Free Gas Leads To Long Lines And Even Fights
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MILWAUKEE — Two vehicles crashed and four people were arrested in excitement over a gasoline giveaway yesterday to reward the city for its safe-driving record.
For the most part, hundreds of drivers waited patiently for hours for about $30 worth of free gasoline each that Allstate Insurance provided at one station.
However, some motorists started lining up before midnight and the queue stretched far from the station into a residential area, trapping some residents in their driveways, a police spokeswoman, Anne Schwartz, said.
That led to fights and arrests for disorderly conduct. In one case, three officers were sent to a hospital as a precaution because they were spattered with blood from someone’s bloodied nose, Ms. Schwartz said. The two crashes apparently occurred when queued-up motorists tried to let friends into line, Ms. Schwartz said. “Any time you offer free gas when it is $3 a gallon, it is not surprising people would get excited,” she said.
