Don't pump gas on May 15th

[ekstasis16]

There is an email going around with the following message. Who knows if this would have any effect or not, but it might be worth a shot to see what happens.

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Do not pump gas on May 15th.

In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices.
Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On May 15th 2007, try not to go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

The average car takes about 20 to 30 dollars to fill up.

If everybody did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,200,000,000.00 (that's BILLION) out of the oil company's pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the oil industry for at least one day.

[mjs1973]

This has been going around since 1999.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp

[ekstasis16]

Whoops. I just had a friend send me that link. Hadn't seen this message in previous years. Seems to fizzle out every time. Oh well.

[another view]

A friend of mine emailed that same message to me a week ago. We've been "debating" about it ever since. Didn't even think to check Snopes but I never understood how it could work:

1) The small percentage of people who find out about it won't make much difference, even if all of them follow the boycott - hardly likely though.

2) What really caused a .30 decrease? Did it really even happen?

3) How are you sending a message if you still purchase the same amount on a weekly/monthly/annual basis? It's a commodity; price is determined by price and demand. Obviously there's more at work than just that, but quite a bit of it is good 'ol Economics 101. Multi-billion dollar oil companies can survive a heck of a lot longer by not selling gas than you can by not buying it.

[livin4lax09]

the thing is that americans dont have the motivation or the ability to consistently boycott high gas prices. This is how it works... Once gas prices get ridiculously high, more people stop buying. Then the prices drop. Then we just start buying again because the prices are "low" and they just raise them again. we're just not committed enough and most of us are just motivating by immediate reward rather than long-term.

ok the deal with the gas boycott on the 15th...won't work. For reasons listed, and just because everyone who doesnt buy on the 15th will buy on the 16th. a better plan is a much simpler one... don't use as much gas. We all know how we can spend less on gas, but none of us will actually commit to it, we just want someone else to do something about it. carpool, bike to the store, buy a hybrid, do whatever. But people complaining about $3.00 gas prices when they drive their SUV to their friend's house down the street are just idiotic.

And the rumor is that gas prices dropped because companies just decided to show how in control they were so they dropped their prices. All those people who said they wouldn't buy gas saw the cheap gas and said "screw it" and bought it. Therefore, the companies defeated the gas boycott, and quite easily.

[poker]

I read a chain email that made a little more sense. Instead of trying to boycott gas stations on a certain day, it's best to boycott a brand of station instead....like stop getting CHEVRON.

Eventually, Chevron will get hurt and will need to lower their prices to compete. Not sure if it would even work.....I need to take the bus.

[Mr Yuck]

Aww man, I thought this was for the 9th. I came pretty close to empty yesterday..haha.

Oh well, I can do it again.

[another view]

But people complaining about $3.00 gas prices when they drive their SUV

Anybody happen to catch the news story about the guy who drives by all of the gas stations on Staten Island in NY (not that there are probably too many of them) and posts the prices of the three grades of gasoline on his website? He does this every day and was pretty much irate about the whole situation.

They didn't mention the obvious - what he was driving - a Suburban-sized SUV... No passenger other than the news cameraman and possibly a reporter, driving in good weather on paved roads... Maybe he needed it for some reason but they sure didn't make any mention of it.

[adina]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18492185/

[dante]

ride a bike instead. how about not USING gas instead of not BUYING gas on a certain day. reduce demand, and prices will fall.