I also remember odd even rationing. Can’t recall if that started in Nixon or Carter though. I’ve often wondered with the personalized plates these days how they would handle odd/even for plates that end in letters or symbols.
My dad had to buy a locking gas cap for our car.
:heynow:
2 Likes
Had to be Carter (or later, I wasn’t old enough to drive during Nixon)
two guys got in an argument on line for gas, the guy who felt he was cut off took off his locking cap, applied it to the other guys car and drove away
1 Like
Carter’s biggest political sin was asking the American people to make small sacrifices during the gasoline shortages. No American President is going to get re-elected by asking voters to put on a sweater and turn down their thermostats by a degree or two, or to save gas by travelling less. That is an attack on Freedom.
5 Likes
5 Likes
It was actually both. The first was in 73/74 under Nixon, the second was 79 under Carter. The former also introduced the 55mph limit to save gas. I had to look it up, not being able to drive either time.
1 Like
I vaguely remember the 73/74 crisis. Lines around the block for gas. 79 was the alternating plates iirc. Not sure - I was just a kid.
Generally when things are hopeless, all we have left is prayer.
1 Like
Or to wear a mask and stand 6 ft away from other people.
1 Like
The 73 crisis was much worse and hit the whole country as it was OPEC getting angry that we supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War.
The 79 crisis was local as it was just the Iranians that stopped selling oil to us after the Shah fell. Iranian oil, it just so happened, was mainly going to Pennsylvania and New Jersey. So they were hard hit and the rest of the country was more or less fine. (Prices went up, but gas could be purchased elsewhere, but it was actually legit hard to come by in most of PA & NJ. Maybe DE as well… not positive.) It didn’t last as long as oil is fungible and there was plenty from other countries once the supply chain logistics were worked out. But for several weeks it was VERY hard to buy gasoline in the affected areas.
Pennsylvania did have even odd day purchases. If your license plate was odd you could buy only on odd days and if it was even you could buy on even days.
We had one of each as my parents registered both cars in PA at the same time when we moved to Philly, so the plates were consecutive. At one point my father observed that if needed they could always switch the plates if they needed gas in the wrong car for the day, but I don’t think they ever actually did that.
2 Likes
Oooof! Why do I like this so much though!
Ooooffff. As I read more about the things that Carter did - He also jump started the craft beer revolution, specifically the legality of homebrewing. Well, now, I have a love-hate relationship to this.
1 Like
Carter was a great former President…did a lot for the country once he was out of office.
This would be why I remember so much discussion of gas prices in the late 70’s, and specifically in New Jersey. I would have guessed 78 bc I’m pretty sure we moved that fall, but we did go back a lot for that first year.
1 Like
Jeff Baena - Aubrey Plaza’s husband - alleged suicide
1 Like
Puff the Magic Dragon was my children’s favorite song that I sang to help them go to sleep. 
1 Like
I always think of the “Meet the Fokkers” segment when Puff the Magic Dragon is mentioned.
My wife and I were huge Peter, Paul and Mary fans. Didn’t see them in a live concert though until after Mary had lost a lot of her vocal range. Peter and Paul still sounded the same though.
RIP Peter.
My mom sang it to me as a child to put me to bed too. I loved that song (and didnt get the drug reference until well into my 30’s…sheltered LOL)
Peter Yarrow insisted to the end that “Puff” had nothing to do with drugs. “It’s a children’s song.”
1 Like