Attempt to Have a Gas Boycott on April 1

[carp-starter]

http://www.boycottgas.ca/

 

I believe that a gas boycott would not work and it is all because of a simple reason - we are not and will not be united.

 

In our wonderful world, many people believe and will do what is best for them. A person whose closest gas station is being boycotted, do you think that he would take the time to drive to another one that is 1 mile further away? I hope he will. I will.

 

A one day boycott of a gas station will not affect the gas company too much.

 

But if the same gas company were boycotted daily for 6 months, there might be an effect. Unfortunetely, the gas company may decide to "pack up and leave". Should we end up having one less major gas company, we will be in the same situation as we have been for the last 2 weeks. It is a no-win situation.

 

Perhaps the only solution may be is to have the government step in.

 

We have to realize that the gas companies can raise the price up to $8.00 a gallon and we will still keep on buying gas. The way things are in the GTA, most people have to drive to work. I am surprised that gas prices are not a lot higher. I have wondered why the gas companies have not done this already.

 

Are the gas companies afraid of something - government intervention or a gas "revolution"? Countries in the past have had revolutions - or whatever else.

 

If prices were to increase, what would we do? Nothing much.

 

Do any of you people have a suggestion for a posible solution or solutions?

[bigfish1965]

It's a nice idea but it won't work. It will actually have the opposite affect and drive prices up. THe demand on the non-boycotted stations will force them to drive up prices. Then, everyone goes running back to the boycotted station who hasn't changed his price at all.

Most gas retailers buy their gas from only a few wholesalers.

The only way to reduce the price is to reduce the overall demand. People can decide to use gas or not. No one is forced to buy it.

[Roy]

Well said, Rick. Dat's ed zachary what I was gunna say but I couldn't remember how to spell 'holesellers'.

[martymonty]

The only way to reduce the price is to reduce the overall demand. People can decide to use gas or not. No one is forced to buy it (previous quote) ????

 

In this day and age, this is soooo not true....I am one of the unfortunate ones that commutes to work and regardless what you say...I AM forced to buy it.. my family likes to eat and live just like everyone else, we all do our best, but to say we are not forced to buy it is silly. I think its talk like that which makes the oil companies use that excuse to raise prices. Even when stocks are low for whatever reasons, raising the prices stops no one from buying it,(did anyone drive hwy400 or 11 last year when gas was $150/l?? it was still packed) and the end result is bigger profits for the oil companies. In any other commodity whenever there is a shortage there are laws that prevent companies from gouging the consumer,except it seems for oil companies. I have yet to see if Wendy's has a problem with there beef production for whatever reason..does MacDonalds raise the price of there hamburgers?? NO.... Do I have the answer....no our only hope and recourse unfortunately is for the govt to step in.....as if

[Roy]

Noone is 'unfortunate'. We all live as far or close to our work as we decide to.

[Greencoachdog]

I usually get this in my email every year and it hasn't worked yet.

 

I buy gas when I need it.

[bigfish1965]

The only way to reduce the price is to reduce the overall demand. People can decide to use gas or not. No one is forced to buy it (previous quote) ????

 

In this day and age, this is soooo not true....I am one of the unfortunate ones that commutes to work and regardless what you say...I AM forced to buy it.. my family likes to eat and live just like everyone else, we all do our best, but to say we are not forced to buy it is silly. I think its talk like that which makes the oil companies use that excuse to raise prices. Even when stocks are low for whatever reasons, raising the prices stops no one from buying it,(did anyone drive hwy400 or 11 last year when gas was $150/l?? it was still packed) and the end result is bigger profits for the oil companies. In any other commodity whenever there is a shortage there are laws that prevent companies from gouging the consumer,except it seems for oil companies. I have yet to see if Wendy's has a problem with there beef production for whatever reason..does MacDonalds raise the price of there hamburgers?? NO.... Do I have the answer....no our only hope and recourse unfortunately is for the govt to step in.....as if

We indeed are not forced. We have options. Public transportation, fuel efficient hybrid vehicle, natural gas or propane vehicles...lots of options. But we collectively drive more trucks and SUV's than ever before. I drive a mini-van. I could drive a Honda Civic (very nice car)...but I choose not to. So when the price goes up, the decisions I made like having a large vehicle, living very far from my workplace, having a boat etc., all come back to bite me at once. But I made those choices.

