May 15th - Don't Buy Gas

In my opinion, the best way to help reduce demand is to see how long you can go without buying gas, while trying to maximize your fuel economy. I used to have to fill up my gas tank once a week, but now I only have to fill it up once every 2 weeks, and I'm trying to shoot for 3.

I can't yet afford a Prius, but I did buy a ScanGauge II for my 2000 4cyl honda accord, and was able to increase my average MPG from 26.5 to 31-32 mpg. I have saved loads of money on gas!

Instead of boycotting gas on May 15th, I think everyone should boycott driving for one day.

-Mike

 

If you have the same gas mileage every day and drive the same amount of miles every day, then all this plan would do is create a slow day for thousands of gas station attendants on one day and busy long lines on the other days when it's cool to fill up.

Do you think the gas companies will look at that one day receipt and cower in fear, or look at the bulge in their wallet from the day before and the day after and give themselves another 10million dollar bonus?

If you were to successfully get people to not drive one day a month and on average save the planet 1/30 of their overall gas consumption, then you've made a 3.3% impact on overall consumption. That could drive prices down a bit. If you could get people to not drive 1 in 10 days for a year, that's 10% savings across the board.

It doesn't even have to be everyone on the same day for this to work. But, we're not going to do it, so just pay up at the pump.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ May 1 2007, 07:56 AM) [snapback]433213[/snapback]</div>

I bought some yesterday so that must have canceled you out. Sorry about that everyone.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ May 1 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]433234[/snapback]</div>

That's a pretty stupid argument. In the last 6 years gas has gone up by 3.5x the price, as with everything else you stated, but has the minimum wage gone up that high? Are you getting paid 3.5x more than what you were 6 years ago?
I know we have it a lot better than other parts of the world, like say the UK, in terms of gas, but we still shouldn't have to pay such extravagant prices for everything. You act as if the consumer is strong willed and can quit buying things they need, but that's not how it works, if gas went up to $10 a gallon tomorrow, people would still pay it because they need to get to work.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 05:05 PM) [snapback]432906[/snapback]</div>

The 15th is a Tuesday. The odds of me buying gas (unless I'm on a long road trip) on any day other that Friday through Sunday are practically nil. After all, I hardly ever drive more than 300-400 miles in a week.


Dave M.

 

I fill up once every couple of weeks. The chances of May 15th being my fill-up day are pretty small. Even assuming it was not an urban legend.

You want to impact the oil companies? And help the environment? Leave your Prius parked and drive one of these:

[attachmentid=7789]

Zero gallons for all your miles. Top speed around 35 mph. (They claim 40, but that's stretching it.) Range as modified about 40 miles. Real-life figures soon, once I get mine and begin driving it.

 

What do you suggest be done about the 'extravagant' prices? Do you really think the fuel market is artificially inflated? We do indeed have it much better than all other western, industrialized nations, so what gives? How can we be both getting a good deal and ripped off?

It is simple economics. The demand is at a record high, and there is an ever narrowing gap between it and supply. As scarcity increases, so does price. As for folks biting the bullet and paying any price to get to work: this does little in the way of explaining why we drive and consume more and more every year. Clearly these 'outrageous' prices are doing little to curb consumer habits, thus they are not exceedingly high. I understand how everyone sees record oil company profits and instantly thinks we are all being gouged, but this is not truly the case. Take a look at the operating margin of, say, ExxonMobil, and you will see little evidence of gouging. I am well aware that 'big oil' is routinely cast as evil, and in many regards they are arguably so; however, they are doing exactly what capitalism expects of any good corporate entity.

Anyway, I am genuinely curious about what you would do to fix the price of gas.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ewhanley @ May 1 2007, 09:13 PM) [snapback]433673[/snapback]</div>

Well no shi#@ I bought a Prius. Either that or kill the leaders of Big Oil.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ May 1 2007, 01:46 PM) [snapback]433470[/snapback]</div>

Gosh, fun to continue this discussion with you! NOT. My post was not an argument. It was an aswer to your question of why some think that gas is NOT expensive.

Six years ago, I was not paying under $1 for gas. In fact, 25 years ago when I started driving, I was paying $1.50 for gas. It is now a bit over twice that price.

