I know there have been threads on this before, and I personally don't see any point to a 1-day boycott. We'll all just buy more gas the day before and the day after, and it all comes out in the wash. But I think I've come up with something that, if enough people did it, just might get the oil companies' attention.

First, Exxon/Mobil and the like are not going to listen to individual customers, but they may listen to their vendors. So here's what I propose:

1) Nearly all gas sold in this country no longer comes from a "filling station," but a convenient store, right? It's a well-known fact that those stores make more profit on an 8-ounce cup of raspberry-hazelnut-chocolate coffee than they do a gallon of gas. So, DON'T BUY ANYTHING THEIR BUT GASOLINE. You need a cup of coffee? Grab one before you leave home. A half-gallon of ice cream, a dozen eggs or some cigarettes? Go to your local grocery store.

2) Charge your gas purchase to a major credit-card (NOT the oil companies' card), and buy your gas every day and just enough for that day. I recently found out that merchants are charged both a percentage and a fee every time you use your charge-card. It's usually something like 2.5% AND 30 cents for each transaction. If you fill a 30-gallon tank all at once, it's 2.5% + $.30, or approx.$2.10. Fill it 5 gallons at a time, and the total cost to the store is $4.15.

My whole point is: hit 'em where it hurts, and not just because the cost of gas is high. It's the way they're doing it that ticks me off; OPEC raises their oil price at 2PM, and the kid at the convenient store is climbing the ladder to change the sign at 2:05. But if the price of oil should FALL, it then takes 2-3 months for that cheaper gas to find its way to the pump. And I know of no other industry where the increased cost of a raw product automatically turns into a windfall profit (Chevron announced today their profits are up 49 percent). And I don't care if the owner of that convenient store is your friend, your brother or your neighbor. It's time we sent a message to the oil barons, that all we want is a fair shake. Like I said, they won't listen to us, but they just might listen to their dealers.

 

I like your thinking there Jeff. It makes more sense than a boycott. Try to hit them in there pocket just like they have been raiding ours.

 

Jeff, I am about ready to buy a Focus for a get-around car. I ride my bike as much as I can, but the blue-hairs make riding in most locations very hazardous. Wish you still were with VB, I'd fly up there and get one. But you are over making the big bucks now. You probably would make like 12 dollars on a Focus

 

Ummm, don't get me wrong as I say this, I don't like the current gas prices one bit either. But think for a moment.....the profit to a convenience store on a gallon of gas is just a few pennies. They don't stay in business on gas sales alone, they need people buying other stuff with a high profit margin in order to survive. And a reasonable profit margin ain't in the gasoline they sell. Instead, consider pop, an item that they enjoy a nice tidy profit margin on. OK, go ahead and cut out the pop and all the rest on your next visit, but who is really getting hurt here, the convenience store owner (maybe a friend, relative, or neighbor of yours) or the faceless oil company that saw it's profits go up 49%? Oh, make note of the term profit and them make note of the term profit MARGIN. Now learn and understand the difference between the two, thank you. They are NOT the same thing boys. I bet that Chevron's (ticker CVX) profit MARGIN didn't change much, if any. But like it or not, cutting off purchases of the high profit margin crap when you buy gas won't solve things. This includes trying to trash the station with credit card user fees. In fact, if everyone does it the exact opposite just may ensue. Those convenience stores need to generate sufficient margin overall, or somethings gotta (and will) give. Think for a bit on that and you may just catch my drift. Supply and demand are what will determine gas prices just as supply and demand determines prices on other commodities. This subject goes deep; I'll stop for now.

 

I'll keep on buying Exon so their CEO can enjoy his nice retirement package. (Actually avoid it when I can...)

 

Case in point: last night, I stopped at a convenience store to fill up, since my low fuel light was flashing. They had a sign on their pump, stating that they are now charging extra for credit card purchases because of the processing fees. That is now fact, and I bet a lot more places will do that as well. We can squeeze the little guy all we want, but who do you think will take his place when he's out of business?

