Hunting for a fill-up in metro Atlanta

Out hunting for gas Sunday? You weren’t alone.

With the crush for petroleum shutting closing pumps around metro Atlanta this past weekend, gas stations that still had fuel found themselves serving long lines of thirsty drivers … er, vehicles.

And, high-octane gas? Forget about it. Where gas was available, regular 87 octane usually was it.

Dozens of cars found their way to the QuickTrip at Sydney Marcus Boulevard on Sunday night. At one point, nearly 100 cars lined up to tap the Buckhead pumps, some drivers said.

“All throughout Alpharetta, there was no gas. I’ve been to 10 stations before this one, and I’ve never been to a QuickTrip before. Are we being taken under siege?” said James Marcus, who came to Buckhead from the North Fulton city to fill up his Porche 997.

Mark McClure, of East Cobb County, also drove a long way.

“There was no gas anywhere in East Cobb as of 7 o’clock tonight. We came into town, and we’ve been everywhere along the Cheshire Bridge [Road] area, and nothing. I’m supposed to put premium in this car,” McClure said as he fueled his Acura sedan.

Motorists in many parts of metro Atlanta shared the frustration as what should have been a routine weekend run to the gas station turned into a desperate hunt.

Along a five-mile stretch of Roswell Road in north Atlanta and Sandy Springs, only three of 13 stations had any fuel Sunday afternoon – and one of them ran out while a reporter was there.

“I was supposed to be at work at 1:30, but I’m late because I was looking for gas,” said Keith Downs, a produce supervisor at the Whole Foods in Sandy Springs, as he filled the tank of his utility van with the last remaining drops at the Phillips 66 station at Roswell and Glenridge Drive.

Downs said he stopped at seven gas stations, from his home neighborhood of Cabbagetown to the Phillips 66 in north Atlanta.

Tom Hill, of Atlanta, said he had tried three other stations on Roswell Road before getting in line at the Phillips 66 to fill his Acura SUV, “I haven’t seen anything like this since the ’70s,” he said.

Hakim Hassan, a clerk at the Shell station at Roswell and Powers Ferry roads, Atlanta, said he’s been without gasoline for three days – there’s an “out of gas” sign on his pumps – and he’s been promised a shipment Monday or Tuesday.

That’s too late for some drivers.

“Customers are crying – not complaining – crying,” Hassan said. “They can’t believe the sign outside.”