Dont buy gas from mobil/exxon!

So there is a facebook group that aims to lower the price of gas and this is how they propose it to be done:
They make the asertion that mobil/exxon is the leader in the gas and oil distribution world and that what they do with their prices drives the entire industry. The explaination was a long and drawn out one but to make it short and sweet....they say that if we all stop buying gas from those two companies specifically, they should lower their prices to be more competetive. The group instructs people to purchase gas from other sources like BP or OILCO or other less known providers of which there are plenty i am sure. Therefore, as these lesser known companies gain more revenue and exxon/mobil supposedly will lose money and be forced to lower their prices all around to stay competetive.....What do you think folks??

Jeez you have not studied anything about this type of industry have you?
It is not Exxon/Mobile/Esso that make the price change. Yes selling gas is oligopoly however they get the gas from OPEC. Now if you were around for the 70's when the gas hit the $2.00/L mark and dropped like crazy, I will explain what happened and what is happening.

OPEC(Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries eg. Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, etc.) decides how much oil to produce and sell to other nations.
Back in the 70's OPEC decided to squeeze the market and stop selling oil to the west. What happened? Iraq and Iran went to war and they both needed money so they started to undercut each others prices. That is why you seen price of gas drop. Now, we are at war with Iraq, Iran hates us, Venezuela hates us and that is why our prices are increasing.

Once the war problem is fixed you will see gas start to drop.

reply to post by Equinox99


I knew there was more to it than the group had said....but doesnt it make sense on a local level? IN terms of regional sales, dont you think this sort of boycott will make a difference? Its no coincidence that (at least in NY) mobil stations, and exxon stations have the highest prices by 30 cents in some areas! SO, if we stop buying from them and they see their sales dropping in a particular region...dont you think they will lower their prices to stay competetive?

I dont think the facebook crowd realy thought this thru

But at least they are trying.

As Equinox pointed out, a single company does not have the power to affect the global price of oil.

reply to post by TKainZero


Yes but as i clarified....they were probably trying to affect the local regions. I think this might be affective on that scale....globally though, we have no chance but at least perhaps there is a chance to lower the prices at the pumps in certain cities. Who knows...if we get enough people behind this sort of thing maybe it will work and we will see a change on a micro level. This is why i brought it up here....COME ON PEOPLE, GET TOGETHER AND LETS CHANGE SOMETHING NO MATTER HOW SMALL!!

From Snopes.com

A boycott of a couple of brands of gasoline won't result in lower overall prices. Prices at all the non-boycotted outlets would rise due to the temporarily limited supply and increased demand, making the original prices look cheap by comparison. The shunned outlets could then make a killing by offering gasoline at its "normal" (i.e., pre-boycott) price or by selling off their output to the non-boycotted companies, who will need the extra supply to meet demand. The only person who really gets hurt in this proposed scheme is the service station operator, who has almost no control over the price of gasoline.

The only practical way of reducing gasoline prices is through the straightforward means of buying less gasoline, not through a simple and painless scheme of just shifting where we buy it. The inconvenience of driving less is a hardship too many people apparently aren't willing to endure, however.

I find Snopes to be an ok source when it comes to 'urban legends'.

One thing I cannot understand is why people buy ExxonMobile gas, when it is usually more expensive than other brands. Are they getting amazing rates on an ExxonMobile credit card, and that is how they can afford paying 15cents-30cents more than buying gas at a regional chain? Same holds true for ChevronTexaco, or BP. What are Gas credit card rates like? Imagine that crunch if that is how people are 'affording' their lifestyles. Buying overpriced (war inflated) gas for their leased (war inspired) Hummer H2 with a credit card, and boom now their house payment doubled because it was an adjustable mortgage, all because they have to stay up with Joneses...

I found a site with several links to help determine which is the "least evil gasoline company", which apparently ExxonMobil is last, ChevronTexaco second to last (winner of the most Superfund sites) with Sunoco the Winner in 'relative' social responsibilities of gas companies. I recommend taking a look, grist.com. They also have a link to Co-Op America's Guide to Researching Corporations. I feel strange paraphrasing, and encouraging others to go to any certain site, but there seems to be a lot of interesting stuff on that site, so enjoy!

I don't know what you all do to 'beat' the gas crunch. Here is what I have done. I stopped driving my full size SUV regularly 3 1/2 years ago, and it has been parked for a year. I got a junk bike, and repainted/repaired with some new and nome used parts. I ride it as transportation when the weather permits. In the last year, my wife also purchased a used minivan for her work, and unless absolutely needed, we remove the back seats to remove weight. My hope is to get the exhaust done from the cat back and replace the air filter box with one of those cone racer intakes. I had a similar set up on a V6 camry throught the late 90s, and got 35 miles per gallon on the highway using octane booster. More Oxygen, by way of the 'octane' and the freer air intake combined with the freer flowing exhaust did wonders. I also had alloy wheels, so the 'unsprung weight' was less, therefore more efficient.

