How about this idea for a gas war?

[Radio_Guy]

This was an e-mail forwarded to me, and I think this can work. I've edited it for brevity:

Gas prices could hit close to $4.00 a gallon by the end of summer and maybe higher. Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action.

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last year. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt"
ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.

BUT whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..... not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea:

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies, EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. Just Don't buy gas from Mobil/Exxon. BP is fine, Sunoco is fine, just STOP buying from Mobil/Exxon. To entice you to purchase their product, they will start to reduce the prices.

THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Same dumb email I got the other day

From Snopes:

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

Claim: Boycotting a couple of gasoline brands will bring overall gas prices down.

Status: False.

More at link

[RB TexLa]

2. They would still sell gas

the other companies would buy it from them.

[eyepaddle]

4. Both of the first two replies are dead on.

All we can do is drive less and car pool more at this moment.

[oldtime dfl_er]

13. and ride bikes

for chrissake it's summer.

http://www.cafepress.com/scarebaby/999005

[Radio_Guy]

14. I wish I could

I used to ride a bicycle to work, before my contract expired and was not renewed. Now I drive 30 minutes to work. That would be one heck of a bicycle ride.

[oneold1-4u]

18. Mopeds, small scooters

They haven't made these illegal on the streets yet and and kids run around on them all day. The small gas and electric scooters could get thousands to the nearest store or PO for daily trips! Their initial costs are often under $200 ao about four fillups in the economical family car would pay for one!
They are really out for all the profit they can get before people begin making changes.
Even being dissabled we now trip to grocery and PO 2-3 times a week, not 5-6! Cut fuel cost by near $100 even with higher price! When a few thousand people do just a small curbing of travel it will be noticed.
This actually goes for all purchase power, because what we don't have to buy, they will not re-order, and shipping will begin to slow, also using less fuel.
Don't cross the nation for a vacation!

[ekelly]

24. We live in Texas

and although the winters here are mild, the summer is a real bitch for bike riding.

However, my hubby and I have come up with a plan to reduce our gas consumption.
I drive him to work in the morning (about 8 miles) with his bicycle in tow, and he rides home in the evening.
It's not much, but every little bit helps.

Edited to say: I bought gas today for $2.76 and I actually saw people at a station right across the street paying $2.84!

[JesterCS]

3. of course

the only problem with that idea is... americans are lazy and complacent, and would rather go on convenience than intelligence. The dumbed-down masses with their SUV's and soccer-moms will continue to go on with life beleiving the US capable of doing no wrong.

[LiberalVoice]

5. There you have it. nt

[Skink]

7. Interestinly I find my car drives smoothest on Citgo reular.

Why shop anywhere else.

[FSogol]

6. Exxon Mobil are the same company, not the two largest companies

Want to hurt the oil companies?

1. Buy fuel efficient vehicles
2. Carpool
3. Cut down on the number of extra trips. Don't make separate trips to places you drive past during your commute, eg. bank, grocery store, etc.
4. Take a bus or public transportation
5. Dust off your bike
6. If possible, work from home once a week
7. If your company allows flexible hours, try working 4 ten hour days in lieu of 5 eight hour days.

[ptolle]

19. remedies?

The remedies you propose require effort, thinking and forethought, and not to be too cynical or negative I find most people to be rather weak in both categories mostly I should say from laziness. It's just too much hard work to plan errands and the alternative transportation suggestions-bike, public transport, carpooling are just too much of a disruption to etablished routines, and too much of an imposition on personal freedom.Otherwise they're capital suggestions all.

[FSogol]

21. Sure, but the other option is giving our income to Exxon

I'd rather do a little planning.

[Coastie for Truth]

8. Neatest thing -

I saw a Prius with two of those "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbons - but the ribbons said

"Support Our Troops -- Don't Waste Gas"

I also saw "Support Our Troops" yellow ribbons on sale from a street vendor that said


"Support Our Troops -- Ride Transit"

and


"Support Our Troops -- Bike to Work"

:hi:

[TygrBright]

9. Why would you want the price of gas to go DOWN?

We already pay too little for it here in America. Ever bought gas in Europe?

Maybe when gas hits $5 a gallon we'll all trade in the guzzlers for hybrid and/or biofuel vehicles. If it hits $7 or $8 a gallon we might finally demand effective, functional mass transit. If it goes to $10 a gallon we might finally get a few breakthroughs in renewable energy sources.

perversely,
Bright

[Union Thug]

16. I agree in principle..but..

this really does hurt low income wage earners. To afford housing, you often have to live farther from major population centers. To get a job, you typically have to get to that population center. While rising gas prices are an inconvenience to the upper middle class and wealthy among us, for those on moderate and low incomes, it is a disaster.

But I do agree with you. We need a huge push for efficient mass transit and an nationwide initiative to develop safe, clean alternative fuels.

[TygrBright]

25. I know, and I am sorry...

>>While rising gas prices are an inconvenience to the upper middle class and wealthy among us, for those on moderate and low incomes, it is a disaster.<<

I don't wish that kind of disaster on anyone, least of all those who spend their every day fighting off imminent financial and social and domestic disasters.

Nevertheless, I am really beginning to believe we are passing the point of no return on being able to address our social and economic injustices without massive political and social upheaval. And the upheaval process always costs the moderate and low income folks disproportionate pain, even while it (hopefully) ends up adjusting the economic structure to reduce that pain in the long run.

It's a bit like a toothache... you can go on and on and on at a moderate, slowly-escalating level of pain, but at some point it hits a threshhold where the pain gets so bad that yanking the sucker out doesn't look so awful after all.

regretfully,
Bright

[Union Thug]

27. You may be on to something...

Maybe that's what it will take - for people to have to suffer like so many of our forbears in a system that enriches a few at the expense of the many before they engage in the kind of upheaval you suggest. Seems like a horrible waste and a grevious crime to disrespect what was hard won, especially with such cavalier disregard. But maybe the working people of this country need a reminder of just how heartless and predatory this economic system is and why it had to be restrained by federal policy and strong union activity in the first place.

[LSK]

10. best method is to get Democrats the house majority in Nov

Then we can have some investigations into gas price gouging.

[DelawareValleyDem]

11. No matter how many times that one gets debunked

it still gets passed around.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. What people don't realize is that oil is not just about driving cars

It's used for so many things, it would be impossible to put a stop to the prices at the pump just by boycotting.

For example:
Planes would still be flying, semitrucks would still be moving products, agricultural production would continue.

Now, look at this page for a partial list of what one 42-gallon barrel of oil produces:
http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleum.htm

Use and price of petroleum products is not just about gasoline.

[Union Thug]

15. I buy exclusively from Citgo stations! Viva Chavez! n/t

[northzax]

17. sheesh, again?

gas is sold wholesale to the stations. it's not Mobil gas, or Chevron gas, or Citgo gas. it's just plan gas.

[Initech]

20. I'm glad my car is pretty fuel efficient

It only costs me $30 a tank to get a full tank, and I can drive from my house in Orange County to San Fransisco without needing to fill up.

[GeorgeGist]

22. I've been doing it since Exxon/Valdez...

be great to have company.

[RaleighNCDUer]

23. Me too. I stopped buying Exxon multi-years ago, and Shell

shortly after. Texaco about 10 years ago. Will occasionally use BP, but mostly I shop the cheapie off brands now, when I need to, or Citgo. since I only drive @ 350/400 miles/mo, I don't have to fill up very often (though the price shock hits all the harder when I do -- up 60 cents a gallon since my last fill up!!!?).

[0007]

26. I got the e-mail a few days and decided not to post it because

I don't think that's the answer we're looking for.