May 19th-national "don't buy gas" day. | FerrariChat

May 19th-national "don't buy gas" day.

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by Santini, May 16, 2004.

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  1. Santini

    Santini Formula Junior

    Oct 1, 2003
    480
    North Carolina
    FWIW:

    IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF GASOLINE FOR 1 DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME,THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES. AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OF OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS, WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.
    > > >
    > > THEREFORE, MAY 19TH HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR BEHIND DAY, AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF GASOLINE THAT DAY.
    > > >
    > > THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THIS ADMINISTRATION TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?
    > >
    > > REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF GASOLINE GOING UP, BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES, WHICH EFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING MATERIALS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!
    > >
    > > WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
    > >
    > > MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE MAY 19TH A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"
     
  2. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
    3,524
    Hell
    Full Name:
    Chris
    Sounds like a aweasome idea. How widespread is this.
     
  3. Forza1

    Forza1 Formula Junior

    Mar 20, 2004
    490
    California
    It sounds like that would hurt the economy too...



    -DC
     
  4. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    i'm not an economist (i just play one on tv), but this doesn't smell to me like anything more than some (interesting and probably intriguing) civil disobedience sort of protest.

    if oil company A makes X dollars per year then that's because they sell Y volume of petroleum, at a unit cost to the purchaser of Y/X, of course.

    the issue here isn't X, but rather Y. we need to reduce VOLUME not DOLLARS. otherwise they'll still make X dollars in the year, but instead they'll make it in 364.25 days instead of 365.25 days. that is, if Y is unchanged, that just means it'll get sold on the 18th or 20th (or whatever).

    perhaps someone could get one of these protest ideas to catch on:
    * for one week each month, drive your most fuel-efficient car.
    * don't drive anywhere at all for a weekend. don't use any non-essential electrical power for that weekend.
    * i'm sure folks can think of a dozen others.

    the intent of the above is rational and laudable, but 100% ineffective, imo.

    maybe it was for a time period that was material (a month) it'd be interesting, but a day won't make a difference.

    doody.
     
  5. JimSchad

    JimSchad Guest

    Doody is correct. I used to price gas for 7-Eleven...455 stores with $390MM gasoline revenues...anyway these things made us laugh. I saw probably 3 or 4 attemps at this thing and never once saw a drop in volume.
     
  6. mbmike

    mbmike Formula Junior

    Oct 31, 2003
    752
    If nobody buys gas on May 19th, so what? They're gonna need that gas anyway and will just buy it on the 18th or the 20th. In the end, no revenue will be lost.
     
  7. Prancing_Horse

    Prancing_Horse Formula Junior

    Dec 23, 2003
    530
    Arlington,VA
    Full Name:
    Dan
    yeah **** "dont buy gas day"!
     
  8. teak360

    teak360 F1 World Champ

    Nov 3, 2003
    10,065
    Boulder, CO
    Full Name:
    Scott
    Ha Ha. 4.6 billion dollars is about $25 per licensed driver in the US. Since the profit per gallon of the oil companies is about 7 cents, thery're saying the average driver is buying about 360 gallons of gas a day? Gee, I don't drive that much.

    Flawed logic never helps these half-a$$ed protests.
     
  9. Fastviper

    Fastviper F1 Rookie

    Nov 20, 2003
    4,525
    Texas
    Full Name:
    Dash
    i wish their was some different way I think m and jim are right, I think this is a much bigger problem, the only people that can change it is bush, chaney, and guess were all their friends work.

    they will say things like, but people in europe pay 3.50 a liter so we have it easy, well europe has and has had the mini, beetle for 50 years all their cars are small, So if we start saving gas by buying better gas/ hibrid cars all we are doing is saying we will pay $3.50 a gallon. so if we get 60 miles to a gallon it will be the same price as getting 20 in our jeep a year ago. but losing the freedom of driving what we want.

