Sick of High Gas Prices? Lets try this

[fishdawg]

I'm sceptical, but will try anything . . . no more PetroCan gas starting Friday.

 

I don't usually go for this sort of thing but what can it hurt and it might even work.

 

Finally an idea that makes sense and it's easy to do!

 

"War On Gas"

 

This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from

one of his engineer buddies who retired from Haliburton. It's worthy of

our consideration.

 

Join the resistance! I hear we are going to hit close to $1.50 a litre

by summer and it might possibly 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 earlier! 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 $.79/litre is super cheap. Me too! It

is currently $1.10 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 liter of gas is CHEAP at $.79 - $.99, 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:

 

Starting June 1 of 2007 DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the biggest

company in Canada. Petro Canada! If they are not selling any gas, they

will be very quickly inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce

their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. Think about

this.

Petro Canada has 1500 retail locations and the entire country consumes

68 million gallons a day. Yes per day. And Petro Canada is Canada's

largest gasoline retailer, then doesn't it make sense that the consumer

can bring this giant to its knees and force them to lower their prices

 

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Petro

Canada 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 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more

(300 x 10 = 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 pass it on to ten friends each, then

30 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 30 million and all you have to

do is send this to 10 people....

 

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 30 MILLION people could

conceivably see this within the next 8 days!!!

 

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 Petro Canada

UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO A REASONABLE PRICE AND KEEP THEM DOWN.

Edited May 31, 2007 by fishdawg

[bigfish1965]

So what else ya been doing fishdawg? Ain't seen you in awhile.

 

(BTW the gas thing won't work cause you need to reduce demand, not shift it...but it is a noble thought)

[charlied]

I could see how it could work....another thing that needs to happen is people need to stop being asses and make friends at work or start a web sight hooking up people from the same area travelling to work. People rely on there car too much...I did and I just stopped driving it, I have only put 135 clicks on my car in almost 2 weeks. It was crazy to see all those cars in the traffic jam on monday that stretched from the Gardener expressway all the way to the Burlington skyway...all 3-4 lanes the whole way!

[holdfast]

Yea a few weeks ago I predicted gas would go up before May long weekend. It went up 21 cents on 3 occasions. The last was a 2 cent increase Thursday before the long weekend. It hasn't changed and were paying 121 at this point. by the way I have already stated that I was boycotting Petrocan. Its been 2 weeks now and still going. I do believe if we hurt a gas station something would happen, Gas War or News that Politicians may have to React. By the way, I really hate people that give up without trying. So lets Boycott the only people that have something to lose are the PetroCan Gas carrying customers

[bigfish1965]

The price of gas is not set by the politicians, holdfast. There is nothing they can do about it. Gerritt posted a great link yesterday which explains how comodities such as gasoline get the price they have.

Boycotting a particular station does not reduce prices. The prices are not set by the station owners (franchisees) but by their head office.

Boycotting one station for another doesn't reduce demand, it just shifts it to another spot. The recipient of the new business will likely have to drive his prices up to protect his stocks. Then everyone goes back tot he Petro Canada cause he is now cheaper...but nothing happened.

The only way the prices will come down is when there is stability in the middle east (at least their version of stability) and the supply begins to outpace demand. Since refineries are not likely to increase capacity (for the reasons outlined in the link from Gerritt) the only possible solution is to reduce demand on a global level.

Since we are now feeding China's unprecedented growth (10% per annum) by everyone buying Chinese goods, we are creating a new super consumer....more consumers=more demand.

The only thing that can possibly be done politically is to nationalize the country' oil reserves (like we did with water) but that will never happen.

If we kept our oil and put it out at a price comparable to production costs, it would create a low priced fuel..but since most of Canada's population is along the US border, the gas supply then comes under strain from US travellers coming over for cheaper gas like back in the 70's. This puts the demand right back up and forces a price increase to protect stocks. Net result...right back where you started.

[fishdawg]

So what else ya been doing fishdawg? Ain't seen you in awhile.

