Endless gas lines on the road into Tripoli

Reporting for CBS News is Dana Lewis in Tripoli.

TRIPOLI, Libya - What you see before you cross the border from Tunisia to Libya tells you a lot.

For about two miles approaching the border crossing, vendors sell everything from tires to electronics, but white-plated Libyan cars only stop at the shops selling gasoline. Gasoline in jugs and barrels are loaded into the trunks of cars and onto flatbeds. In Libya they have run dry.

On the two and half hour journey to Tripoli, gas lines are endless. Some run five miles long with cars divided into lanes, bumper to bumper.

But there are no people inside. That's because at the end of the line many gas stations have closed down. Barbed wire has been placed across some entrances. So people have walked away from their cars hoping one day soon the pumps will be switched on. The only stations up and running are diesel. Big trucks get gas. That means the military vehicles are not starving for fuel either.

There are some signs of fighting. In one town, there's some broken glass in store fronts, and bullet holes and chunks of concrete blasted from buildings.

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But the Libyan military seems in control. Checkpoints, about 20 of them, leading to Tripoli are manned with police and army. The closer to Tripoli the more serious the check point, the more soldiers checking trunks and documents.

I saw one anti aircraft gun but for the most part there are few targets for NATO. The armor has been hidden away for the day the rebels make a move towards Tripoli. But that seems months away if the road in is a sign of how far they are away from making a move.

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Today I walked out of the Rixos Hotel where we're being kept under tight control by our Libyan minders.

At the food store, there is plenty of juice and milk and eggs. The shelves are full. There are diapers and baby formula aplenty at the drug store.

I asked about some antibiotics, the woman behind the counter said "we have everything".

People stare. But they don't dare to speak to you. One pharmacy is closed. Rumor has it the man who ran it spoke to a journalist and was arrested or left town.

I can see people want to engage in conversation, but they're not free, not yet.