So, how'd the gas boycott go today? (not a snark post, really wondering)

[uppityperson]

Anyone notice anything different? Gas stations empty? Etc? Not a snark post, really wondering. Thanks.

I noticed our local BIG gas station was very full, they said they hadn't noticed anything, any decrease but an increase since people are worried about gas going higher. Local small station seemed about normal. I live in a small town, wondering about people in other places, big towns, cities.

(edited for typo)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Jerry Falwell died.

All in all, I say it worked out pretty well.

[Lex]

2. Wow, wonder who will be killed by the next gas boycott!

nt

[Clark2008]

3. LOL!!!

:rofl:

I didn't realize it was a gasBAG boycott!

[Starry Messenger]

24. Oh god!

I just nearly snarfed the chedder I was eating into my nasal cavities. Thanks for the laugh!

[Longhorn]

25. Welcome to DU!

It can be hazardous to one's health! :)

[Starry Messenger]

27. thanks!

There's no :putting down the chedder now: emoticon, but there should be!

[DKRC]

32. You're in good company

We had someone snarf a 2" piece of Ramen noodle into their lungs. Welcome to DU!

[DKRC]

28. You owe me a keyboard!

:spray: :rofl:

[Canuckistanian]

31. Hahaha, mission accomplished

And to think I don't pay attention to these things.

On edit: My first post on anything Falwell-related. Probably my last.

[Dorian Gray]

45. I've not been a fan of the Falwell threads today

but your post (bornagainhooligan) totally made me spit out my drink.

[Monkeyman]

4. I had to get gas someone took mine out of the Bike

[firefox_fan]

5. if people consume the same on average...

Boycotting on one day does absolutely nothing...

[uppityperson]

8. I know, been talking this for wks, but wondering if anyone noticed differences

And no, I will not snark in this topic. Will save my snarks for elsewhere.

[firefox_fan]

10. Just by eye, all looked normal in MA...

Did not see anything unusual at gas stations.

[uppityperson]

16. Thanks for the report. I really was wondering, would be nice if there was a change.

[frogcycle]

6. didn't help

I still farted a lot

[bigwillq]

7. I didn't buy gas but I did drive.

I think the boycott should've been that no one drives. ANYWHERE.

I don't think not buying gas will do anything.

But in CT, they said most places went up 10 cents today.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

9. I forgot it was today. But I didn't buy gas anyway.

I did hear on a local news channel (Miami) that during the last boycott, the price of gas went down 30 cents the following day. I found this a little hard to swallow, but so the man said. :shrug:

[uppityperson]

13. 30c is an urban legend. As is 80c... Here are links

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18492185/
Let's start with the price impact of that alleged “gas out.” In the first week of April 1997, the average price of a gallon of gasoline nationwide was $1.248. By the end of the month, the weekly average was $1.24. If there was a one-day drop of 30 cents a gallon, it doesn’t show up in the statistics compiled by the Department of Energy.

Here is a weekly gas price link (can make monthly/annual also
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mg_tt_usw.htm

http://www.click2houston.com/investigates/13225742/detail.html
The e-mail claims, "In April 1997, there was a gas out conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight." The statement is false. There was no "gas out" in 1997.

Davis found one in 1999, but it did not cause gas prices to drop 30 cents per gallon overnight. Reports say it didn't cause prices to drop at all.

That's why experts say the best way to change gas prices is to try and conserve every day and not just for one day a year.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[janx]

12. I didn't buy gas.

Coincidentally, a woman at work mentioned this boycott. The emails have definitely been making the rounds.

[jayfish]

14. It Went So Well That...

gas jumped to $3.43/gal. Nice...

Jay

[uppityperson]

18. yeah, it will be interesting to see what prices do.

Did you notice empty gas stations?

[jayfish]

21. Actually, No.

As a matter of fact, my wife called me today because her sis was in a gigantic line at a gas station just up the road from where I work. She wanted to know what all the commotion was about. Turned out that station was .15-.20 cheaper than all of the other stations in the city. ...played like a bunch of f'ing fiddles.