The government has no business interfering. It is a commodity and as such is prone to fluctuations. A month or so ago when it was 63¢ no one was screaming ...Holy Crap are we ever screwing the oil companies! Someone should do something!

A year ot two ago a major frost wiped out the lettuce in California. Lettuce immediately went up to some silly price like $4 a head. Salad bars then either raised prices or they adjusted the offering somehow. Then when the spring came the prices went back to normal.

The only people I feel for are those with oil heating for their homes. The rest of us can park our cars.

[daisy_girl58]

May i put my 2 cents in?

 

If we did a boycott every 2 weeks on a different gas company it would get there attention.

As long as we allow them to do what they want ,when they want, then they will continue to raise prices.

They know very well people do not prepare and are spontaneous consumers. So if this was spread to enough people and we all buy our gas a few days before not the day before then it might be effective. But the fact is this, they will recover, just like they used the excuse of the fire to raise prices. It should not have effected the USA, but my friends said prices are outrageous there too.....Either way, the consumer loses, people best get back to the basics somewhere in the future we will have to do that.

 

Lorissa

[knightfisher]

Isn't it strange that with this ''shortage of gas'' a few weeks ago Alberta signed a 20 year contract

with the usa. According to the report Alberta suppies about 10% of the gas the usa

comsumes. Why wouldn't our family ( country ) take care of ourselves before helping someone else.

Oh yeah, I forgot $$$$$.

How many people know that 80% of the hydro produced in Niagara Falls goes to the USA. Why not

to us Canadians, oh yeah, I forgot $$$$$. Then there is all the pipe lines of natural gas going to the

States also instead of staying here in Canada, you know $$$$$$$.

 

Canada, like any ''sane'' family should take care of themselves first, then with any extra, sell off the

rest.

Canada could be totally self reliant. But the powers that be have other ideas.

 

There is no shortage of energy in Canada. Just greed.

 

Also many of us thousand or so contractors in Niagara alone,drive hundreds of miles a week doing our work and estimates. Converting to propane or natural gas is not an options when their are few

stations around to service these vehicals. The last thing a contractor wants to worry about working out

in the boonies somewhere, is to find a service station.

Also if the powers that be wanted us to really us natural gas or propane, there would be a huge push to get these stations in place, not just a few here and there.

Gasoline, like the utilities are a necessity to many Canadians, and is why we are being gouged. We have to use them, and the corporations know this, and the government looks the other way.

 

 

--true awareness is only enjoyed by a few--

[wacky tambaqui]

Isn't it strange that with this ''shortage of gas'' a few weeks ago Alberta signed a 20 year contract

with the usa. According to the report Alberta suppies about 10% of the gas the usa

comsumes. Why wouldn't our family ( country ) take care of ourselves before helping someone else.

Oh yeah, I forgot $$$$$.

How many people know that 80% of the hydro produced in Niagara Falls goes to the USA. Why not

to us Canadians, oh yeah, I forgot $$$$$. Then there is all the pipe lines of natural gas going to the

States also instead of staying here in Canada, you know $$$$$$$.

 

Canada, like any ''sane'' family should take care of themselves first, then with any extra, sell off the

rest.

Canada could be totally self reliant. But the powers that be have other ideas.

 

There is no shortage of energy in Canada. Just greed.

 

Also many of us thousand or so contractors in Niagara alone,drive hundreds of miles a week doing our work and estimates. Converting to propane or natural gas is not an options when their are few

stations around to service these vehicals. The last thing a contractor wants to worry about working out

in the boonies somewhere, is to find a service station.

Also if the powers that be wanted us to really us natural gas or propane, there would be a huge push to get these stations in place, not just a few here and there.

Gasoline, like the utilities are a necessity to many Canadians, and is why we are being gouged. We have to use them, and the corporations know this, and the government looks the other way.

--true awareness is only enjoyed by a few--

 

 

There are at the most maybe 3 oil companies left running the whole world's oil industry and none of them are based in Canada in any way. That being said, we Canadians have no control whatsoever of our own resources however abundant they are. Remember too that these big corporations are all fuelled by one thing: greed, greed, greed, greed, greed, greed, greed, and then greed, and then greed, more greed, and then more greed.

 

These companies' "justifications" for gouging us at the pumps is a purely artificial phenomena covered up with such lame excuses as a "fire at the refinery", "storm damage somewhere" or a "threat of war somewhere". What are the oil company executives really doing? They need $$$$$$$$ to cover the costs for their Hawaiian golfing vacations that are lavished with mountains of caviar and lubricated with Niagaras of Dom Perignon ($150 or so for a bottle) and a few weeks of rolling on the greens in drunken laughter at all of us comsumers being nothing more than their little playthings.

