Combating Gas Prices

[Gamer4Fire]

I read Xsyven's lament on how high the gas prices were and it reminded me of this email that was forwarded to me and that I, likewise, forwarded out.

GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work

This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. It ' s worth your consideration.

Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $4.00 a gallon by next summer and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some intelligent, united action. Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.

This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.

BUT, whoever thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us! By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..... not sellers. With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves. How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea:

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out at this point.... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people.

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us sends it to at least ten more (30 x 10 =3D 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 =3D 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers. If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, th! en 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE >>>>HUNDRED MILLION >>>>PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all. (If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am, so trust me on this one.)

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you?

Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.

THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

To cut it short, do NOT purchase fuel from any EXXON/MOBIL stations. If enough people (it doesn't need to be everyone) stops buying from this supplier, their revenue will decrease to the point where they lower their prices. When the other suppliers follow suit, we continue to NOT buy from exxon/mobil until EVERYONE drops to $1.20 a gallon. Copy/Paste and email to everyone in your contact list, highest dissemination possible.

 

[Evil Eye]

Any chance we could get a list of subordinate companies, so people don't accidentally ignore the boycott?



...


And a list of Canadian subordinate companies for Exxon and Mobil?

 

[Virgilijus]

I don't think it will work. There are enough greedy people out there that once Exxon hits $1.70 or any other comparatively low price that they would go and buy from them instead of waiting for it to go down even more.

 

[TakDragon7]

Ever since we went to Iraq, gas prices have got up a whole lot. If we didn't go to war, gas prices would've been ok.

 

[Varuna]

maybe so but you can't really say for sure, it might have to do half of the refineries in Louisiana wiped out for a bit, yes Louisiana turns alot of oil into gas for us, it might also have to do with other countries starting to refuse us oil there are different types of oil needed for different types of gasoline, it might also be that the people mining this oil are just greedy, or even that the stuff is getting more scarce.

 

[TakDragon7]

One of the reasons why they go up because people ned gas for hteir cas or what not. The guys who run the companies and all raise them cuz they know that they'll get lots of money from it.

 

[Chill]

I don't buy any gas from those companies so I'm already half way there.

 

[GoldShadow]

It's ridiculous to think something like this would work. It never will, and I don't know why people who don't understand economics continue to try and come up with these kinds of plans.


I also hate how so many people complain about "high" gas prices. Europeans and others around the world generally pay upwards of $5.00 or $6.00 per gallon. The US has one of the lowest gas prices in the world.

 

[TakDragon7]

Are Exxon and Mobil companies gone? I heard my dad talking about that or something.

 

[Tera253]

maybe so but you can't really say for sure, it might have to do half of the refineries in Louisiana wiped out for a bit, yes Louisiana turns alot of oil into gas for us, it might also have to do with other countries starting to refuse us oil there are different types of oil needed for different types of gasoline, it might also be that the people mining this oil are just greedy, or even that the stuff is getting more scarce.

yeah, but gas prices began soraing in 2003. Katrina ***** New Orleans in 2005.
~Tera253~

 

[Crimson King]

You guys don't get how gas prices work do you? I have a friend who's dad explained it to me some years back. No matter how cheap oil gets, gas companies will keep the prices extra high. He worked for Exxon at the time and stated that even when the cost of a barrel was dropping, the price of gas was always on the rise due to the costs to refine it. They were able to refine more gas per barrel of oil, but it just costs them a lot more.

In short, it's a neat idea, but really, you won't put a dent into it.

Plus, they expect to reach 300 million people. Well, we just hit 300 million AMERICANS recently and let's assume 100 million of those are immigrants, children, or elderly who don't drive regularly. That leaves just 200 million. Subtract from that number about 10 20 million of the poor souls who don't use a computer (until I got to college, I never knew people didn't own one) and you will have enough to keep the oil companies a float.

 

[Rici]

Will you bloody Americans please stop whining. Like GoldShadow already said, we Europeans have to pay alot more then you guys. I just calculated what I'm paying for 1 gallon of Euro 95(gasoline) and that's 6,18 US Dollars / gallon. As you can see this is twice as much as you guys have to pay.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

You people are all so pessimistic. I just laid before you an excellent example of how a free market economy works, and you all complain about it.

And Crimson King, if you think the cost of refining has been going up as the years go by, you are truly naive. Not only has the newer technologies allowed them to refine a greater amount of gasoline (as well as all other crude refined fuels, gasoline is just one) from oil with less waste, but the processes themselves have become cheaper.

You'd be hard pressed to find a CEO in any company who would trade better tech for less profit. For one, the stockholders wouldn't allow it.

The reason gas prices have been going up, oil prices have been going up and gas companies have been making record breaking profits is because we are willing to pay so much more for their gas. This article highlights a way we can use the market to lower gas prices, slough off one of the companies. They lower their prices, the rest lower their prices to match the market and continue to until we choose otherwise.


