Hurricane Sandy Slams Motorists

Starting on Nov. 9, New York City and Long Island will join New Jersey in rationing gasoline to reduce the blocks-long wait motorists have faced since Hurricane Sandy shut stations and disrupted supplies. Drivers with license plates ending in an odd number or a letter or other character can buy on odd-numbered days; those whose plates end in an even number or zero, on even-numbered days. For some, gas rationing is a painful reminder of the 1970s gas crises. But as the following slides show, those gas shortages led to even stronger government intervention—and some truly bizarre behavior.