    Today If the US government says we will not pay more than $20 for a barrell of oil, or we will give tax incentives to the oil companies to find oil here, tommorrow the price of gas would drop in half.

    but again where did dicky work before becoming VP!

    this is the kind of stuff that is killing the little man, I make pretty good money so I am not woried about this myself, but if you make $300 - 400 a week which most americans do, then paying an extra $20 a week is killing them, is that better for us. can they shop in the stores we own.

    by the way that tax cut the average american worker got just got put in the pockets of the oil companies.

    If anyone has an idea please put it here and lets see if we can do something!

    john
     
  10. lotustt

    lotustt Formula 3

    Aug 28, 2002
    2,026
    Full Name:
    TRM

    Good point!
     
  11. atheyg

    atheyg Guest

    Don't like high gas prices?
    Blame it on the SUV gas guzzlers that everyone owns today, this has increased our demand significantly, the US did well for a time forcing fuel economy requirements on new cars and people buying more fuel efficient vehicles but thats long forgotten, we have nobody to blame but ourselves and the marketing of the SUVs by the auto industry.
     
  12. atheyg

    atheyg Guest


    Doody, you smart!
     
  13. beast

    beast F1 World Champ

    May 31, 2003
    11,479
    Lewisville, TX
    Full Name:
    Rob Guess
    The local radio station here has started a campain for listeners to pick up there dog's poop and dunp it at the gas stations!! They are calling it "Duciular War"
     
  14. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    7,765
    Nova Scotia Canada
    Full Name:
    Neil
    As simple as it gets. Good post.
    Buy more fuel "wise" cars and then drive those cars less. Even if gas prises stay high you will still save money.

    On this topic, everyone will still pay $1.75 for a Coke in a vending unit. {600ml for a dollar and three quartes}. But a dollar per litre of fuel!!! OMG that's crazy! The sky is falling the sky is falling. I pay more for shoes now than I did in the past. Same for pillow cases and soap. In case people didn't know, EVERYTHING is more expensive than it was and guess what, you will get used to it and in 10 years you will think, wow, $1 per litre was pretty good. Now it's $23.50. Too bad.
     
  15. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
    7,765
    Nova Scotia Canada
    Full Name:
    Neil
    That's only one problem, there are thousands more.
     
  16. Robin

    Robin F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,931
    Arlington, VA
    This email goes around every year. It's pure bs, pure and simple. Not buying gas for a day would do absolutely nothing. You'd just have to buy it the next day... Besides, the only people that could get hurt by this (not that it would be able to..) is the gas stations themselves, not the oil companies. I'm sure Snopes has as write up about this bs.

    ah.. found it: http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/nogas.asp

    -R
     
  17. DrStranglove

    DrStranglove FChat Assassin
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    29,139
    Google Maps
    Full Name:
    DrS
    My biggest ***** is the light at the top of the MGM Grand in LV. And the light at the top of the Portman Building in Atlanta. These things are supposed to be so bright that you can see them clearly from space and maybe (but I doubt it) the moon.

    So whenever I see that damn "how will the pyramid effect you" commercial and the light flashes on at the end, all I can think of is thousands of energy conscious people turning of lights in closets and room being effectively neutralized.



    DrS
     
  18. gabriel

    gabriel Formula 3

    Gee...

    I have spam filters on my mail, and someone posts the same stuff here.
     
  19. darth550

    darth550 Six Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 14, 2003
    60,788
    In front of you
    Full Name:
    BCHC
    john,

    Well one thing is for sure....you're not going to need to drive to the SBC Center!!!!!!!

    It's at the top of the Luxor.

    DL
     
  20. DrStranglove

    DrStranglove FChat Assassin
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    29,139
    Google Maps
    Full Name:
    DrS
  21. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 20, 2003
    51,459
    SFPD
    Full Name:
    Dirty Harry
    Sure, consumers will gas up the day before or be back the next day... but that one day... gas stations won't see business inside the storefront from those who usually venture in, thereby depriving sales/profits on high-markup items.
     
  22. Brian C. Stradale

    Brian C. Stradale F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 17, 2002
    3,612
    Dallas, TX, USA
    Agreed... completely flawed protest.

