Massive traffic jams, gas shortages plug evacuation routes near Houston |
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Wikinews
September 24, 2005
Before Hurricane Rita arrived, cars idling for hours in traffic jams near Houston began running out of gas, stranding evacuees in their cars.
The New York Times reported Friday morning that "Colossal 100-mile-long traffic jams left many people stranded and out of gas as the huge storm bore down on the Texas coast on Thursday. ... Acknowledging that "being on the highway is a deathtrap," Mayor Bill White asked for military help in rushing scarce fuel to stranded drivers."
The obvious express routes slowed to a crawl. Some drivers reported easy travel on rural roads, while others encountered heavy traffic on two-lane highways. Constantly during the evacuation on two-lane highways, people would take over the other lanes, causing some head-on collisions. Even when the line jumpers didn't get in a wreck, they still slowed the flow of traffic because they had to merge back into the right lane at some point. The general attitude towards these cheaters was very hostile. Curses and hand signals were exchanged. To stop the cheaters, cars would swerve in front of those who tried to pass or not let them merge back in line, often causing an accident, or at least causing a backup in the lane of oncoming traffic. Sometimes blockers would occupy the shoulder as well as the lane to stop them cutting back into the line.
Small towns such as Magnolia were overwhelmed by the evacuees passing through. The majority of gas stations were closed and out of gas, and only a few restaurants were open.
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Police supervised 2 hour wait in line at gas station. At this Shell gas station, police officers are present to make sure that no one cuts in the 1/4 mile, 2 hour line for gas. During evacuation for Hurricane Rita, 2005 Small towns like Magnolia, Texas we're overwhelmed by the evacuees passing through and saw more people than it had in the history of it's town. The majority of gas stations were closed and out of gas, only a few restaurants were open, and the facilities that were open posted "Out of service" signs on the door to avoid heavy traffic, leaving many to take care of business on the side of the road.
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Line jumpers driving on wrong side of road, who were later pulled over by the police. In this picture, the dishonest cheaters took advantage of the fact that a rescue ambulance was speeding through with sirens by grouping into at least 40 cars and following the ambulance, passing the law abiders in the right lane. Later, a few of them were seen speaking with police officers up the road. Let's hope they got what they deserved :P Constantly during the evacuation, on two-way highways, people would take over the other lanes, causing some head-on collisions. Even if the "cutters" didn't get in a wreck or cause one, they still ultimately slowed the flow of traffic because they had to merge back into the right lane at some point and others were forced to allow them pass. The general attitude towards these cheaters was very hostile (from both directions of traffic). Curses and car-to-car hand signals (see w:middle finger) were exchanged. The cars would form in convoys, usually led by an especially heavy duty vehicle, such as an eighteen-wheeler, or a 4x4 truck at least, to ensure that if they got in a collision, casualties would be minimum for their side (this was not the case for the people who wrecked into them). Additionally, alliances were formed, between the many periods with no movement, to stop the cheaters and cars would make plans to swirve in front of people who tried to pass or not let them through when they tried to merge (often causing an accident, or at least causing a backup in the lane of oncoming traffic), or to occupy the shoulder as well as the lane as a way of not letting them cut.
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