 

A collective boycott of their products is easier said than done but I remain open for any suggestions. Our need is their greed.

 

The bigger cities have ample public transportation but what are we to do in a sparcely populated area such as Northern Ontario, or in a city with such atrociously poor public transpo as Sudbury? Those who have the long commutes to and from work face impoverishment just to keep their vehicles to keep their jobs, thanks to those sickos who decide they want to spike the oil prices and then laugh about it. Sometimes there is no budget left to take a weekend drive to that hours-away prime fishing hole so we have to settle for second best: launch a canoe and paddle in that closer but more heavily fished lake.

 

--excuse the rant-- just my 2c worth.

[wayne gatt]

The only thing that'll work is if we all start looking at and lots of us purchase Hybrid and electric vehicles. Next thing is to start asking the manufacturers why there are not more Trucks, SUVs and Vans with the ability to tow our boats and other stuff that are either electric or a hybrid.

 

The more of us that ask and push for this, the more nervous the gas companies will be and do everything in their collective powers to hold the price down to stop the market place from leaving them where we should leave them anyway - out of business.

 

Boycotts one day or 10 days will only affect the pour guy we purchase it from, remember, the gas companies already sold it to him and that is that from their budget point of view. So please let’s either do something or at least stop shipping this ridiculous boycott idea around making me delete yet one more piece of %^$).

Thx, Wayne

[POLLIWOGG]

You'd have to ask around but I think the truckers did it in the 70's and it worked.

[holdfast]

North American Truckers Strike. Block the bridges, block the patch. Block the Border. Start with a 2 hr halt. Then a day. Government will have to do something or they will fall. Think about it

[ccmtcanada]

North American Truckers Strike. Block the bridges, block the patch. Block the Border. Start with a 2 hr halt. Then a day. Government will have to do something or they will fall. Think about it

 

I remember a truckers strike/demonstration on the 401 out my way when I lived in Ajax....around 1986 or 1987 I think. Completely stopped traffic for a few days....it was an incredible sight! People left their cars on the highway and walked to work....or back home. Local restaurants were hiring kids on bicycles to deliver food to them. Cost the province billions if I recall.

[Dabluz]

The only way to hurt the big gas companies is to only buy gas from independant gas station owners. Here is how it works.

 

Independant gas station owners buy their gas wholesale for the lowest price. They are not forced to buy from a particular wholeseller. They are not obliged to sell it for a specific price either. Anyway, the sellers all compete amongst themselves to sell to the independant owners.

 

Here is the scenario: The fuel truck leaves the gas plant. It delivers gas to it's particular sellers. However, after making it's rounds, there is always some gas left in the tanks. Instead of going back to the gas plant with fuel inside their tanks, they sell the fuel to independant sellers. Meanwhile, other tanker trucks from other gas companies are doing the same. Going back to the gas plant with fuel in the reservoirs is a big waste of money so they sell what is left at a discount.

 

If nobody bought their fuel at the "brand name" gas stations, and instead bought their fuel only from the independants this means that the only way the gas plants can sell gas is to compete with the other gas plants. The one with the lowest prices sells his fuel.

 

Did you know that if you buy a lot of fuel and if you do business with a local independant seller, you can get a discount? The independant seller is all too happy to sell lots of gas. The more gas he sells, the more money he makes and the more important he becomes to the gas distributors and the more leverage he has to get his fuel at the lowest cost to him. If Esso cannont sell it's gas through it's outlets, it is forced to sell their gas through the independant sellers.

 

Big gas companies like Petro Canada, Esso etc, just love to buy out independant retailers. They offer lots of money to improve, remodel independant retailers in order to force the retailers to exclusivity contracts. The fewer independant retailers there are, the easier it is for the big gas companies to unload their gas at their own prices. It's real easy for the big gas companies to get together and fix prices since they are not really competing amongst themselves. If you want them to compete against one another, you have to buy gas from the small independant retailers. There are fewer and fewer of them every year. Sure, they may not be fancy looking, they may have wierd names but they are the key to keeping the sale of fuel a competition amongst the big companies.

 

Sure, this will hurt the operators of the brand name gas outlets. But as it is now, it's the independant gas station owners who are getting hurt.