To all of you who moan and complain that, "It's ridiculous to think something like this would work," you are just cowards who are too afraid to try anything. You'd rather maintain the status quo because any change, even for the better, scares you.

For your second point, Crimson King, we don't need everyone. All we want to do is "keep [them] afloat." Let them make barely enough to cover costs until they lower the price to start making a profit again. And continue until we get the price we demand.

 

[GoldShadow]

I'm not going to lower my quality of living and convenience for something we all know will not work. You simply can't get people to stop buying gas, even if it's just from one company. The economics behind this whole plan are unfounded at best. It's not pessimism necessarily, it's realism. Because believe me, if I can change something for the better, I definitely will do it; but this plan is entirely implausible.

 

[Crimson King]

Actually, GS, you aren't gonna lower your standard of living since Exxon/Mobil set prices. None can really go above that without losing money. The most you'd have to do is drive to a different gas station.

 

[Eor]

I remember this from last year. A guy in my spanish class was talking to me about it.

It failed.

 

[joshisrad]

This thread is FULL of logical fallacies from all sides. It's certainly not a mystery why it's in here and not the debate hall.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

I'm not going to lower my quality of living and convenience for something we all know will not work. You simply can't get people to stop buying gas, even if it's just from one company. The economics behind this whole plan are unfounded at best. It's not pessimism necessarily, it's realism. Because believe me, if I can change something for the better, I definitely will do it; but this plan is entirely implausible.

You have problems not getting gas at Exxon/Mobil? Are they the only gas station in town or something? You must live in one of the most (un)interesting places on this earth.

I remember this from last year. A guy in my spanish class was talking to me about it.

It failed.

You're kidding right? A guy in your spanish class convinced a large portion of your local population to boycott a certain brand of gas and it failed. I don't believe you and I don't know why.

This thread is FULL of logical fallacies from all sides. It's certainly not a mystery why it's in here and not the debate hall.

Logical fallacies, really? Such as?

 

[joshisrad]

Such as the two sections you quoted in the very same post which you posed this question to me, to start. Eorlingas' was implicit. Q, therefore P. I saw a similar situation happen in the past. It failed. Therefore, this one will too. Flawed reasoning.
And if I were you, thread creator, I'd do some research on logical fallacies. Particularly "slippery slope." You may find it interesting.

ps way to completely misunderstand what eorlingas was saying.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

Such as the two sections you quoted in the very same post which you posed this question to me, to start. Eorlingas' was implicit. Q, therefore P. I saw a similar situation happen in the past. It failed. Therefore, this one will too. Flawed reasoning.
And if I were you, thread creator, I'd do some research on logical fallacies. Particularly "slippery slope." You may find it interesting.

ps way to completely misunderstand what eorlingas was saying.

Well mister high and mighty... I still don't have a clue what you are talking about. For one, a slippery slope needn't be invalid nor illogical.

And I personally wouldn't call the idea a slippery slope (it usually denotes a negative outcome). The use of market pressures to force a price change sounds like stuff out of my economics (or possibly social studies) text book.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

Wow.....uhhh I've never seen someone so upset about a topic like this. I don't know if you realize this G4F, but you sound like you're pretty angry with everyone here.

Sorry if I upset you G4F, but I'd have to agree with everyone else in this topic. I'm completing my degree in economics in a couple of weeks, and from everything that I've learned, I know that this cannot work.

As you can see with the graph, which many people have been trying to explain, the initial idea would work. The price would lower because less is demanded. BUT people are greedy. The other companies know that this one supplier, although it is a large one, is taking a temporary hit and will not change their prices.

This would all happen very quickly because as soon as someone sees the Exxon across the street has lower prices, they have the incentive to get their gas there because it is cheaper. Eventually, Exxons prices will rise right back up to where they were in the first place.

It is kind of hard to explain to people who haven't been through the classes I've been through, but the like you said G4F, the market determines the prices. But, you are thinking that the price will go down. That isn't possible because the demand curve stays the same. Unless something completely shifts the market demand curve down (for example techonology: hybrid cars, less quantity demanded, market curve shifts down for gas, lower prices) the demand curve will shift right back to where it was to begin with. There is no way to lower gas by boycotting the product, because for one, not enough people know about this plot, and for two, people will buy it because the price is lower and they are more elastic.

I know this is very wordy, but I hope it answers your question. I wish we could all work together to get the prices lower, but it's not possible. Exxon's prices don't determine the market price of gas.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

I sound angry? I'm just trying to explain an idea that seems so easy. And how do you know it won't work unless someone tries? It is always easy to do nothing. If nothing else, we can screw over one gas company.

Well I guess its back to plan B. Its a good thing that we can always go back to plan B. Let me see, *dusts off paper* "Firebomb all the gas stations so that no one can get gas until they learn to live without it."

