Gas prices

[kim tate]

I got the following unsolicited email a few days ago. What do you think?

"Last year on April 30,1999, a gas out was staged across Canada and the U.S. to bring the price of gas down, and it worked. It's time to do something about it again. Only this time let's make it for three days instead of just one. These oil cartels decided to slow production to drive up
gasoline prices. Let's see how many Canadian\American people we can get to ban together for a three day period in April, NOT TO BUY ANY GASOLINE, during those threedays. LETS HAVE A GAS OUT. Do not buy any gasoline from APRIL
7, 2000, THROUGH APRIL 9, 2000. Buy what you need before the dates listed above, or after, but try not to buy any during the GAS OUT. If you want to help, just send this to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. We brought the prices down once before, and we can do it again. Come on North America lets stand together. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!! Even if you receive this 100 times keep passing it around, this way you know everyone is being informed and no one will forget!"

 

[Goose]

I got the same e-mail but don't remember last years "gas-out". Could some economics person tell me how this could work. It's not a boycott because you still buy gas, just not on a few specific days. How is that any different from a large storm or something similar that keeps people from the pumps. From what I know, either supply or demand has to change in order for prices to. It doesn't look like OPEC is going to increase supply, so demand will have to drop. That leaves carpooling(yuck) or alternate vehicles(like my HondaCBR). If I'm wrong, please tell me how so.
I'm no Gandi and don't know much about changing the establishment.

 

[kim tate]

I'm with you Goose. I don't remember last year's gas out and other than making a statement, I can't see this effecting the supply/demand factor. However, my family will participate as it is a painless action.

 

[Michael]

All you guys are gonna have is longer lines when ya go back and buy gas in 3 days. This has no effect whatsoever on gas companies.......sooner or later you'll be back!

Michael

http://jmartin.net/parker/goose.htm

 

[Corey-88K5]

Last year's idea & the same idea prompted for this year did, and will not make a difference. In the scheme of things think about it. If a fuel company (gas station) holds150,000 gal in underground tanks, and normally through out a week people purchase 100,000 gal. What would it matter if in the days following the 9th everybody goes and fills up again. They will still sell 100,00 that week. In short, you are waisting your time. I remember last year, the "Great gas out" there were people at the pumps just as usual. So, fill up when you need it.

Corey
88K5

<font color=blue>Girls Like Guys In Bow Ties</font color=blue>
<font color=red>http://www.geocities.com/corey_perez

 

[Brian 89KBlazer]

I agree with the priciple of showing the gas companies that we're sick of being gouged but like the others said, that strategy is lame. There's another email going around that suggests to boycott one particular station until it lowers its prices to alt least 25% below what they are now and then move on to boycott another. I don't know if this would work any better but I would like one thing explained if anyone can. Why the hell do the North American companies try to blame it on the OPEC Cartel? From what I hear, both Canada and the US are self-sufficient in oil and I know that Canada at least has a surplus and exports some! If that's the case, why can't the US and Canada set their own oil prices? Canada is not even an OPEC country so the lame excuse of blaming OPEC is garbage at best!!

Brian
Still in Search of the TBI KING!!

 

[Scooby90]

I must say, I think everyone has gotten that stupid Email. And I think it wont matter when we go to the pump... they arent dumb, they will know when we will be going last minute to fuel up. We can't really win. Now, I have a '90 Jimmy. It is a gas hog (16 highway) which you can probably all relate to. Fortunately for me, my dad works for a propane company. His intention is to convert to propane. Not only do i get a free switch, i get 500 gallons free in the first year. After that i'll get propane for like 0.50 cents a gallon! Unfortunately, I lose cargo room, as the tank goes in the back. But hey, its probably around a $2K converison... might not be a bad idea if I can get it free. =cP

Nicolé

 

[Steve88]

more details on this filler-of-email-servers:

http://urbanlegends.miningco.com (read the GasOut2000 topic)

or more specifically:
http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/urbanlegends/library/weekly/mcurrent.htm


<font color=red>Steve88</font color=red>

88K5 Silverado (a.k.a. ThunderDog)