# What's the Point of Even/Odd Gas Rationing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-even-odd-gas-rationing/639979>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2012, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-even-odd-gas-rationing/639979 "2012-11-05T18:05:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-even-odd-gas-rationing/639979/41 "2012-11-13T04:51:41Z")

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> [@Learjeff](#):
>
> We could avoid lines completely, by scratching the “anti-gouge” laws, letting station owners price their products according to demand. Then there would be no lines, but prices would go up.

I think you greatly overestimate the ability of markets to function in times of crisis. Especially when the concerns are not just efficiency, but also fairness in terms of who gets gas. Rationing via price doesn’t do anything to ensure the right people get gas (eg. old people, sick people, etc.).

Plus, allowing price gouging makes markets more susceptible to failure caused by violence and reduced future social cohesion. Do you really want cops guarding store supplies in an emergency situation because he had the gall to try to rip a bunch of angry, desperate people off?

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