Defiant gas dealer battling Big Oil Goliath in protest

[kpete]

Posted on Wed, May. 31, 2006

Defiant gas dealer battling Big Oil Goliath in protest
MISSION COSTING HIM HIS HOME, LIVELIHOOD
By Ken McLaughlin
Mercury News

Like many Californians these days, Mehdi Shahbazi rails against Big Oil cartels, price gouging and the pain consumers feel at the pump.

But Shahbazi is different: He's a gasoline dealer on a personal mission.

Shahbazi is also going broke because of a long-running battle with Shell Oil. He just lost his $1 million Carmel condo. The pumps at his beloved gas station in Marina have been fenced off. The beer cooler in his mini-mart is empty because he can't pay suppliers. He's living in his minivan.

To some, Shahbazi is on a quixotic campaign of self-destruction. To others, the Iranian immigrant is a David-like character taking on the Goliath of Big Oil in a battle he believes is crucial for middle-class Americans facing record gas prices.

more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/showarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mercurynews.com%2Fmld%2Fmercurynews%2Fnews%2Fspecial_packages%2Fgas_prices%2F14705335.htm%3Ftemplate%3DcontentModules%2Fprintstory.jsp

[SidDithers]

1. I don't know if I could give up as much as him...

interesting article, thanks for posting.

Direct link to Mercury News here:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/gas_prices/14705335.htm

Sid

[earth mom]

2. Good for him!

Those oil bastards are ruthless! :grr:

My dad owned a Mobil station in the mid 1960s and was doing fine until the company put in another Mobil a couple blocks down the same street. Naturally, Dads business was cut in half and after a few years of this b.s. he wanted out. But the greedy Mobil bastards wouldn't let him out of his contract-so Dad walked away and filed bankruptcy at a time when it was an absolutely shameful thing to do.

Regardless, Dad felt justice was served and the bastards got what they deserved-not one fucking dime! :evilgrin:

edit: wrong company!