The lines, the signs, the fights: In 1970s L.A., gas came at a premium

Los Angeles Times 

Which three-word phrase should always be spoken cautiously? All of them, actually, but that last one -- depending on your choice of ride, a full tank of gas can now cost you within fumes-sniffing distance of a hundred bucks. How did it come to this -- again? Los Angeles is a complex place. In this weekly feature, Patt Morrison is explaining how it works, its history and its culture.