Gas Out Day

Did you hear the news? April 15 (tomorrow) is Weekly National Gas Out Day! I just got a couple of emails about it this morning:

LET'S REALLY GET BEHIND THIS EFFORT...A FEW IN THE PAST NEVER GOT PAST THE PLANNING STAGE, BUT IT IS TIME TO
ACT!  BUY YOUR GAS THE DAY BEFORE AND NOT ONLY WILL THEY LOSE BILLIONS ON THE 15TH BUT ANY PLANS TO RECAPTURE
LOSSES BY RAISING PRICES ON THE 16TH MAY BACKFIRE IF WE DON'T NEED ANY GAS ON THAT DAY!

and…
Subject: no gas on April 15

In April 1997, there was a “gas out” conducted nationwide in protest of
gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On April 15th 2011, all internet users are being asked to not go to a gas
station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.40 a gallon in
most places.

If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take
$2,292,000,000.00 (that’s almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets
for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on April 15th and
let’s try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one
day.

If you agree (which I can’t see why you wouldn’t) resend this to your entire
contact list. With it saying, “Don’t pump gas on April 15th”

If running low, just get your gas the day before on April 14 or the day
after on April 16. Every little bit helps.

Thank-you,

That’s right. It’s hear again: The day that you don’t buy gas. This time it actually tells you to fill up the day before or the day after, meaning the oil companies move just as much gas over the three days as they would have otherwise. Gas prices won’t decrease, and there won’t be an overflow of gasoline. For a second, let’s imagine it did cause enough supply problems that they had to stop producing and transporting gas for a day. Do you know what would happen then? There wouldn’t be enough supply to meet the demand today and on April 16, when everyone is getting the gas they won’t get tomorrow. That means that the gas stations would run dry without fuel trucks coming to refill them. When the stations see the increased traffic and the upcoming shortage, it would give them the opportunity to RAISE the prices. After all, it’s not like you can go without your gas, so you’ll pay whatever they demand you pay because by tomorrow, you’d be running low already.

In reality, they do not stop production because one day of selling less gas would not back up the system. There would be a larger stockpile at the gas stations and at the refineries, ready to be sent out and sold. It would hurt the companies though. Not the big oil companies that you want to send a message to. It would hurt the independent gas station owners. Most of them make little or no money off of the sale of gasoline. They depend on people coming in to buy candy, soft drinks, donuts, lottery tickets and cigarettes after they fill up outside. This is where they not only make a profit, but how they make up for their operating expenses. If people don’t stop at the gas stations for a day, it can take a week or more to make up for the actual losses from paying employees and electricity and other expenses. You won’t be sticking it to the man. You’ll be sticking it to the guy who gives money to the local school in return for having a small advertisement on the scoreboard or in a program. You’re sticking it to the guy who sponsors local festivals. You’re sticking it to the guy who supports his community, not the big oil company, who doesn’t give a darn.

In short, just get gas when you need it. If you want to make a difference with oil prices, then ride a bike or the bus!