 

been out in about (or aboat) less computer more water

[lunkerbasshunter]

sorry to burst your bubble but the selling price is set by the seller not the buyer. that is the way it works in business. so it really is the sellers that control the market.

 

65% of businesses use petro can for company gas cards so that is another thing that puts a dent in this plan.

 

Sorry guys. we are going to have to suck it up and deal with the high gas prices. remember though its cheap here compared to the rest of the world.

 

cheers!

 

ps. i wish i bought stock in oil companies years ago.

[lew]

Gas in Toronto dropped yesterday from $1.07 to $1.03 so y'all better gas up before the weekend when it's sure to rise again before we all hit the hiways........oh wait, that can't be true, our government tells us there's no price fixing.........ya, right !!

[tonyb]

It's the damn Butterflies in the middle-east that dictate pricing!

 

Tony

[Fish Farmer]

Boy people will believe anything the news and government will throw in your face why there putting the price of gas up .

 

Just think worms & minnows are taking a day off so don't buy any, the fish won't be interested. Makes just as much scents .

 

Anything is worth a try, or we can sit back like a sheep and take anything they throw at us .

[topraider]

Gas prices are set in New York, if you want to see where gas prices are headed turn on CNBC in the morning.

 

Boycotting Petrocan won't work, if they can't sell their gas here, the'll sell it across the border to the Americans. How does that benefit us.

 

The problem is, and will be for the forseeable future, refining capacity.

 

Refineries cost billions to build and nobody wants to risk that kind of money on multiyear projects, given the enviromental red tape and the possibility that Canadian politicans will impose CO2 caps (make industry pay!!!). Oil companies are smarter to invest their money elsewhere or return their cash flow to shareholders through dividends or stock buybacks.

[misfish]

I remember when I could buy a loaf of bread,a pound of butter and 2 pounds of good old maple leaf bolagna(thick sliced for fry,n) a bottle of Ketchup for under 3 bucks.

 

That cost me now,10 bucks or more these days. Cheaper to eat real steak these days.

 

Now what was the complaint about the gas prices? Everything goes up,and yes it suxs.

[Fish Farmer]

Gezz, that was fast. I was going to post, I wonder what there next excuse would be. Low and behold, there's another one.

 

Ever wonder whats going to happen when gas hits $3.00 a liter.

They'll be lots of property and resorts for sale in the north country and nobody will buy, because they have to feed there transportation.

Edited May 31, 2007 by Fish Farmer

[Hooked]

Thats no problem for me, I never get my gas at Petro.

[MasterLingAngler]

We need to buy gas where the price is lowest. If the guy across the road is .1 cent lower, give him business. Supporting lower priced outlets puts pressure on higher outlets, irregardless of brand.

 

MLA

[misfish]

On a more seriuos note here. For those that watch the gas prices,ever notice that the ones in small towns are cheaper then the rest? WHY? If you screw yer own towns people,they will screw you back and not buy yer gas or what ever else yer selling, and that will result in closing down. The small town pump guys know this.Remember the black out.One guy north of here gouged and now he is out of bussiness.He was the only guy in the game for fuel in the area,people bought,but after that, never again.

[wolfville]

I came up with that idea almost two years ago (I posted here too) when we first saw gas went up close to $1. The only difference was that my idea was to pick a company with the highest average price last week and stop buying from them this week (so every week we have a loser). I think that gets them more incentive to get their prices right. I think it will work better this way. But an idea is an idea, is this legal?

[Headhunter]

I believe we were "enjoying" lower gas prices a coupla years ago, when there were significantly more independent stations around. They began the price war, which again, I believe was described as being a "market share" situation. Anyone notice that there are fewer and fewer independents left? Many were bought out by the biggins, which has kept the "price waring" down significantly.

No collusion my behind!

HH

[suds]

It's been almost 3 years since I moved here from Victoria B.C. We were getting hosed 1.08 back then. I could not believe how the government said there was no price fixing as I had never seen different prices for gas in the same city. Also they never changed for days on end.

