May 15th - Don't Buy Gas

[naterprius]

I'll do what I always do on "don't buy gas day": Go the most expensive gas station in town, and fill up my SUV.

Wanna cut comsumption? Join me, fill your other car with Premium at the priciest station you can find on May 15.

Nate

[Stev0]

Oh, no, not again.

[Somechic]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jmann @ Apr 30 2007, 10:55 PM) [snapback]433000[/snapback]</div>

WTF? Gas prices are not high. What do you spend on chewing gum; bottles water; vacation; premium ice cream; etc.? Until fuel prices affect your spending habits, it ain't high.

On the same topic: why do so many poor people have cell phones?
[/b]

What is your definition of "poor people"? Prepaid cell phone are relatively cheap, as in the $10 range.

I want to know how people who can't afford health insurance can afford to smoke? In NJ, brand name cigarettes (Marlboro, Camel, etc.) are wll over $5/pack.

As far as boycotting gas stations on one day, it will not do much of anything. There are more long term ways to reduce your reliance on oil, which many of the posters here have suggested or actually practice. No harm in suggesting it.

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Apr 30 2007, 09:13 PM) [snapback]432915[/snapback]</div>

It does no good not to buy gas on one day.

If you want to make an impact, get a lot of people to stop buying gas long term.
[/b]

You mean if I don't buy gas for ONE week . . . then buy 2X as much gas, the next week, it doesn't help?

[Stev0]

OK, I did my part and didn't buy any gas yesterday. Did it help?

[iaowings]

Ok so here is what we are really going to do. No one buys a new car for 1 year unless the car is zero emissions. No one in the cities uses their car (unless it is zero emissions) and we all demand that public transportation be hybrid, electric, or zero emissions. We start putting solar panels on out homes and work places etc. we do that for a year and gas prices will be very low because we will not really need our cars all that much after that. everyone has to participate not just some small group off the internet. If we actually did that do you know what the major car companies would do. Suddenly within that year gm would have the ev back and not just one model the other companies would follow with ev cars etc.

[mywhitenoise]

This is how brilliant this plan is. Don't buy gas on the 15th! So then everyone fills up the day before, or day after. The oil companies lose nothing.

[iaowings]

Gm would probably come out with a suburban and an big 3500 pickup that can go 1000K on one charge and tow 12k etc. they would say oh yeah it was s sudden break through in battery technology we were not keeping this a secret.

[mywhitenoise]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jmann @ Apr 30 2007, 09:55 PM) [snapback]433000[/snapback]</div>

WTF? Gas prices are not high. What do you spend on chewing gum; bottles water; vacation; premium ice cream; etc.? Until fuel prices affect your spending habits, it ain't high.

On the same topic: why do so many poor people have cell phones?
[/b]

How are gas prices not high? I remember just 10 years ago when it was $1 a gallon, it's 3 and a half times as much now, and only getting higher by a nickel a week. I remember paying $20 a tank 3 years ago for my corolla, it's $35 now with my Prius...That's $15 more about every 3 weeks, that's $350 a year that I don't need to be spending on gas.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 06:23 PM) [snapback]432929[/snapback]</div>

I know the 1 day thing wouldn't make much if any of an impact... its better than nothing.
[/b]

It isn't better than nothing when the premise is to "lower the price of gas." This keeps people in the mindset that lower prices will solve some sort of problem. Cheap gas is what got us into this mess.

Figure out a way to boycott consumers, and then you'll have something. The only way to make a difference is to use less. Not to fill up on Tuesday, skip Wednesday and fill up again on Thursday. Why does anybody think this will make any difference? And if it DID make a difference, what do people think it would help?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ May 1 2007, 08:22 AM) [snapback]433233[/snapback]</div>

How are gas prices not high? I remember just 10 years ago when it was $1 a gallon, it's 3 and a half times as much now, and only getting higher by a nickel a week. [/b]

How much was a house worth ten years ago? Mine is worth 4x what it was worth ten years back. How about a stay at a hotel? The cost of electricity? A postage stamp?

in 1965, my mom bought her first home for $17,000. First class postage was 5c, a pair of Levi's cost $4, and the price of gas was 35c. Her house is worth $900,000 today, Levi's sell for over $30, etc. Don't forget to account for inflation. Gas is still relatively cheap for what you get - and the price at the pump is still artificially low. We are paying for all kinds of stuff through our taxes that end up being subsidies for oil.

I remember paying $20 a tank 3 years ago for my corolla, it's $35 now with my Prius...That's $15 more about every 3 weeks, that's $350 a year that I don't need to be spending on gas.
[/b]

Do you really expect gas prices to stay the same as the resource is used up? You expect gas prices to stay the same when everything else (except electronics and a few other natable exceptions) goes up? The oil companies can only charge what people are willing to pay. If you need it, you're going to pay for it. Same as with food and water. If you can do without it, then you win.