Atlanta drivers facing long gas lines

ATLANTA, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Drivers in Atlanta say they faced long lines at area gas stations Saturday because of a regional gasoline shortage.

University of Georgia campus police Chief Jimmy Williamson said the long lines at Atlanta gas stations could be exacerbated by an influx of football fans for Saturday's Atlanta Football Classic, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Williamson said the Georgia-Alabama college football game could draw so many fans that there simply may not be enough gas for them to complete their journey.

"People traveling from deep south Georgia might get here, and there won't be enough gas for them to get back home," Williamson said. "My advice to you: If you don't have a place to stay or don't have a (game) ticket, you might want to rethink coming."

The increased tourism in Atlanta comes as portions of the southern United States are dealing with the repercussions of the closure of regional refineries due to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Bert Brantley, spokesman for Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue's office, offered a bit of advice to the Journal-Constitution regarding the city's long gas lines.

"If everybody stops filling up every day," he told the newspaper, "we can get back to normal demand."