After Hurricane Sandy: Gas Line Tempers Flare in Port Chester

No surprise, but Port Chester police said tempers did flare in those long lines the developed for gas after Hurricane Sandy put a squeeze on the fuel supply.

On Monday, police said they had to intervene when several New York City residents on line for gas at the BP station on the Post Road got into a dispute. Police said one man was kicked, but he was not injured and no one was arrested.

The incident took place at about 8:45 p.m., when a car cut into the gas line that had developed at the BP station. The men in that car, police said, told station employees that they were about to run out of gas and needed $20 worth of gas so they could get back into the fuel line to buy even more gas.

That story did not sit well with the employees or with others in line.

Police said a 41-year-old Bronx man who was in line for gas - with family members in his car - got out of his car and went to the car that had cut the line. Police said the Bronx man opened a door to the car and then kicked one of the occupants, a 30-year-old Rego Park, Queens, resident.

The Queens man did not require medical attention.

Hurricane Sandy created a temporary gas shortage as many gas stations in the metropolitan area were left without power. Electricity was restored to gas stations on the Post Road in Port Chester on Friday afternoon and they were able to resume fuel sales.

Those stations saw long lines over the weekend as drivers from Port Chester and from as far away as New Jersey and Long Island went to Port Chester when they heard gas was available.