Do we really want to have to buy our gas from service stations that are wholly owned by the oil companies? Just a thought.

The only way we can squeeze big oil is to use LESS of their product. We've been lured into fuel guzzling vehicles, and now they've got the country by the short hairs.

It's going to cost us, but our habits have to change. Unless I have to go somewhere to get building materials or a large package, the van is staying in the driveway, and the 4 cyl compact is our primary means of transport.

We're taking the car on vacation this year, instead of the van. Even with a car top carrier, we'll get much better mileage with the Cavalier.

 

Back in the early 80's this was commom practice in the area where I'm living. The pump had two prices, cash and credit. People who pay cash are basically subsidizing those that use credit. The first station in my area that gives me a cash discount and is not out of my way is going to see my face a lot more often. And I've been saying this for a longgggg time now, long before the current gas price situation.

**Aero, interesting thought here. Encourage people to pay cash, banks get dinged if enough people did it (like it'll really hurt them with all of the fees they ding the public with nowdays), and gas prices go down a tad. I like .

 

My point is not to put independently-owned convenient stores out of business, but to pressure them into talking to the oil companies so they treat us FAIRLY. As I said, the oil companies won't listen to us, but they might listen to their vendors (I guess some people missed that part of my thread, or they only read what they want and ignore the rest). And PLEASE don't talk to me about profit margins, or try to justify Big Oil's obscene profits. The cost of steel goes up, but the auto makers don't raise their prices; they need to stay competitive. As a result, their profits go DOWN. That's how it works in every COMPETITIVE industry. But thanks to the oil cartel we all support, higher raw-material costs somehow turns into higher profits for the oil companies. Please prove me wrong: what other industry reaps huge profits when their raw material costs go up? Not one that I know of.

 

the grocery store is further. that would cost more gas. they always win.

 

I've been fighting these gas prices for a long long time, in my own way.

I just buy it once a month and up to a certain amount ($$$$$ wise).

I may have to raise my $$$$$ limit a bit, though.

 

Are you serious? The only thing that will come of this is higher gas prices. A business is going to make it's money somewhere.

 

Back in the mid eighties I owned a c-store.....The profit on gas paid my labor...again that was in the mid eighties....The independent store owners cannot, and dare not try to compete with the BIG BOYS....or the BIG BOYS will put them out of business...rarely do I buy anything at a c-store other than gas...I was told by one owner that she was making about 7 cents on the gallon....so, they definitely don't get rich selling gas. I always try to do business with the little guys though...they make less per gallon for sure.

 

I always thought just stealing gas would work....sure, oil companies will stop sending oil at first, but once they realize if they keep on not sending oil the whole country will go down the crapper and they will be ENSURED no profit ... they will most likey start sending it over at only a price where they make minimal profit, and can still be a company and make SOME money instead so friggin rich they can heat there homes with 100$ bills.

of course this will never happen, but if it did, prices will be record lows im 100% sure of it.

 

where i live , here in upstate NY, the taxes on gas , both state and federal are more than the "profit" that the oil co's make. the oil co's make about 9 cents per gallon in profit. the state and the fed's take more than 78 cents per gallon. and thats true across the country. not so much in state taxes, but the federal gov takes more in taxes as a persentage than the oil co's make in profit per gallon. the fed's will never drop the tax they have on our gas, but they will scream bloody murder about the $$ that any oil co makes. figuring in inflation, in 1981 we paid 10 cents more per gallon for gas than we are paying now. gas prices suck w/out a doubt, but keep the facts upfront and research it guys....a good place to do that is gasbuddy.com i have no dog in that hunt, but i did look it up. this country needs to build refineries,bottom line. we can bring in 10 x's the amount of crude we currently have, but if we can't refine it and make it gas, we are going to take it in the butt. i say eat beans. we all can make our own gas

 

Up the volume a bit.

http://www.atomfilms.com/contentPlay...rd_gas&preplay