Jay

[Riddler]

29. No empty stations, but it was $2.99 when I went to work this morning

and $3.09 at the same station on my way home tonight.

[uppityperson]

34. thank you for the report. We keep getting screwed by Big Oil

[tammywammy]

15. I didn't buy gas

But then I wouldn't normally buy gas on a Tuesday anyways. :shrug:

[rusty charly]

17. some reports:

http://news.google.com/news?q=gas%20boycott&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wn

[uppityperson]

19. media are incredible.

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=6513360&nav=2gQc
"But in fact, a gas boycott back in April of 1997 may have made a difference. When motorists took a stand, gas dropped 30 cents a gallon nationwide."

However, this is a myth, an urban legend. Links posted in post #13. I had 1 young woman tell me that it had dropped 80 cents, and she had spent 2 hours on the internet last night looking it up. People listen to emails, but I really wish news media would not report myth as fact.

[elocs]

20. I didn't buy gas today in this little shell game. I bought it on Saturday when I needed it.

A tankful will last me about a month. Actually the way things are going it would make more sense for me to fill up more frequently. If I needed gas today I would have bought it.

Is this how the civil rights bus boycott went in Memphis? Did they not ride the busses for 1 day and pat themselves on the back for really accomplishing something?
Is that how this works?

[sandnsea]

26. That's why it takes the entire country

The only thing the oil companies would notice is an organized boycott.

If everybody simply cut back, that would make the oil companies happy because they'd continue to make the profits without the grief. The population cannot cut back enough to make a substantial impact because of work. The rest won't because they're the ones who figure the free market rules and those who can't afford gas won't buy it, and that'll fix everything in the long run anyway.

So you see, the population joining together is the only thing that makes a statement against massive corporations. Kind of like the truck convoys back in the 70's.

The same people who won't do the gas boycott are the ones who won't move their stock portfolios or boycott the media or anything else that might make a difference. The best they can do is hold a sign on a street corner on a Saturday morning and path THEMselves on the back for "changing the world". It took people willing to economically sacrifice to make civil rights changes, and almost nobody is willing to do that today.

[elocs]

30. The entire country? Everybody?

Tens of millions of people all cooperating toward the same goal. A reality check is in order here.

[sandnsea]

36. Remember the Bonus Army?

They didn't even have instant communication and managed to organize and make a change. We're just pampered and spoiled, that's all.

[firefox_fan]

40. It can be done! After all we are ALL breathing at the same time!

LOL!

[elocs]

55. So who is it who is buying all of these SUVs now?

It doesn't matter what the price of gas is, Americans still love to buy their big gas guzzling vehicles. I bet that there are even some good DUers with SUVs who can rationalize and justify owning them. No, it can't be done because there are far too many who are willing to pay the price of a gallon of gas no matter how high it goes and it is still much lower than in much of the rest of the world.

[uppityperson]

39. I agree with some of this, but a question, how is not buying gas 1 day and economic sacrifice?

People do need to work and work together to make change. It takes sacrifice. I don't understand though how not buying gas 1 day is an economic sacrifice, or any other type sacrifice.

[sandnsea]

41. That's the point

People won't even do that teeny little thing. It's just too fuckin' much trouble. More fun to piss all over everybody else. No matter what it is, somebody always has to be standing on the sidelines throwing rocks.

[GOTV]

73. It's not. It's idiocy to pretend they're "doing something" by paying for gas on a different day...

It was a ridiculously ineffective idea from the get go that asked almost nothing from it's participants and delivered nothing in return.

Ask all those gas boycotters to take public transportation one day a week and watch their numbers dwindle to only those few that are already taking public transportation.

[elocs]

56. Not only would you not get the entire country to participate in a boycott,

you would not even get 10% of the country to do it. You will not change this situation with a boycott because the country is hooked on gas and the oil companies are the pushers. The only way to stop being a junkie is to quit for good and not to boycott your pusher in order to get a lower price on your dope. The pusher knows he has you hooked and he will set the price.