    Better would be this: absolutely refuse to buy anything other than gas from the gas stations unless the price of gas is below $1.75/gallon (or whatever number you've decided is an acceptable price). No car washes; no sodas; no milk and eggs; no donuts; no cigarettes; no lotto tickets; no maps; nothing. Just use their bathrooms and buy their gas.

    Now those businesses are losing profitable revenue... and they now have incentive to meet your price demand.

    So, what price is reasonable??

    Let's see... I want quality, clean, well-filtered gasoline with a good engine-cleaning additive like Techron. Clean, well-filtered water costs about $0.75/gallon. Such water with added energy or mineral additives costs $2-4/gallon. Gas is obviously a bit more expensive than water, so...

    uhh... wait... hmmm... $2.07/gallon (what I paid today) is not so bad, I guess. :(

    ;)
     
  23. anotherguy

    anotherguy F1 Rookie

    Feb 22, 2004
    2,591
    Many people have already done a pretty damn good job dissecting the problems with this e-mail(the math, etc.) so I will skip all those.

    Most people have no concept of how gas gets from the ground into their tank and that allows this blatantly wrong e-mail to perpetuate. There are many steps involved including exploration, drilling, refining and transport(one gallon of gas may be transported via many different pipelines and trucks, railcars, etc. before reaching its final destination), all of which add a couple pennies per gallon.

    Currently, the cost of a barrel of crude oil is at $38.24/BBL. One barrel contains 42 gallons of crude which will produce ~20 gallons of gas. A gallon of gas at todays crude prices will cost $1.91. At the prices I paid on Friday of $2.09 we aren't doing that badly. For those who don't want to do the math themselves:

    $2.09 x 20 gallons = $41.80 - $38.24 = $3.56.

    $3.56 across 20 gallons is not a huge profit margin considering we have not added in the cost of transport to a refinery, refining, transport to the station itself, etc. And the station hasn't made any money,

    The other thing to be remembered is that your corner gas station is most likely not owned by some big evil corporation, but quite possibly by the guy behind the counter like mine is. Most gas station owners are hard working people who don't get rich by seeing prices go up. They lose profits. They compete on gas prices to get people in the door to buy high mark up products. The other thing to remember is that while you and I buy gas ~13-20 gallons at a time, they buy 40,000 gallons at a time. Do you think they are excited about their next fill up when prices have inched up? The effect of ten cents per gallon across 15 gallons is only $1.50 out of my pocket, but if you own the station and prices spike up, you have a $4,000 increase on the price of your product over night.

    Owners work hard. Oil and Gas companies have slim margins. OPEC on the other hand is a band of f**king thieves.

    -ag
     
  24. robinh

    robinh Formula Junior

    Jan 3, 2004
    622
    Cambridgeshire, Engl
    Full Name:
    Robin
    To be honest it's hard for other countries, certainly those in Europe, to understand why you are complaining. In many ways the US driver has had things too easy for too long. Taking an SUV to drive 1 mile to the store is something that is difficult to understand util you realise that we (in England) are paying about 5.5USD per US gallon for petrol.

    The world is being heated up by our foolish behaviour, including driving Ferrari's, and we really should take note of what we're doing and accept that things cannot continue as they are.

    For money money it's not a mater of protesting that fuel should be cheap but more of a mater of understanding what each of us can do to save fuel in every way possible
     
  25. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,349
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    Why not choose one gas station (the smallest one of the large gas companies) to use?

    For instance here in Canada we have 3 major gas companies
    Esso
    Petro-Canada
    Sunoco.

    Lets say for the remainder of the year, everybody (or a large percentage) uses only Sunoco gas and avoids the other 2 all together. Would the stations not being used be forced to drop the price of gas? Then once they do, you use that stations fuel. The other stations will beforced to follow and lower there fule prices aswell. So I gues it would work like a domino effect.

    The other thing that could be done is for the governemt to give a tax break on the fuel. Here in Canada I thnk 47% of the fuel price is tax. So if they were really concered they could drop a couple of percentage points of the tax, and bring the price down.

    Today I spent $46.00 to fill the Ferrari, and another $42.00 to fill the Benz. I spent $88.00 on fuel today. Thats crazy.
     

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