Lines are flowing from the pumps, across the parking lot and into the streets at this Atlanta Quick Trip this morning. A fortunate problem for those stations lucky enough to even have gas today. Many stations around the city have run out and those left with gas are being overrun by drivers looking for the last few precious supplies left in this part of the country. It’s not just a problem in the south’s most populous metropolitan area. Stations from Jackson, Mississippi to Charlotte, North Carolina are bagging and roping off pumps while drivers struggle to find the few that gas at all. Hurricanes Gustav and Ike dealt a double blow to the Gulf Coast drilling and refinery systems in the past few weeks and gas supplies leading into the Southeast have dropped to a mere drip.

Waiting in line to fill-up has become routine for Rick Simmons the past few days. He works for Chimney Solutions, a company that is very busy this time of year as homeowners are readying their fireplaces and furnaces for colder weather. Rick drives about 150 miles per day making his way across metro-Atlanta cleaning and servicing chimneys. He paid $75 for a tank of gas yesterday and was waiting in line this morning before heading out to five service calls.

“It’s not so bad,” Simmons says with a smile. “Most everybody is waiting their turn, being friendly and patient.” Not surprising in a part of America where being courteous to complete strangers comes naturally.

While working with our crew in the congested parking lot of this in-town gas station, I’ve watched drivers waive, smile and make room for one another. Some get out of their cars and chat while waiting to fill-up while others help direct traffic so the person in front of them can back out of impossible situations.

It’s not been completely perfect. There have been a few run-ins among the crush of cars trying to make their way on and off Sidney Marcus Boulevard. Although I can’t hear what some drivers are saying through rolled up windows, I can read lips and facial expressions– a few visual signs of frustration and an occasional horn blowing as cars maneuver to keep their places in line. I’m sure among millions of people trying to gas up today, there will be a few tempers that flare, a few arguments and possibly even a confrontation or two. Realistically, we can’t expect perfect harmony from drivers who have been pushed to their emotional and financial limits by increasing demand on limited supplies and skyrocketing prices at the pump.

If you live in an area that is experiencing a shortage right now, here are a few things to keep in mind. If you don’t need gas, then don’t get it right now. It sounds obvious, but we are told that panic to top off is making the shortage of fuel worse. Too many people are rushing to fill tanks that have ample fuel already. They say that if you are at least half-full, then don’t fill up. Return to your normal gas buying habits — only fill up when you need gas. And finally, be patient. Give yourself plenty of time to wait in a line. Until the supplies are back to normal, everyone will have to wait in the same lines to get gas just like you. Finally, be friendly to others while you wait. Keep your hand off the horn, get out of your car and strike up a conversation. Or maybe you could help someone back out of a difficult parking spot in these jammed lots. The fuel shortage is very frustrating for us all, but a little southern hospitality and kindness among neighbors will go a long way to get us through this latest petroleum-laced drama.