Don't pump gas on May 15th ....

[JasonKey]

Generally I would never circulate something like this, and likely many of you guys have seen this .. but I like this one, and think its an interesting manipulation. Not vouching for the math, but still, I know things like this do have an impact.

Considering that gas here in the mountains of NC is hitting $2.95 a gallon, I figured, ah what the heck, right?


NO GAS...On May 15th 2007

Don't 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, all internet users are not to go to a gas station in
protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet
network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.

If users do not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00

(that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies 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 Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.

Feel free to post this and forward this around, likely if this hits enough sites and forums, it could actually make a difference.

Have fun folks!

[DrugstoreCowboy]

ill participate.
shouldnt be a problem for me considering it just cost me 65 bucks to fill up last night and now im broke.

[JasonKey]

Originally Posted by DrugstoreCowboy

ill participate.
shouldnt be a problem for me considering it just cost me 65 bucks to fill up last night and now im broke.

ditto

Not exactly an effort here to do this one.

[Chrissi]

I can easily participate. No vehicle. But uh.. is this solely an american thing? I mean, gas prices are terrible in Canada as well - probably worse than america.

[Windscarredfaith]

Lol. I'll tell my parents to participate. xD

[dead_juggalo]

I'll participate.

[leadafro]

Ok...I c Good Idea.I will tell all my friends and post on other sites about this.

[nforcer06164]

Definitely doing this. No reason to feed the greedy oil companies and just allow this insanity to continue.

[JasonKey]

Originally Posted by Chrissi

I can easily participate. No vehicle. But uh.. is this solely an american thing? I mean, gas prices are terrible in Canada as well - probably worse than america.

Truthfully, we all basically participate in a world market of oil purchasing.

Sure, some countries may consume more or less of their domestic supplies, but everyone participates.

So sure, tell folks in Canada and elsewhere, as it will affect the same market.

[paramountgymnst]

i'll tell my parents and put it on myspace...

[stretchypanda]

From the Facebook event "EVERYONE PUMP AS MUCH GAS AS YOU CAN ON MAY 15TH"

I don't like rising gas prices just as much as anyone else. But staging a one-day standoff against the oil companies isn't going to do anything. A real protest would be to forgo using a car for a month, a year, etc. Why not make May the month where everyone uses public transportation? A real protest takes something from the protested; delaying the purchase doesn't take the revenue oil companies receive from a tank of gas, it just delays it.

According to the group advocating a one-day gas abstinence, 73,000,000 myspace members not filling up their cars robs the "evil" oil companies of 2 billion plus. THIS OF COURSE ASSUMES THAT EVERYONE WAS PLANNING ON BUYING GAS THAT DAY. Either way, these people are just going to buy gas the day before or the day after.

(SARCASM)
So in response to these events I suggest that all of us bring every automobile, motorcycle, boat, jet, helicopter, generator and RV to the nearest exxon and top off the tanks. Also on the 15th of May, turn up your heater to 100 plus degrees fahrenheit. Hopefully these efforts can offset the idiocy of these protests.
(END SARCASM)

For more information on how gas protests do not work, have never worked in the 10 years that they have been happening, and how they are basically like getting bulk email or chain letters follow this link:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp

Help combat the (general) stupidity of the nations youth by joining this event that says one day gas protests don't work. American myspace kids are buying into the equivalent of a chain letter, pyramid scheme, publisher's clearinghouse sweepstakes, work-at-home by stapling booklets or assembling jewelry, etc..

[Rebirth0]

People should put posters up or have the school staff make an announcement about this. There are TONS of high school and college students that drive, and get gas every day. School is probably the best place to make an announcement like this. If we bring this to the schools and get at least 20% of the students to do this, it would help a lot.

[stretchypanda]

Uh, I'm sorry?

Oil companies are NOT going to lose money or sleep over just one day of customers not purchasing gas. Half the idiots participating in this stupid demonstration will be certain to fill up on May 14th, and the other half will spend all day on the 15th wishing they hadn't agreed to this stupid protest because now they're stuck at home with no transportation, and rush to the nearest gas station on the 16th.

A gas-out MONTH or even WEEK would be more effective, but we all know Americans are slaves to their own transportation. If so many people didn't NEED gas, the prices wouldn't be so high. So don't tell your mom and dad not to buy gas on just one day, tell them to start carpooling with their coworkers and buy less gas overall.

[JasonKey]

Originally Posted by stretchypanda

Uh, I'm sorry?

Oil companies are NOT going to lose money or sleep over just one day of customers not purchasing gas. Half the idiots participating in this stupid demonstration will be certain to fill up on May 14th, and the other half will spend all day on the 15th wishing they hadn't agreed to this stupid protest because now they're stuck at home with no transportation, and rush to the nearest gas station on the 16th.