[sandnsea]

60. Americans love to be lied to

Oil, prescription drugs, foreign goods - it's all supply and demand. :sarcasm:

Never mind that we're importing medication from India, but are told we can't buy from Canada because of quality control. Never mind that products never fall in price, no matter how cheap the foreign labor gets. Never mind that we've expanded existing refineries, which the oil companies never tell us.

We just keep bending over and taking it, and believing the lies when corporate America sticks it to us. And no matter the product, we can never boycott, for 1,001 reasons like the ones given in this thread.

I was right the first time. The country is full of fuckwits, lazy and spoiled people who will never inconvenience themselves to make a change.

[elocs]

65. What exactly is the point of using tactics that do not work

unless it is simply to make you feel better in your powerlessness. The nation is split down the middle about politics with each side distrusting the other, but with record high gas prices and increased demand we are magically supposed to join hands and sing Kumbya as we stick it to the oil companies. Ahh, there's nothing like a little, ineffective boycott to make you feel better about yourself and that you are really accomplishing something than actually doing something that works.

[sandnsea]

66. Nothing else DOES work

except boycott. It's always been that way. From the grape boycotts to the tuna boycotts, apartheid boycotts, black musicians refusing to play segregated venues; PETA's KFC boycott, tomato pickers boycotts of McDonalds and Taco Bell. Hell "sanctions" is just a fancy word for boycott.

The nation is not split down the middle on politics. The nation is full of a bunch of fuckwits who believe any stupid thing their political guru tells them to believe - whether it's Newt Gingerich or Ralph Nader or Rush Limbaugh. They say don't boycott, there's no boycott. It's that simple. And they don't want to do anything that would truly give people power, because then they'd be out of a job.

Until we start boycotting these multi-nationals and their lying free market supply-side bullshit, they'll just keep jacking prices higher and higher; and tell you some sob story so you'll cry for them while they just keep piling up their record profits.

This country is so fat and dumb that I don't know if we'll ever recover.

[elocs]

67. I really, really wish that you were in touch with reality.

So boycott buying gas. Guess what? There are lots and lots of other places where oil companies can sell their product and people will pay their price for it. Gas is not grapes. Since you claim this nation is a bunch of fuckwits anyways, then your unreal boycott ideas are useless anyways. So nothing else will work? We have tried everything else? Really? What a surprise.

[sandnsea]

68. Nothing will be tried

It'll just be more whining and more poor people falling off the cliff with nobody noticing. I'm completely in touch with reality, and not surprised at all.

[uppityperson]

69. Ongoing boycotts stand more of a chance of working vs 1 day

[sandnsea]

70. There will never be ongoing boycotts

if we can't even get past the corporatist nattering to put together ONE. The punditry isn't going to tell the people the only power we have is when we act in massive numbers, with a monetary threat.

[GOTV]

74. Boycott then - but don't PRETEND to boycott by changing the day you pay for your dope

[petronius]

22. I'm in Day 4 of a ten-day 'no buy' gas boycott

I do this about 3 times each month; so far I haven't seen much impact...

[uppityperson]

23. Yup, thanks for the report.

[Freddie Stubbs]

72. Are you actually USING less gas?

That is the key to lowering gas prices. Less demand will increase the supply and lower the price.

[Kurovski]

33. I never buy gas, I don't own a car.

But my busdriver claimed she'd "think about it."

I'll have to get back to you to see if she followed through.

[AtomicKitten]

35. haven't left the house today - so I'm still good

although I admit I totally forgot about it

[Exiled in America]

37. I walked today, but not because I "participated" in the boycott:

rather it was because I try to drive less and use less gas every day, not just one. Now if a bunch of people would do that, it would probably make a difference.

[Fox Mulder]

38. That was today?

Damn. I put $20 worth in my tank today. That gave me a whole 1/2 tank! :eyes:

I remember last month when I put in $20 for gas, I got 3/4 tank. x(

[michaz]

42. Didn't do much here. But price went up again!

$3.21 here in Upstate NY on the Canadian Border. $3.11 2 days ago.

