Authorities are telling the public not to panic over possible gasoline shortages with the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.  So, of course, motorists are panicking and idling in long lines waiting to get to pumps.  Their fears have resulted in one station after another running out of fuel in the Southeast.  Why does this happen?  People are driven by primal fear and distrust of authorities.  It demonstrates the limits of communication.  Telling people not to panic ignites the very reaction one doesn’t want.  There are no good persuasion techniques to overcome such irrationality.  Government’s response should be to limit how much any one person can buy at a time — rationing.  Authorities are not doing that in this case because the problem hasn’t become severe enough.  But it is a reminder that sometimes jawboning doesn’t work.

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