NO GAS MAY 15th?

[HAYASHI]

What do you think? and will you participate?

 

there's a lot of debate wether this will have an affect or not by left and right wing parties.

 

if you havent read or heard about it, here's a copy:

 

NO GAS...On May 15th 2007

 

Don't pump gas on May 15th!!!!!!!!!!!!! MARK IT IN YOUR DAY PLANNER, ON YOUR CALENDAR, IN YOUR CELL PHONE, ON YOUR LAPTOP or WHEREVER YOU CAN AND WILL BE REMINDED!!!!!

...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 to not 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 all users did 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.

[Blazen_AZN]

Is the April 1997 part true?

 

I find that hard to believe. People need gas no matter the price, lowering it isn't going to all of the sudden get people to change their minds about needing gas...

[Ryan King]

Im going to PUMP gas on May 15th JUST to throw off the count!

 

Its not going to change anything..its only for ONE day! The prices will go RIGHT back up again. Its ridiculous!

 

-Ryan

[pete4winds]

^ It won't even cause gas prices to go down in the first place, and this is why: http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp

 

By now it's a fairly well-established fact that these "boycott gas on ___ day" campaigns are useless at best.

 

Oddly, this latest one even made the rounds on various major news outlets this week. I'd like a large order of slow news day with a side order of pointless, please?

 

Some statistics (analyzing both the original April 1997 claim and the current campaign), from MSNBC:

 

Let's start with the price impact of that alleged “gas out.” In the first week of April 1997, the average price of a gallon of gasoline nationwide was $1.248. By the end of the month, the weekly average was $1.24. If there was a one-day drop of 30 cents a gallon, it doesn’t show up in the statistics compiled by the Department of Energy. (We realize that many readers who are passionate about pump prices believe that this government agency is just a shill for the oil industry, ready to cover up what’s “really going on.” But humor us just this once.)

 

Some of the other numbers in this widely circulated mail don't add up either. There are more like 200 million-plus Web users in the U.S., not 73 million. And the $2.3 billion daily revenue figure assumes everyone fills their tank every day, which they don't.

[alanjonesbath]

We've had these 'boycott' days in the UK a few times over the past few years, and they haven't made a bit of difference

[coaster05]

I will buy gas that day since there will be less of a line thanks to this well thought out and original plan. The gas prices suck which is obvious, but our gas is still way lower than most other developed nations so we need to deal with it. One day would not cause any dent in the price at all nor would it hurt the companies, because the next day would just cause a pop in usage since all the people who didn't fuel up the previous day would have to buy on the 16th.

[AznShortBoi8021]

High gas prices is what we need. Oil doesn't last forever.

[crazyrider06]

I wil not be buying gas that day. Supply and demand. i read a big article on this yesterday. the only reason why prices are going up, is because of the high demand of it. the more demand for it, the higher the cost. right now it goes for $70 a barrel, and this is causing all places to raise their gas prices to make up for it.

[Canadmos]

If I need gas that day, I will be buying it.

 

I think this whole thing is stupid. How is one day of not buying gas going to make a difference? If you don't fill up on the 15th, you probably will the next day. Do you think that these billionaire oil companies are going to even care or notice a little blip if a few people don't fill on this specific day?

 

It makes no difference what day you fill up and what day you don't, you will still need to at some point.

 

If you are going to boycott something, actually boycott it. Doing it for a single day is rather lame. If you are really serious about taking the issue to the pumps, simply use LESS.

[AndrewCT]

Wow, this is a great idea.. again

 

Gas prices aren't going to go down, the only thing they are going to do is go up, because the demand for gas is going to be twice as much in a day or two, and the stations will make a bundle off of it. Also, the lines for gas will be crazy.

 

 

It never works, it just gives the oil companies more money.

[Cameron]

All that's missing from the boycott is "send this immediately to 10 of your friends, and your secret crush will fall madly in-love with you".

 

It's nonsense..

 

If all users did 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

 

Which will cause the oil companies to raise prices in an effort to make up for the loss.

 

Cameron.

[Wes]

Anyone who thinks this will work needs to figure out why gullible isn't in the dictionary.