[barb162]

43. I noticed no difference, which would be expected

[Madspirit]

44. We didn't use any

We didn't get gas today but I didn't really notice a difference at the stations.
Lee

[uppityperson]

46. Station Shuts Down For Gas Boycott (Michigan)

http://www.wluctv6.com/Global/story.asp?S=6520616&nav=81AX
A word-of-mouth and Internet campaign called for motorists to boycott gas stations Tuesday, and it appears the campaign met with some success in the Upper Peninsula.

In Perkins, the pumps at Hill's General Store were turned off. "Hopefully, maybe this will send a message to other people," said owner Forrest Hill. "Write your Congressman and Senators, and let's get these people to do something."

In Trenary, Tim Nerius, the owner of the Trenary Mini Mart says business was down 70% Tuesday. Motorists were staying away, and Nerius understands why. "I believe the economy is in poor shape and we need something," he said. "This is a big impact on everyone's wallet. I'd like to believe that what we're doing is making a statement in Washington, but I don't know if it's a big enough one."

The current average price for a gallon of unleaded in Michigan is $3.28. That's almost 40 cents more than it was a month ago.

[uppityperson]

47. DNR expert: One-day gas effort won’t affect prices (MO)

http://www.joplinglobe.com/joplin_metro/local_story_135215717.html?keyword=secondarystory
Joplin gas pumps were busy as usual Tuesday — the day of an Internet-driven boycott.

Marcinda Heath, manager at Super Stop, 1201 N. Range Line Road, said business was practically unaffected.

“For a Tuesday, we have been a little slower, but not by much,” Heath said. “Our price even went up this morning from $3.09 to $3.14, and they’re still coming in.”

Drivers also were lined up Tuesday morning at Snak-Atak, 2307 W. Seventh St., to fill their tanks....(more@link)

[uppityperson]

48. Armchair Activism ideas (Gasoline boycott doomed to failure: analysts)

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Gasoline_boycott_doomed_to_failure__05152007.html
A one-day boycott of gasoline stations by US consumers was doomed to failure but could signal the first stirrings of a grass-roots movement angered by soaring pump prices, analysts say.
(clip)

"But I don't think the boycott is going to be effective at all," Slocum added. "Logically it doesn't make any sense whatsoever." Protesting drivers would simply shift their gasoline consumption from one day to another and would not be hurting sales, Slocum said.

"This is armchair activism," he said. "What would be far more effective is if folks spent their day calling up their senator or Congress person and demanded they do something about record oil company profits.

"If you want to make the oil industry nervous, don't threaten them with something you can't threaten them with. What makes more sense is to do something about the record profits the industry is earning.".. (more@link)

[GOTV]

58. I like the term Slactivism

Like Slacker-Activism. Like, I'll participate only in those actions that don't require me to do without the things I want nor which require any time.

[sandnsea]

61. Congress can't do anything, what complete bullshit

The only thing the people can threaten them with is a collective action, one they can hear loud and clear. Empty gas stations. But noooo, people are going to sit around and bitch and do nothing, being discouraged by the fuckwits like this Slocum idiot. Another Naderite pissing all over real action, how surprising. If the people started taking matters into their own hands, what would Ralphie do. Duped again by Ralph Nader, how does it feel?

[provis99]

49. there was a boycott?

I don't own a car. I'm in permanent boycott mode.

[Blue-Jay]

50. Oh ffs.

How many times does this shit need to be debunked before people stop posting about it?

[uppityperson]

51. I was one of the debunkers last wk, got hauled over the coals.So now ask for results.

I have seen little evidence of much change today, either personally, in the news (online) or by report. I was a debunker, but wanted to give those supporters a chance to check in and tell me what happened. I try to never say never, and wanted to give them a chance. I wanted to find out if, as has happened before, I was wrong. So, here we are. Now, how to decrease consumption? I hear there is a Ride Your Bike day fri.

Long term changes are needed.

[piedmont]

54. Oh, this is SO a snark OP. And I love it!

For the record I "participated" in the boycott today. I also "participated" in the world-wide "Eat lunch at exactly 12:34 pm" campaign, too.

[uppityperson]

64. No, a snark OP would be nastier, more snide, condescending.

I came home and searched the news. I did not think much would happen, but would have been very pleased if it had. People have told me some of what I do is useless, but I do it anyway. There is always the chance that someplace a change was made. Post #46 shows 1 place, another below. Symbolic, but still a couple places.

