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Putting the Brakes on Gas

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Because the supply of gas is so tight throughout North Carolina, some gas stations are now limiting how much a person can buy. The gas capping in turn is making it difficult for some people to fill their tanks, reported NBC17.com .

People in North Carolina are paying the third-highest gas prices in the nation, reported NBC17.com . According to the American Automobile Association, the average gas price in North Carolina and in the Triangle is $3.04 per gallon, down a penny from Sunday. Nationally, the average is $2.88 per gallon.

The owner of a Shell station in Cary, N.C., told NBC17.com he never limits the amount of gas his customers can get, but understands why some smaller independent stations are concerned about running out. He agreed that they try to conserve gas so they never have to turn customers away. Running out of gas is a fear for customers, too.

"The transportation system -- no train, no buses -- you drive to go everywhere you want to go," Ibrahim said in the NBC17.com report.

There are some stations in the area where if you pay with a card at the pump, it stops pumping after it hits $50. But, in several cases, you can reinsert your card or pay inside for as much gas as you want, according to the report.

Several gas station owners told NBC 17 that they are just in the business of making money and are not worried about running out of gas. Some of the bigger gas stations also said they get their gas more quickly than the smaller, independently owned stations.

CSNews Online previously reported that The Pantry convenience store chain, based in Sanford, planned to place signs last month at its 1,400 stations throughout the southeast asking motorists to limit their fill-ups to 20 gallons, according to company president Peter Sodini.
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