Will you participate in the My 15 Gas Out?

Question

I n April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

In protest of high gas prices, May 15, 2007 is the day that all internet users are requested to not get gasoline.

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 (almost 3 BILLION!) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day.

If you're in agreement, please send this to all on your contact list.

Answer 1

Remind me. . .

I plan to.

Answer 2

1. There was no nationwide "gas out" in 1997. There was one in 1999, but it didn't cause gas prices to drop 30 cents per gallon overnight. In fact, it didn't cause them to drop at all. Despite the popularity of the email campaign, the event itself attracted scant participation and was completely ineffectual.

2. There are over 205 million Internet users in the United States, far more than the 73 million claimed.

3. If, say, a hundred million drivers refused en masse to fill up their tanks on May 15, the total of what they didn't spend could amount to as much as $3 billion. However, it doesn't follow that such a boycott would actually decrease oil companies' revenues by that amount, given that the average sales of gasoline across the entire U.S. is under $1 billion per day in the first place.

4. Whether the total impact was a half-billion, 3 billion, or 10 billion dollars, the sales missed due to a one-day consumer boycott wouldn't hurt the oil companies one bit. Think about it. Every single American who doesn't buy gas on Tuesday is still going to have to fill up their tank on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, making up for Tuesday's losses. Sales for the whole week would be normal, or very close to it.

A meaningful boycott would entail participants actually consuming less fuel -- and doing so in a sustained, disciplined fashion over a defined period of time -- not just choosing to wait a day or two before filling up as usual.

Answer 3

Wow... people are really stupid. Like others here have said, this "gas out" won't do anything to hurt anyone. You wanna make a difference??? STOP DRIVING YOUR DAMN 5 gallon/mile SUV's. Yeah... I know... it's an exaggeration. You get the point.

Now for the real truth... OPEC doesn't even need the US to buy oil to keep prices as high as they want. Ever heard of a little country called China? You think we use a lot of oil?? Laughable...

You think China gives a crap about the environment or conservation? Guess again... they care about developing their nation into an economic, and industrial super-power. You know how they plan to do that? By using every bit of fossil fuel that it takes to get them there.

Wake up and smell what the Rock is cookin'... Bury your head in the sand and keep telling yourself that you can just not buy gas for one day, and then keep driving your GAS HOG. You'll feel better about yourself, and you can sleep at night knowing that you "made a difference."

Answer 4

I would like to see your source of where gas prices dropped 30 cents overnight because of the "gas out". There was no less gas sold that week in April 1997 than would have been sold. People need gas----they either filled up the day before or the day after.

Answer 5

I can do that. Why not carry it further. Boycott the big oil companies such Exxon-Mobil and Shell. Let me tell you what Exxon did in Corpus Christi, Tx.Exxon must have found out we were trying to boycott them. Therefore they bought almost all the gas stations in Corpus under the guise of " Valero". Now we can only buy gas from Exxon and Shell. Exxon can not lower the price of gasoline but they have enough money to buy out other gas companies. Exxon also supplies the gaso to the Super Walmarts.

Answer 6

Don't blame the oil companies on the high prices blame yourselves. We fuel demand they provide us with fuel. It is a pretty competitive industry and while they make a profit they take on great risk and most of that money goes back to the people through high taxes.

If you really want to lower gas prices a one day gas out won't do the trick. Try bombing China. This will greatly reduce demand and price for oil.

Answer 7

so what just because you aren't getting gas on the 15th we will hurt their profits- they do not look at economics on a day to day basis- to truely impact them you would have to stop getting gas for 6months. but then 3/4 of oil is controlled by opec so unless you take the problem to them - nothing will happen.

Answer 8

laughable........is putting it off a day going to hurt exxon who made $24364254366 billion in profits last year?.......

what has to happen is people dont buy gas for weeks......months.......THAT will get exxons attention.....

what happens if the gas companies hear of this boycott and choose to double their prices the day AFTER the boycott?

helllllllllllooooooooooooo

Answer 9

No I won't.

Its about supply and demand. I've seen this chain letter circulate around the internet for years.

The bottom line is that the oil costs more, the refineries can't keep up with demand (by their choice) and so the price continues to escalate.

You really wanna do something about it? Start riding your bike, or using mass transit.

Answer 10

no, and that story about 1997 is a lie.

If everyone cut a day of driving long term, it might help. Short of that, this is a stupid idea

Answer 11

No I will fill up both of my cars. Anybody with half a brain knows this doesn't work.