CARLTON FLETCHER: Thoughts on Irma: Wind blew, stuff flew

When the rains came, I thought you’d leave, ‘Cause I knew how much you loved the sun. But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm, Through the darkest nights I’ve ever known.

— Rod Stewart

Staff Photo

Random thoughts about Irma — good riddance! — after spending two nights holed up at a local hotel:

— I’m sure there are business applications that people like me don’t understand, but I was appalled when I drove by some of the local service stations Tuesday morning, and they’d already started dropping gas prices. And, no, it wasn’t the lower costs that teed me off.

It was the fact that gas retailers here and throughout Georgia and Florida apparently gamed the system so that they could squeeze as much money as possible out of desperate people trying to dodge the worst of Irma. With state of emergency declarations a given in Florida, Georgia and parts of Alabama, most of the gas folks raised prices to an ungodly level to head off any possible price-gouging charges once the states of emergency were declared. Sorry, but the gas that was $2.06 a little more than two weeks ago did not suddenly become worth 70 cents a gallon more because of temporary — very temporary — pipeline shutdowns in Texas.

They may have skirted the law by driving gas up beyond even the national average, but I would recommend that all drivers repay the heartless greed of the worst offenders by refusing to buy gas at their stations. I found a couple of places that remained a good 12-17 cents a gallon cheaper than their greedier brethren, and that’s where I’ll buy my gas from now on.

— With all this talk — let me amend that … with all this stupid talk — about such insignificant beings as Barack Obama and Donald Trump being the cause of hurricanes and other natural phenomena by people who obviously open their mouths and let fly whatever pops into their pea brains before thinking about what they’re saying, let’s be clear. There has not been a human being in modern history — and, yes, I’m including Mother Teresa in that group, as amazing as she was — who has enough juice with God to inspire such calamity. If you really believe such nonsense, well, I don’t see how you manage to walk from your Barcalounger to the toilet without a map.

— Given our area’s run of severe weather incidents this year, maybe we ought to find someone local to blame for the straight-line winds, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes, tropical storms and such that we’ve seen in 2017. It’s nothing firm just yet, but I’m leaning toward the local false (self-anointed) prophets who are spreading hate and often lies from the pulpits and other media and social media outlets. Might as well give them credit for something.

— Anyone who continues to deny that we’ve impacted the weather patterns of this planet with our pollution … well, I don’t know what to tell you. Just keep following the politicians and the leeches who profit from the pollutants that are endangering the planet off the edge of that cliff you both seem hell-bent on jumping over. Oh well, as long as we keep the right-thinking politicians in power, what’s a little thing like destroying the planet?

— People love to take shots at local elected and appointed officials, but they certainly don’t mind calling on them when there are issues. I’m sure we’ll hear from some groups who’ll accuse Albany and Dougherty County officials of doing some Irma-related misdeed before all is said and done, but I want to go ahead and get out in front in saying that we probably had way fewer issues than we could have because we have local leaders who planned ahead as the storm was making its way toward land. Before you create a “Albany/Dougherty Officials Supported Irma” Facebook page, maybe you ought to consider the good many of these folks do on behalf of the people of the city and county.

— There were so many acts of kindness shown by local citizens as Floridians and others sought refuge here. I’ve always said and will continue to say: We may have our differences in this community, but when the chips are down and there is a genuine need for help, most of us manage to put aside our differences and lend our friends and neighbors a helping hand. That’s the way communities are supposed to work.

— My favorite quote concerning Irma came from a spry senior citizen who went in to work Tuesday morning to check on her place of business. Asked by a concerned colleague if there was significant damage, this 70-ish ball of fire replied matter-of-factly, “The wind blew and sh— flew.” No one could put it any better.

Email Carlton Fletcher at [email protected]. Follow @ABH_Fletcher on Twitter.