 

When I moved here and saw different prices across the road from each other that changed throughout the day, I was stunned. What a revelation. Competition is a beautiful thing.

 

I gassed up for 68 cents, and I had to phone home and rub it in! Even Alberta's gas prices are comparable to Ontario's.

 

I'm not saying we have to like it, but compared to the rest of Canada and the world, we are doing pretty well..

[keram]

I'm not saying we have to like it, but compared to the rest of Canada and the world, we are doing pretty well..

 

 

You are right. Last week in Alberta price was 1.23 - 1.29. back in Ont is 1.05 +/- 0.03

[holdfast]

Dont let a few cent drop fool you, What was your price 3 weeks ago, how about the winter. I bet you it was cheaper. Also why was it cheeaper when we heat in addition to driving. Lets face it we are being suckered in and the biggest suckers are the ones that will bend over and take it.

[mrpike]

WON'T WORK . BUT THIS WILL PULL ALL YOUR MONEY OUT OF THE ( BANKS ). AND I MEAN ALL AND EVERY ONE IN CANADA . GOVERMENT WILL STEP IN REAL QUICK. PUT YOUR MONEY IN A SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX FOR ONE MONTH AND SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN.. YOU GET NO INTEREST ON YOUR MONEY BUT . THE BANKS ARE IN A REAL ( DIFFICULT TIME. ) IT IS REALLY TIME. TO STAND UP AND SAY WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE WAY THIS COUNTRY IS RUN. AND WE WILL NOT STAND FOR BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY GOVERMENT OR OIL COMPANYS. IF WE DO NOTHING IT WILL ONLY GET ( WORSE ). ITS ALL ABOUT POWER AND GREED . THE TIME HAS COME AND IT IS TIME TOO DO SOMETHING.

 

 

BUT YOU WON'T.

 

 

 

AFTER ALL WE ARE CANADIAN ( WEAK ) . AND ITS TIME TO WAKE UP. BEFORE ITS TO LATE.

 

 

ITS KNOT JUST GAS THAT WILL GO UP GAS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBURG . YOU NAME IT. IT WILL GO UP . EVEN YOUR WAGES BUT A LOT SLOWER THEN THE COST OF LIVING . YOU CAN COUNT ON THAT . ! AND IT WILL ONLY BE HARDER ON OUR CHILDREN IF WE DON'T SLOW IT DOWN.

 

YA! LETS ALL GIVE OUR HEADS A GOOD SHAKE. A REAL GOOD ONE AND WAKE UP!

 

 

 

YA ! THE TIME HAS REALLY COME TO DO SOMETHING. THINK ABOUT IT AND HARD .

Edited June 1, 2007 by mrpike

[Fish Farmer]

Mrpike, now thats the post I like to see. I want you in my army.

[kennyman]

I think the government is making a pile of cash from gas and won't change anything that is that big of a cash cow. Secondly it helps with the problem of "greenhouse gases" as well. People will drive less and buy smaller cars, hybrids etc. Kind of like killing two birds with one stone isn't it? What's the downfall for them, a budget surplus? Then at the end of the day they can take the credit and be heroes too. I think Ontario should take the extra cash and give resident 407 travellers their cash back at the end of the year. If you're commercial, an out of province or out of country traveller you still pay. Either that or just buy the thing back. It's not like we couldn't use an extra highway in the area. As far as a protest, I can't see anything actually affecting the oil companies. The logistics make it virtually impossible. Crap, we can only get half the people out to vote If all the members from this board stop going to a certain major gas company, they wouldn't even notice. Now if all the members used the exact same gas station (same privately owned location) you could probably make a point with that individual owner. Other than that I can't see much happening. Great intentions guys, but the only way we can do anything IMO is make it an election issue and use your vote as your leverage.

[tonyb]

Catch all the butterflies in the middle-east!

 

Tony