one person's problem is another person's crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I may get a couple days off of work out of it. Who knows?

WATKISS (on camera): The upside, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

WATKISS: Possible upside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, despite the Arizona gas crunch, emergency vehicles and buses are running on schedule. Fire trucks, ambulances which use diesel fuel, it's not affected by the pipeline problem. And city buses, which many people are turning to when their tanks run dry, use either diesel or natural gas.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired August 19, 2003 - 13:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Don't horde that fuel and stay calm -- words to live by for Arizona drivers caught in the middle of a gas crunch.
Mike Watkiss of CNN's Phoenix affiliate, KTVK, says despite the shortage and the long lines, motorists are at least exercising patience.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE WATKISS, CNN AFFILIATE KTVK REPORTER (voice-over): In the sizzling valley of the sun, things are always bone dry this time of year, but usually we're talking about a lack of water, not a lack of gasoline.

(on camera): Is it a crisis?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATKISS: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's chaos.

WATKISS: Chaos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is chaos.

WATKISS: You need gas to run your truck.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day.

WATKISS: Every day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's $40 a day every day.

WATKISS: Forty dollars a day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, now $50 a day.

WATKISS: But, of course, throughout the Phoenix metro area, gas pumps are either completely tapped out or rapidly drying up, as we found out along a stretch of Chandler Boulevard on both sides of the I-10.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, I don't understand why -- if they're saying it's just the one pipeline, why is it affecting everything else? And why can't we get the other gas up here? WATKISS: Why can't we?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

WATKISS: You're out of gas?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just ran out of gas.

WATKISS: You just what?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just ran out.

WATKISS: You just ran out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

WATKISS: How long have you been in line?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two hours.

WATKISS: Two hours in line. You're the last person. You know that. They just ran out of gas here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, well, move, so I can get my gas can.

WATKISS: Then get in there. Get in there.

(voice-over): Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is saying this situation is not a crisis, but instead a problem. But, hey, after sitting in a hot car for two hours, only to be turned away at the pumps with fumes in your tank, one person's problem is another person's crisis.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I may get a couple days off of work out of it. Who knows?

WATKISS (on camera): The upside, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

WATKISS: Possible upside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, despite the Arizona gas crunch, emergency vehicles and buses are running on schedule. Fire trucks, ambulances which use diesel fuel, it's not affected by the pipeline problem. And city buses, which many people are turning to when their tanks run dry, use either diesel or natural gas.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.