Gentle Reminder: Don't Put Gasoline in a Plastic Bag
Gas shortages occasionally evoke strange behavior from worried drivers. Putting gas in a plastic bag is a bad idea.
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Drivers
still aren’t getting a reprieve at the gas pump
, and feelings of frustration continue to proliferate. And this 2022 edition of fuel woes is eerily reminiscent of a painful episode from 2021.In 2021, the Colonial Pipeline hack caused major gas shortages, and the ensuing panic led some government officials to warn against taking drastic measures.
A supply chain disruption
When a Russian cybercrime group used one password to game the outdated system of a major fuel provider on the East Coast in the spring of 2021, it caused an unfortunate domino effect.
Colonial Pipeline felt pressured to pay the ransom and sever supply lines, lest their business suffer further financial damage, says
The New York Times
. Lines at Eastern and Southern gas stations became predictably long as anxious customers prepared for the worst. But many of these anxious customers were not just filling up their tanks and moving on. In an echo of the previous spring, when the first COVID-19 lockdown saw people panic-purchasing staples in excess, many who had ventured to the gas station had brought along jerry cans to fill with gas. Another supply chain disruption had caused a burst of hoarding.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
Questionable methods for gas
When an emergency appears imminent, more prepared survivalists bring along jerry cans and bear canisters to fill up with supplies. A few nervous DIYers have the same impulse but different equipment.
CBS News
reports that in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline hack, social media flooded with posts depicting people waiting in line at gas stations, some of whom appeared to be filling plastic bags full of gas. Though they acknowledged that the posts were not concurrent with the event, and were in fact a few years old, government officials nevertheless took the opportunity to remind people to avoid this practice. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, says CBS, noted that filling a container not designated for fuel can be quite dangerous.
Gasoline, a notoriously flammable substance, does not play well with others. You could see why carrying around a bag with sloshing pre-fire would be ill-advised.
MORE: What’s the Difference Between Synthetic and Conventional Oil?
Savings beyond fuel
Thankfully, the fuel issues that resulted from the Colonial Pipeline hack were quickly resolved, but lessons are still being learned.
Keeping organizations safe from bad actors remains top-of-mind for U.S. officials, now that we’ve seen a few high-profile cyberattacks on portions of our infrastructure. And down on the more micro-level, we drivers can do our best to keep a cool head under pressure and avoid hoarding supplies—especially if we’re planning to use a plastic bag.
You might not be saving at the gas pump, but you could certainly look for some savings in your car insurance.
Jerry
is a good place to start. A licensed broker, the Jerry app
does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price. This level of service is why Jerry earned a 4.6/5 rating on the App Store and made it the top insurance app in the country.
4.7