[bgwfreak]

That email goes around every year now (I got it this year too).

 

Honestly, the amount of people that would actually do this is so small that it won't even make a difference.

 

And what if we all did? It's not like we can go weeks without gas. We'll just all go get gas the next day, so what.

 

I honestly get so sick of these types of emails going around.

 

Boycott Disney, Gas, whatever, you name it.

 

What I find funny is that this email has been going around, even before the jacked up the prices after Katrina.

 

Someone really needs to get a life and stop sending the stupid thing.

 

I wish more people would do like me...delete.

[KrakenKing]

My thoughts on this (ridiculous) idea:

 

On May 15th, lets say you need to do some shopping, go to work, go to school, anything of the sort. By the end of the day, your gas gauge is down. On May 16th you do more driving for some reason or another... so then your gas gauge is very low. So you go and fill up your tank of gas at the same price. Same amount enters your tank no matter what. They're not going to lose any significant profit unless people decide to walk or use some other (Non gas powered) vehicle.

 

It's a stupid idea.

 

/rant

[thrillrideseeker]

I saw this in a myspace bulletin. I do not think it will work. I mean people would have to go without pumping gas for like a week for it to be effective. Just one day of people not pumping gas is not going to make that big of an impact. Atleast I don't think it will. Meh... I will not pump gas on the 15th but that is just because I am not going anywhere so I will not really need any gas.

~Matthew

[FlyingScooter]

It won't do a thing. They'll just raise the price on the 16th to make up for it.

 

Just because you take one day and don't pump gas, you'll still be using the same amount of gas and when you do fill-up, you'll just have to get more.

[cfc]

Exactly what would we be protesting in the U.S. with this one-day boycott--having the lowest gasoline prices in the industrialized world?

[missingmusician]

The only real way for this to have any real affect on ANYTHING is if people don't drive on May 15th. If people drive and don't pump gas that day, they're either going to be pumping the day before or the day after. People still have to put fuel in their cars.

[larrygator]

Here is how to protest high gas prices.

 

1 - buy the most fuel efficient car that fits your "needs", not your desires

2 - don't drive if walking and public transportation are a feasible option

3 - don't buy any additional goods at the gas station (food, drinks, smokes, milk or bread)

 

Now if the purpose of this day was to get everyone not to drive at all on May 15th, that would save gas but is also not feasible.

 

Not buying gas for one day does nothing since you are going to buy that gas the next day.

[I love DW]

3 - don't buy any additional goods at the gas station (food, drinks, smokes, milk or bread.

 

All of those ideas that you listed work except this one. Actually not buying anything else in the store may save you then but they will just raise the price of gas to make up for the money they stop making inside. Plus not buying gas hurts the gas company more than the station. Most stations actually make more money on the stuff inside more than they do on the gas itself. So not buying inside will raise gas prices at that certain station then.

[ghost007jas]

I wont be pumping gas on the 15th... not that I have a car to pump it into

[Homer]

Its retarded, plain and simple. The oil companies will end up getting your money some other day.

 

If you REALLY want this crap to be successful, then stop using oil altogether, take public transport, etc. But even THAT uses oil...

[Carnage]

This is no different than a child holding his breath to try and get his way.

 

It doesn't work.

 

Just suck it up and stop buying gas guzzling SUVs.

[swampfox]

I put that I don't care. Because I'm not going to gripe at people for believing the plan will work, because it's stupid to do so, and I'm not going to care if people do pump gas, as it's their money/car.

 

In my opinion, it's really bazaar that people get so worked up over if this will work or not. Internet people are so touchy. My god, it's just a boycott. To those complaining about gas, I have to say "my god, it's just gas."

[Airtime&Gravity]

I will put gas in my car because it would be pointless to take part in the boycott. I'm waiting(I hope this happens...well except for the economic cost to me) for gas to hit $5 a gallon because then people might finally understand our addiction to oil, and we will move towards a more fuel efficient society. The only other thing is if we all quit buying oil, but that will never happen until gas prices are so high that people find other ways to get around.

 

Airtime-it is called supply and demand people...they have the supply, and you demand it-&Gravity