A gas-out MONTH or even WEEK would be more effective, but we all know Americans are slaves to their own transportation. If so many people didn't NEED gas, the prices wouldn't be so high. So don't tell your mom and dad not to buy gas on just one day, tell them to start carpooling with their coworkers and buy less gas overall.

Ah, so the only point is the oil companies .. ok. We could always covert this to a Buy At McDonalds day .. or camp out at Walmart day ..

Stretchy, you are focusing on the corporate direct impact, which isn't really the only point. Think about it, if for 1 day, consumers change their behavior, it does send a message. It IS a manipulation.

Rarely do consumers actually speak up with anything significant. This is an easy one to do.

Will it actually save consumers $? No .. will it hurt the oil companies in any significant way? .. No. Will it send a message throughout the participating countries .. possibly. Is it stupid and participated by only idiots? Wow .. I suppose this really gets you going emotionally. You must avoid TV a lot.

The beauty of something like this is .. this an is easy statement. Easier than getting folks to pile in and buy on the same day

[Squeek]

Seriously, do people expect this to work?

Sad, really. It won't even make a dent. In fact, I can see this making them increase the price even higher.

Oil is a monopoly and it will not be toppled any time soon. There's nothing we can do to stop it unless we all decide to take bicycles everywhere. They crush innovation and prevent alternate fuels from ever existing. They skirt the law and blame the most minor things for price hikes.

[nforcer06164]

Originally Posted by Squeek

Sad, really. It won't even make a dent. In fact, I can see this making them increase the price even higher.

Can you explain the logic behind this, please? Because it's going right over my head.

The only justification for raising the price would be to make up for lost revenues. But, these companies are making massive profits every day. A price hike would only make people buy gas less.

I for one would stop driving my car as often as I do if it gets up around, say, $3.50. I and my family simply cannot afford the greed and gouging. The prices around here are ridiculous, almost .60 more than the rest of the country, and it's not even as bad as the city. This will make a statement, and I think I can live without filling my car for a day.

[Squeek]

Spite.

That's how.

Oil prices are a monopoly. They can make something up to put the blame of the price hike, then go ahead and do whatever they want with it.

Hooray for elasticity. Nobody will buy gas less. Take economics. Gas prices are the one thing people care about, but can't do anything about. It's not like McDonalds starts charging $4 for a burger, so you go across the street to Burger King. No. It's Exxon charges $4.50. Mobil charges $4.50. Sunoco charges $4.50. BP charges $4.50. Shell charges $4.50.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elasticity_%28economics%29

One typical application of the concept of elasticity is to consider what happens to consumer demand for a good (for example, a product) when prices increase. As the price of a good rises, consumers will usually demand a lower quantity of that good, perhaps by consuming less, substituting other goods, and so on. The greater the extent to which demand falls as price rises, the greater the price elasticity of demand. However, there may be some goods that consumers require, cannot consume less of, and cannot find substitutes for even if prices rise (for example, certain prescription drugs). Another example is oil and its derivatives such as gasoline. For such goods, the price elasticity of demand might be considered inelastic.

[JasonKey]

Originally Posted by Squeek

Seriously, do people expect this to work?

Sad, really. It won't even make a dent. In fact, I can see this making them increase the price even higher.

Oil is a monopoly and it will not be toppled any time soon. There's nothing we can do to stop it unless we all decide to take bicycles everywhere. They crush innovation and prevent alternate fuels from ever existing. They skirt the law and blame the most minor things for price hikes.

Ah ok .. ya, thats the ticket .. lets do nothing. Come on ... I am not even a massive activist in any way. Past that, I am pretty damn conservative politically. But something like this is simplicity in message delivery.

I think even the critics can handle it .. its just doing nothing.

Its not like I am suggesting something like what the Germans doing, where they are wrapping a glacier to keep it from melting )

[g4z33b0]

You guys know this does absolutely nothing right? The places you buy your gas from will just make more money on May 14th and 16th. GAH Why do I miss these thread? My post would have been so much more worthwhile if it hadn't already been posted. Oh well.

Oil is such a demanded product that no matter how high the prices go, people will still buy it because it is so necessary to everyday life.

[Squeek]

Originally Posted by JasonKey

Ah ok .. ya, thats the ticket .. lets do nothing. Come on ... I am not even a massive activist in any way. Past that, I am pretty damn conservative politically. But something like this is simplicity in message delivery.

I think even the critics can handle it .. its just doing nothing.

Its not like I am suggesting something like what the Germans doing, where they are wrapping a glacier to keep it from melting )

If you want to do something more productive to hurt the oil industry, invest in a bicycle and persuade your friends to do the same.