In September 2023, residents queued at a petrol station in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. A dated Laotian Times caption records the line as concern about fuel availability spread. The government said distribution remained secure, yet a visible wait had formed at the pump.
Fuel powers more than a vehicle: it supports commuting, deliveries and family travel. When confidence in supply weakens, people try to fill up early, and that precaution can lengthen the line further.
Drivers cannot see how much remains in a station's tanks, but they can see every vehicle ahead. Amid uncertain information, they relied on the certainty of an ordered turn.