[Bhavesh]

Originally Posted by RandyO

the only reason a no gas day won't work is cause skeptics won't participate

I'm not sure what you're saying. Is that the opposite of what could happen on the 15th? My guess is in reality, even if a proportionate amount of people that read/remembered to abstain from filling their tanks on May 15th, that total number would be such a small percentage that it won't (independently) make gas prices go up or down.

But are you proposing that even if everyone in the world decided to refrain from filling up on gasoline in a day, that there would always be a small percentage that wouldn't comply and fill up anyways?

Originally Posted by RandyO

oil companies are promoting the idea they are so big, the customer cannot hurt them

seems to make sense

[Wishbone]

So if its stupid and will have no effect on big oil, or if its stupid enough to work if every one doesn't fill up.

what would it hurt YOU to not fill up on the 15th?

[slaps76]

1) It would hurt me because I fill my car almost every day. So I will probably need gas that day, and am not taking the day off of work.

2) I have something called "common sense" and can think for myself, rather than buying into a F'N EMAIL FORWARD, and that lovely sense tells me this is will have zero impact in the real world.

If this really would have a big impact, you'd hear about it in the news rather than just from tools who send emails to their whole address book. Look it up on snopes.com.

Wait....dressing up in a neon green jumpsuit all day this coming Saturday won't "hurt" you at all, right? So why not do it?

[Honclfibr]

Originally Posted by Bhavesh

holding aside the cost of actually obtaining, refining, and transporting the gasoline, why is it cheaper in the US than it is in other countries?

Because other countries fund their federal highway and road services programs using a tax on gasoline. Where as in the U.S. our gasoline taxes are lower because the bulk of our DOT budget comes from the general fund. Which means that people who don't use the roads as much (those who walk, bicycle, use public transportation) pay more than their share of road costs while those who use the roads more than average get somewhat of a "free ride".

You could argue that this is justified because a strong national highway system is vital to national defense and economy. You could also argue that the effective "highway subsidies" that this creates (especially since the creation of the interstate system) has been slowly and surely killing alternative forms of transportation in this country (light rail, heavy rail, intercity busses, etc).

Something to think about next time you read a news article about the government bailing out Amtrak, etc. It's not exactly a level playing field.

[highsider]

Straight up common sense: everyone needs a certain amount of gasoline to get where they need to go. Skipping a day of buying it is going to make the same impact a squirrel fart has on a tornado.

[SEVENSGT]

So here's an idea for both sides of the fugging argument....


Conserve gas as best you can for the whole month, and boycott on the 15th, and 30th of every month. as opposed to starting your car to turn your a/c on so your not so hot, open the fuggin windows, or park in the shade. Walk to the store, walk the kids to the bus stop even in the winter, just bundle up, clothes are cheaper then gas in the long run...



blah blah blah

[TheIglu]

Which will use less gas, reducing profits for the gas company, causing higher prices for them to do business, causing prices to rise.....


As Darrell pointed out, gas is almost an inverse relationship as far as supply/demand. They will not make ANY money if there is a drastic reduction in demand and the supply is kept the same (only way to drive prices down). The business and prices thrive on doing MORE volume, not less.

There is no shortage of crude, there is a shortage of refining capabilities. The last oil refinery built in the US was back in the 70's. Why no new ones? Same reason as everything else, NIMBY.

As much as everyone hates to hear it and refuses to "give in", we are at their complete and total control. We can't do SHIT to get ourselves out of this mess without reducing consumption. Hem and haw all you want about new EPA restrictions, milage requirements, the "last good car you can buy will be in 2009" type of bullshit.

You lie in the bed you make.

At this point the US seems like a crack addict, doing whatever they can to try to get more. People agree we have a problem but refuse to make simple and easy changes to their lifestyle.

I try not to complain when prices go way up. I know it's coming, I know I can do things to reduce my consumption and if I simply don't want to or ignore facts that are overwhelmingly apparent then it's my own damn fault.

(I used about .07 Gallons to get to work today, at $5.00 a gallon it would really put a dent on my lifestyle with a whole $.35 up in smoke)

[Billy]

Originally Posted by Honclfibr

The only thing that will affect gas prices is a consistent and long term change in the way we as americans consume gasoline. Just like a diet, you don't lose weight by starving yourself for one day, you lose weight by making a slow and dedicated change in your diet and excercise habits. Same thing with gas.

Agree x1000000000000

But my guess is that this would cause the price to go up since they arent selling gas and they need to cover the costs of running the oil business

[RandyO]

Nobody gets it, it's nothing about using less gas

I supose unions were never effective in collective barganing

[Honclfibr]

Originally Posted by RandyO

Nobody gets it, it's nothing about using less gas

I supose unions were never effective in collective barganing

Or maybe everybody gets it and you're *gasp* WRONG about something? I realize that you've never considered the possibility that you could ever be wrong about anything, ever, but it does happen to most of us mere mortals now and again.

Unions can be effective for two reasons. First, a strike can directly impact the profits of a company by reducing it's ability to generate revenue. Second, the union communicates directly with the company to negotiate a reasonable solution. As you've been explained over and over again (and managed to pigheadedly ignore) neither situation applies here because A) Not filling up at the pumps has exactly ZERO effect on the gas companies who supply gasoline to the pumps and/or the OPEC companies that control the supply of crude oil, and B) The supply chain for gasoline involves many parties, none of which have the ability to drastically affect the price of gasoline unilaterally so there is therefore noone to negotiate with.