06/12/2026
**Local Shell is out of regular gas. SW Houston, at a local Shell that I frequent. First time I've ever seen this. It's getting kinda scary now.**
Nothing wakes you up faster than pulling into your usual Shell and realizing regular gas has officially packed its bags and left the chat. The pump is sitting there like, “Super V-Power only today, friend,” while my wallet is in the passenger seat pretending it suddenly doesn’t know me.
I came here expecting a normal fill-up, not a premium-only emotional support session. Regular gas unavailable? That feels like the gas station version of a restaurant saying, “We’re out of water, but champagne is available.” At this point, even the pump screen looks tired. It’s showing numbers like it’s trying to warn me before I make a financially questionable decision.
And of course, the fancy Shell sign behind it is talking about “more performance,” like my car asked for a gym membership. Sir, I just need enough fuel to get home, not unlock race mode on the freeway. Has anyone else seen stations running out of regular lately, or is this just Houston keeping us humble? Would you pay for premium or drive around praying the next station still has the cheap stuff?