I really didn't have any idea what the gas prices have been for the last six months.

Then last week my neighbor bought one of those locking gas caps.

I'm like WTF? Where is his trust in his fellow man? What kind of message does that send?

And now I find out gas has jumped about 75 cents a gallon.
It was only about $1.40 last June.

I'll be glad when this guy moves.

 

What a crappy neighbor.

 

This suggestion comes up every 6 months or so, and makes the rounds on message boards and via email. It hasn't worked yet, and it won't anytime soon. Most folks don't have the freedom to simply not drive for a couple days. They have a job to get to, kids that need to go to school and band practice after school at the high school because the band room at the elementary school got flooded out in the last rain. They have to go grocery shopping, and then to the post office. Then the kids want to go to the mall, or over to a friends house that isn't close by, and you get volunteered to pick up 3 of their friends along the way.

Now then, if the plan is to just not buy gas for a couple days, but driving is okay, than two things are going to happen; just before the boycott date, everyone is going to rush to get gas so they can go the couple days without worrying about giving in, and buying gas during the boycott period. If enough people participated in this to make a difference, the rush to get gas beforehand could actually cause the price to go up. The second thing that's going to happen is everyone will be rushing back to get gas after the boycott period ends.

So what will this accomplish? It will give most gas station owners two excellent days for business, and potentially even a reason to raise their prices a couple cents. As mentioned, the only way to reduce the price is to reduce the demand, or increase the supply. Seeing as China is about to surpass us as the number one user of petroleum based products, I don't see either one of those things happening.

Hey, it's still cheaper than milk.

 

The ONLY way any form of boycott would EVER work would be to boycott an ENTIRE oil company and all of its subsidiaries. The whole "pick a day or two/three" strike idea absolutely does nothing at all.

But then again, who are we kidding? Americans won't even get off their asses to go vote, let alone take the time to drive to a different gas station (Even if it would directly benefit them).

Instead, we can all bitch about the problem we contribute to...

 

2.06 at Kroger fuel center today, or, if you spend $100 on groceries you can get 10 cent off per gallon, 1.96

 

Wrong. That oil company would simply wholesale its product to another retailer who would sell it to the public.

The only ones who would be hurt by your plan are the employees of the affected stations and their station owner's if independents.

This idea comes up every time gas prices rise and someone gets a burr under their saddle.

Steve

 

You guys are lucky cos our fuel (gas) price realy sucks big time.

£4.36 for a gallon and diesel is dearer still.
I think thats about $7.63 - man you guys would go mad if you had to pay that price.

And just to rub it in our Goverment make about %70 tax out of it and spend bugger all on the roads :o

 

QUOTE:"Seeing as China is about to surpass us as the number one user of petroleum based products, I don't see either one of those things happening."

That's because China is producing almost everything we buy. Shoes, electronics, even U.S. Flags.We are in a serious trade deficit already. From having a profit to the biggest deficit ever. And no one will get together and unite until the sh*t hits the fan, Then everyone will be "we should've done this" or "we could have done that" It's in human nature to be greedy and destructive. The dominant male can't have only one mate....he has to have ALL of them. Until another comes up to kick his butt and so on and so on. Prices will only keep going up and up.. as inflation and taxes and I bet someone is already trying to figure out a way to charge for air. Heck, Canada and the U.S. are debating as to who has control of the Great Lakes seeing as they are the largest fresh water supply that has not been completely screwed up. But I agree that a boycott will not help any and may cause more turmoil.

 

Everyone blames "big oil". But Oil companies only make 10 cents profit per gallon for all their work of producing it. The government makes 40 cents per gallon in profits (called taxes) for doing absolutely nothing to produce it.
And not only that, the liberals in government have continually worked to keep prices going up. How? by limiting where oil companies can drill. And by strict enviromental regulations that have kept any new gas refinery from being built in the last 30 years.
The price of gas and oil has been based on the market of supply and demand since '81. No one complained when the price (inflation adjusted) of gas dropped for the last 20 years.
Demand has increased and supply has not. It is our responsibility to elect leaders who will allow for more drilling to bring up supply. And then the market will correct itself causing prices to come down, as happened through the 80's and 90's.

 

Wouldn't that be "stickin' it to your neigbors" since the gas tax was upheld in the initiative process?

 

"That's because China is producing almost everything we buy. Shoes, electronics, even U.S. Flags"

I am in the US military, the Navy to be exact. I can go to the NAVY PRIDE SHOP in the Navy Exchange and find all sorts of neat stuff with NAVY logos on it. And no ****, over half of it is made in CHINA, or TAIWAN. Until our duly elected leaders get off of the collective butts and give back work to our own economy, we will continue to be in the debt of other countries. I refuse to buy a foreign vehicle, and try not to buy foreign merchandise. But how can you not when the market is flooded with it, and most of it is of better quality than the US market produces? Would it not be a bad idea to raise the tariff of imported goods? Oh, wait, they'll just pass the increase to the consumers, namely, us. So if theres anyone out there with an answer on how to fight the machine, let us hear it.

 

After being stationed in Europe paying $4-6 a gallon to feed an F-150, the $2 (and some change) price tag here doesn't seem all that bad. But, I do have an issue paying the NC governor $10 in tax every time I fill up. That seems a tad excessive considering the poor condition of the roadways outside the Research Triangle.

Gas prices may go down after we trade in all of our F-150's for Geo's.

 

Worry when you see this:

 

I think that pic was taken at the gas station around the corner from my house....

 

I got it from an email about a year ago