... Okay, so onto plan C.

 

[Sporkman]

OR you could use public transport more often.

Now wasn't that easy. Some of you are so ignorant it's depressing. I say some, I mean G4F.

Like as has already been said, and consequently proved, the idea would never work. For starters it's based on mass human will power, and from there you know it isn't gonna work. But if it did, and economics worked as you said, then all you would do is change who the dominant company is.
I have no knowledge in this except for other examples and that is the whole technology thing will most likely be trying to preserve oil and make it last longer etc etc, which in all honesty is trying to do you a favour in keeping oil lasting longer for the planet and keeping fuel prices as low as possible/reducing them/slowing the rate of inflation.

And your prices still aren't even that ****ing high...

 

[Xsyven]

Sporkman, the US doesn't consist of just LA and NYC. Most cities don't have good public transportation, or none at all. Not only that, but most American families own cars. Why not take advantage of 'em?


And as for how I feel with the topic issue, I think Bahamutess covered everything.

 

[thechunkylover]

If you do that everyone will buy from there all at once and the prices will go higher than courtney love.

 

[h1roshi]

this post has good intentions, and i was all for it at first, but after reading some of the other posts i realized that this would not work for the fact the human kind would not be able to the a mass cooperative movement....peace

-hiroshi

 

[Duha]

Here is problem solved.

1. Buy a hose
2. Buy a Gas Cannister maybe a few if you want(for more storage)
3. Go to a upperclass to upper middle class neighborhood around 2am-3am (don't still from the poor)
4. Put one end of hose in person A's car.
5. Suck on oher end tell you taste gasoline.
6. Put that end into container
7. Drive off
8. Come back about 20-30min later
9. Remove hose from gas tank and roll it up
10. Cap the canister
11. Put everything in car and drive off
12. Use Gasoline in the container to fill up when neccessary.

Rules:
-Be weary in a well lit area.
-Be fast with the siphining you can get in and out pretty quick
-If you do multiple cars with multiple hose's and containers try to do them on different streets and remember where they are. It helps with pickups and you won't be on just one block the whole time.
-Use common sense if there lights are on in the house be at least 3 houses down.
-NEVER DO THE SAME HOUSE WITHIN A FEW MONTHS
-NEVER DO THE SAME BLOCK WITHIN A MONTH
-NEVER DO THE SAME NEIGHBOORHOOD WITHIN A FEW DAYS.
-If you have to ditch a hose and canister for any reason NEVER COME BACK TO SAME BLOCK.
-If you do this in your neighboorhood do it only once but I don't suggest this.
-If you here something in the news about gas siphoning or people stealing gas(its gonna happen alot this summer) stay away they will have sting operations.
Tips:
-If you don't want to do this often buy more canisters and hose's and hit a few houses in a single night. I find 3-4 5 gallon canisters do the trick.
-Shorten the hose for two reasons one faster extraction 2 less easy to see.
-If the block is hot any you don't like someone tell them how to do this and point them in the direction of a block that is getting suspicious. Hide you cannisters and hose's at friends house or in an alley away from your house. Wait a week if the police come to search your house they will find nothing and just deny. Then the heat will be off you cause they caught the theif wink wink and you didn't have any paraphanalia. If police don't come in after a week then you are clear and start your waysw back up.

After doing some in depth calculation I found that for me I can save around 2k a year by syphoning gas from un suspected rich people.

If you follow my rules you have a 99% chance of being succsesful 1% chance of getting caught by home owners. less then 1% chance of getting caught by athorities.

Then you wont have to worry about buying gas from any gas station you can have the people that are rich and don't care about gas prices anyways by your gas.

 

[joshisrad]

The decline of morality in the present age is baffling.

 

[Eor]

No, I'm saying that this plan you have has already been done. I heard it from the guy in my Spanish class, he didn't invent it. Just like how these people are hearing it from you, without you inventing it.

No one did it, it wouldn't work.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

 

[GoldShadow]

I can't tell if Duha's being serious or not.

 

[commonyoshi]

It was quite a common thing (Well, maybe not common, but it was a well known technique.) to steal gas that way back when hippies still existed. Now we have special locks on our gas tanks. So the only way the plan would work would be to find an antique car or drill a hole in the cover.

 

[Gamer4Fire]

Or drill a hole into the gas tank.

Sporkman - As Xsyven has stated, Bahamutess already covered it. You are superfluous. And on that note, spork you you mothersporker.

 

[Rusty Shacklefurd]

The fact of the matter is, the majority of people tend to be stupid, ignorant sheep who don't give a (beaver)dam about things like "environment" or "making a difference" and are completely willing to pay whatever anything costs as long as it seems to be a cultural need(and no, I'm not just talking about Americans), and if celebrity activists and crap like that can't make any significant sort of change, then there's no way in hell a chain mail is going to do any better.