Well, then there really is no problem. If we're willing to pay it, then it is worth it. What's the problem?

Good news! You don't have to pay such extravagant prices for ANYTHING. Just choose not to buy it. Presto. Problem solved. You bought a gasoline Prius to help with the problem. I ride my bicycle and drive an electric car 98% of my road miles. I get about 400 mpg combined.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ May 1 2007, 09:51 PM) [snapback]433733[/snapback]</div>

Take it easy. I wasn't trying to fight with you. By the way, the tone of an awful lot of your posts is quite hostile and dismissive of people who actually try to answer your questions. This sort of behavior doesn't foster rational discussion.

I too bought a Prius, and the exponential decrease in the volume of gasoline that I buy has been a huge relief. I guess that is not really what I am getting at though. You seem to think that the price of gasoline is illegitimate. Should this commodity specifically be exempted from market forces? Please explain.

I understand your frustration, but I think 'kill[ing] the leaders of Big Oil' would cause the price of petroleum to skyrocket. I'm sure (I hope) you're kidding. In case you haven't noticed, the energy market is highly susceptible to even small market perturbations, let alone something as devastating as assassination.

 

I think it's a silly idea. It makes people think they're sending a message but they're not really.

How about a drive the speed limit day? Or week, or life. That would make more sense.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jenayroux @ Apr 30 2007, 09:43 PM) [snapback]432952[/snapback]</div>

Did you even read what I wrote? Where did I say anything about "rich people"? It's economics pure and simple.

And don't you mean "band" together?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ewhanley @ May 2 2007, 01:00 AM) [snapback]433776[/snapback]</div>

That was a joke, I don't see how you got a bad tone from that, or how you could take me seriously after I said I would kill someone. I was being sarcastic. And the only tone I have had that were hostile were with the pretentious electric car dude who calls his prius a 'gas guzzler' and lives in a tree with solar panels, and my thread about SUVs....both those threads didn't offer me any help, they were just controversial and sparked arguments.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ May 2 2007, 10:12 AM) [snapback]433952[/snapback]</div>

Anyone see how comical it is from him to say "I don't see how you got a bad tone from that", then proceeds to rip a member?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ May 2 2007, 10:17 AM) [snapback]433957[/snapback]</div>

Followed by me saying THE ONLY TONE I HAD were with that member, and the SUV thread. So naturally I'd continue to rip on him.
Even then I was joking, i'm just jealous Darrel. The dude lives the way people should have been living 10 years ago. He has good intentions, even though he does say some pretty arrogant things sometimes.

 

Well, if it helps, I won't buy gas on May 15th. Or that week. Possibly not this month. My Prius has about 200 miles on the tank, and now that I can bike most days to work, it'll last quite awhile. Even before that, I'd fill up once a month since I intentionally found a job close to home.

For the record, gas prices increased again this morning, to about $3.15/gal in Chicago suburbs, which is pretty close to the early 1980's level, inflation adjusted. In 2001 it did drop to almost $1/gal, but that was fairly brief (I've kept records since 1999). It's still cheaper than water (bottled).

BTW, Darell is allowed to sound holier-than-thou, because he is. Just accept it and move on.

Edit: update from home, where I could check my records: The low price came on Jan. 23, 2002 at $1.04/gal. Six years ago (May 9, 2001) it was $1.99/gal. So we had quite a bit of fluctuation then too, but the average was about $1.50 for several years.

 

I agree with others that a one-day boycott is useless for a nonperishable commmodity.

If we were not buying bread or milk for a day, then the suppliers would be hurt by dumping spoiled product. The gas stations will simply sell the fuel the next day. Or a week later. You can't boycott long enough for gasoline to go stale.

It might be more effective to boycott one brand, to force them to lower prices to increase sales again. Maybe.

 

I almost wish the gas stations decided to close on May 15, citing they could save costs.

Then maybe everybody would see the senseless of this boycott.

 

My uncle forwarded me the "Don't buy from Exxon or Mobil" version of this idea, and since I don't intentionally do that now I just ignored it.

I do imagine that if we passed by those stations, that gas would be sold to generic stations we stop at instead, so nothing will ever change except the cashier employment at Exxon and Mobil...

 

I'm on vacation and staying at home for the next week. Talk about a great way to not spend any money on gas!