Snark: sacrastic snide
This OP: actually looking for info.

Odd from me, I know, but I am periodically capable of non-snarkiness.

edited to add another clipping of a place that noticed a difference (IL)

http://www.register-mail.com/stories/051607/MAI_BD7VEEOG.GID.shtml
One exception to business as usual seemed to be Beck Oil, 1581 E. Main St.

"It was slower yesterday, in the morning for certain," said manager Rhonda Laake. "We just didn't have a lot of business. People must have paid attention to the boycott."

[frogcycle]

57. well, I would think you'd have had some kind words for my reply above

:)

[Kelly Rupert]

52. Oh, it went great. Tens of millions of people

didn't buy gas. :eyes:

[Freddie Stubbs]

80. Yes, but look at how much the price of gas has fallen

[ProdigalJunkMail]

53. so well that I didn't buy any gas today

but I will fill up tomorrow... :banghead:

sP

[Freddie Stubbs]

71. Was it cheaper because of the boycott?

:shrug:

[Freddie Stubbs]

59. It doesn't appear that gas prices have fallen significantly

In fact, they are higher than they were a week ago:

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

[ScreamingMeemie]

62. Gas went up 15 cents overnight here in SE MI. I think they're being

snarky bastards. :hi:

[porphyrian]

63. I didn't buy any.

Don't have a car.

[bigtree]

75. the one in your mind, or the one folks like me participated in?

No one I talked with who planned on participating held any of the extreme claims of the original appeal or any other as to its potential impact. I expected modest participation and that's what I suppose the effort managed, along with the insults and ridicule which has followed every other effort of its kind.

I've been in many protests and participated in many boycotts, and I seen only a few which had an immediate, noticeable impact. Most were just symbolic and an organizer for future actions. I viewed this effort like that. Most of the detractors of the effort felt comfortable deriding folks for wanting to participate. *But those who did participate got whatever they wanted out of it.

Almost every effort I've attended or participated in came with unrealistic expectations embedded in its appeal. To expect the impact of this gas-out to be visible and noticed would have required more participants. That's why it seems so self-serving to both discourage participation and then harp on the failure of the effort afterward. This is more than a snark post. It's more like one of those transparent 'concern' posts.

Are you concerned that some harm was done in participating? Or, is your concern with the claims of the original organizers?

Does every protest action or boycott have to fall under your definition of success to have any meaning or significance? To continue to call out ridicule on the effort is destructive and self-serving. I really don't believe you have any interest at all in hearing any explanation from participants about what effect they achieved from their own role in the boycott, except to further your earlier efforts to discourage participation.

Slackivism, one poster called our participation, as if the poster knew us personally.

I'm trying to think of a word for such strident anti-activism as you've displayed in all of this.

[greyl]

76. The effect of both is imaginary. nt

[bigtree]

77. so i guess that means that your efforts in . . .anything, are as meaningless

How wonderful to have you (and others) be so definitive and exacting about the successes of my activism for me.

[greyl]

78. Your illogic betrays you.

Point is, this was false activism begun by Right-Wingers, and not nearly as radical as is necessary to affect a positive change with our unsustainable globalized culture. The original emails specified hurting the Middle Eastern oil companies, not helping the community of life on earth.

[uppityperson]

81. You read too much into things. Did you see any change at your local stations?

Simple question, truly wondering about the boycott buying gas 1 day protest, the one that was sent around by email, repeatedly. Of course many protests and boycotts don't have an immediate effect, but asking people to not buy gas on a day, seems like it would have been visible, perhaps someone noticed a decrease in cars at their local stations. It seems that if people didn't buy gas, that people might have noticed, though not sure since I don't hang out at the station much. Did you see the article posted a couple days ago? I found 1 that says they noticed a change in the day.

As far as the rest of your nastiness you try to attribute to me, better luck with the mindreading,and I hope that things change.

[WI_DEM]

79. Nope, saw nothing to indicate the boycott was working (live in Madison, WI)

seemed as busy as ever.