Americans should boycott gasoline
 

I guess it would never happen. It just seems that there are so many of us (customers) that we should have more say. Like a customer union that can go on strike. No buying gas for a week. :mad2:

Those of us in commuter societies (no busses, not much for taxi, no train) are screwed. I have to get to work, and to do so I have to buy gas. Then I bend over and smile because I want to pretend I like being fucked by the record-billions-in-profits bush, I mean oil, companies.

Too bad I don't drive. I wouldn't have to "pretend".

Sheldon, you don't drive? I thought you were an American.

I can't complain about my commute since it's all by Metro Rail, but when I walk past the office buildings a mile from my house to get to the station to go downtown to my office building, I wonder what the hell I'm doing. Why don't I work in the office building near my house? How awesome would it be to walk to work?

I often wonder if we all aren't just a little too specialized. If we just did a musical chairs thing, I bet we could all find good jobs close to our houses.

I come from the perspective of valuing my time with my family more than money, so I don't really understand people who choose to have long commutes so they can make a little extra money. Maybe I just haven't been offered enough cash.

Because of my husband's commute, we are able to survive on his income alone. If he worked locally (in his field), this would not be possible.

I could work at the factory across the street. I was a QA tech/supervisor for years. But now I do what I do. I don't want to go back.

And I can't complain about the commute, really, either. I'm not that far from work, but it is not within walking distance (though Steven Wright said everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.)

I would love to get a better car. I have actually considered a scooter/moped for these spring and summer months.

Well that certainly makes sense. How's his commute?

Unfortunately, his commute sucks. Some days it is more than an hour one way. It all depends on Denver traffic.

SteveB, you don't say why you think Americans should boycott gasoline, except "we should have more say." About what?

Small town here. My husband works 2.5 miles from our house (no stoplights, although about 7 or 8 four way stops), and so if we don't go out of town, he could go 2 weeks without gassing up.

Soccer moms, shuffling kids hither, thither and yon. Picking up the dry cleaning, grab something at the market and go to the Post Office... oh, and stop at the liquor store.
Too many peoples lives are hectic, ill planned, and car centric.

I feel your pain at the pumps and feel so lucky that I live in a town that is about four sq. miles and drive one mile to work in a company truck. The girls are all grown up , married and paying for there own gas so mom and I only drive about 15 miles a week in our own car. But i do feel we are all getting screwed never the less

I'm currently 6.5 miles away from the office and looking for another bike to commute with.

My goal for this summer is to not buy any gas until Sept 1. It now costs about 60 bucks to fill my car.

Wish me luck.

I couldn't rationalize the payments on large bits of metal, plastic, and rubber in my driveway if I boycotted gas.

I think we need a poll...

...or maybe we need a pole.

You're in Indiana now?

No, we just need to kill off the speculators that are driving this stupid oil bubble. Yes, the same people that caused a real estate panic and the current "food shortages" through greed and hype are the same assholes that are keeping gas prices high.

Thankfully, it won't last.

...not that gas will not go up in the future, but this current spike is ludicrous.

An American who grew up with a Mom and 2 older sisters who thought you weren't really driving unless you hit something once a week.
I drove for about 6 months when i first moved from NJ to CA. Kept my hands at 10 and 2 ALL THE TIME and was drenched with sweat every time. When the car died in the middle of the 5 freeway one night, I just sold it for scrap after it was towed home and went back to walking and buses and have been happy ever since. :-)

Yes. Rural Indiana.

Rural Indiana riding a bicycle.

Rural Indiana riding a bicycle to work and back.

Rural Indiana riding a bicycle to work and back enjoying the cold weather.

Step it up a notch Sheldonrs and try riding a bike! :)

At least then you'd have an excuse for wearing spandex.

>$80 fill up last night.

owie.

My Avalanche costs about $80 to fill from empty. 31 gallons.

It's nothing next to my Peterbilt, which cost $643 last night for 151.6 gallons.

Brian

Okay I know I am privileged.
My "commute" to work is approx 3 minutes walk, including locking my door behind me and unlocking the office door/ sorting out the alarm if I am the first in.

And my "commute" to my weekend and evening job is approx 10 minutes walk, and that takes into account the fact the pub clock is set 5 minutes fast (lord knows why, we don't exactly adhere to licensing hours!)

BUT I have turned down HM's offer to get onto his car insurance. Why? Because I am inherently lazy. Rather than the 1/2 mile walk to the (local) big supermarket and struggling back with bags over the overpass I'd drive. Rather than a 5 hour trip back from my parents thanks to engineering works I'd drive. Rather than waiting for HM to pick up my Great Aunt's ancient portable TV for my bedroom I'd have it this week - I'd drive.

I don't judge people who drive, but I would suggest they (you) think - could I do this on foot, no matter how much of a pain it would be?

I don't do pain.

I don't make it thru a week on a 20 gallon fill-up. (ridiculously small tank in my gas guzzling monster of a car)

The only places that I could realistically/safely walk (even if I didn't have to drag my 2 kids along everyfrikkinwhere I go) would be the post office and the hardware store. I did walk to the hardware store a couple days ago, but generally I just stop in on my way to somewhere else instead of making a special trip.
If we had public transportation I would at least give it a try, if only to have the kids experience it (I keep saying Im gonna take them on the train to Philly but haven't done it yet).

How bizarre to use soccer moms as an example of ill-planned fuel consumers -especially while in the same breath giving an example of how they save fuel by combining journeys.

Execs who refuse to carpool because they all want to be in the driving seat would be a better example of car-centric poor planners with hectic lives. I've also noticed that single people with no kids are likely to waste gas through poor planning leading to multiple journies. Perhaps because they have nothing better to do with their time and money. Once they "settle down" with a partner and kids they're like reformed smokers, so you get to hear at length just how bad they were before.

Parents of kids with hectic schedules are generally excellent at carpooling -filling all available seats- and so making the most of the gas, and at planning journeys so they stop at the market and the liquor store as they pass them.

I was just looking at mopeds but they won't get you to Philly.

So, here's my idea.

Someone has to line up all the national gas companies on a spread-sheet and see which has maintained the lowest cost for gas over the last 6 months. Whatever company has the lowest cost for gas (even if it's only .99 of a penny) that's the only company we buy gas from.

This will hopefully be noticed by the other competitive companies out there and force them to lower their prices. And after a month we switch to whoever had the best price for the previous 6 months.