I would recommend anyone who drives to make those upgrades for fuel economy, but better yet find a junk bike and get crafty!
DocMoreau

(edit for spelling/grammar)

[edit on 10/12/2007 by DocMoreau]

reply to post by DocMoreau


NOw this might sound bad but....why should we as citizens, taxpayers and consumers be so inconvenienced and have to choose to for example, ride a bike instead of drive to the store? Im not talking about people who own SUVs and HUMMERS because they are just asking for it when filling up at the pump.....instead, im referring to the regular joes like me who have less than 2k in savings and 40k in debt and have to live paycheck to paycheck and have only, maybe 24 hours of free time during the week. What about those people? What should i do.....not go anywhere? Rely on the NYC MTA public transportation to get me places? HAHAHAHAHAH, they are just as unreliable as a financial advisor with no short term memory. So im forced to pay 3.25 or higher for gas just to go visit my parents and my girlfriend!!! Its disgusting....so if boycotting wont affect the price at the pump then what exactly will? What is it about all these worldy and domestic problems? The beauracracy is too big for any of us to make a change....and if you make large enough ripples you are snuffed out. WE NEED A REVOLUTION!!!

reply to post by GUICE2


People should be cutting back on oil usage, period. Combine all your shopping trips to when needed, and only use your vehicles when absolutely the only way to get some place. Car pool to and from work. Take mass transit. Ride a bicycle! Walk! People need to stick it to all oil companies and not any particular one.

Originally posted by GUICE2
So there is a facebook group that aims to lower the price of gas and this is how they propose it to be done:
They make the asertion that mobil/exxon is the leader in the gas and oil distribution world and that what they do with their prices drives the entire industry. The explaination was a long and drawn out one but to make it short and sweet....they say that if we all stop buying gas from those two companies specifically, they should lower their prices to be more competetive. The group instructs people to purchase gas from other sources like BP or OILCO or other less known providers of which there are plenty i am sure. Therefore, as these lesser known companies gain more revenue and exxon/mobil supposedly will lose money and be forced to lower their prices all around to stay competetive.....What do you think folks??

dont buy gas at all, ride a bike

been carless since 2003 and love it

just dont be a consurmerists and that fu** from there end

reply to post by MurderCityDevil


Look...i have family in brooklyn, staten island, queens and a girlfriend in virginia ( i live in NY) so i have to drive. I just have to....why should you ride a bike knowing that they purposefully take advantage of people? Why should we be inconvenienced?? Whats wrong with this country....why do we have to make rediculous amounts of money off of things that people actually need? Just look at that major power outage that took place two summers ago....you had convenience stores selling loafs of bread for $20!!! Are you serioius!! If there is ever a national disaster where the only way we were to survive is to work together......we would never make it becauase those idiots would try and sell us chickens for $50 in a time of despair just to make an extra buck!!

reply to post by GUICE2


All I have to say is that if you are complaining about gas being $3.25 a gallon now, what are you going to do when it gets to $4.00 or $5.00 a gallon? You do realize that the price is going to go up, don't you?

i ride a bike for economic reasons

no gas
no monthly payment
no insurance
no parking meters

I live in seattle and even ride in the rain

im not doing a holier than thou kind of thing

im doing it for great reasons

lots of NY'ers bike

reply to post by Enthralled Fan


Youre right and like i said...those people who own huge SUVs that dont need them and drive to a store that is 5 blocks away should cut down because they are using fuel frivolously. People like me though actually need it to survive.....i walk to the trainstation every morning and i walk to the corner store when i need something so i dont use gas frivolously, only when i need to. Thats my whole point.....im being taken advantage of because they know that people like me cant exactly cut down usage and have to purchase so they exploit that situation and suck as much money out of my pocket as they want. Price gouging is illegal and someone needs to blow that whistle.....you mean to tell me that some oil tycoon who is retired can still collect a miliion dollar bonus but i have to pay $4 for a freakin gallon of gas so i can go shopping!??? That just aint right at all and maybe this facebook thing was a catalyst for a much larger uprising. I think we need to get more people on this.

reply to post by GUICE2


You might just have to move! By the way price gouging is illegal. I live in Louisiana, and lots of people that tried to pull stunts like $20.00 for a loaf of bread after Katrina went to jail. So did landlords that increased their rents....the list goes on and on.

reply to post by MurderCityDevil


Thats great and i wish my family wasnt scattered around so that i can do the same....but im not riding a bike 600miles to virginia and back when i want to see my girlfriend. Everything is connected. Its not just about using less gas, why are we attacking this problem at the end of the line and why not find where it begins and sever the beasts head? I know the price will go up and hopefully when that happens people will picket in the streets and speak up about this. Unfortunately, a revolution is the only thing that will change all of the complaints that we have which stem from injustice, no matter how small. Its just a matter of when, who and how.

reply to post by Enthralled Fan



You want me to move? Sure no problem....just lend me the money that i have to put down and that i have to pay the bloodsucking real estate agent, and then of course the costs to move all my stuff. How is that a solution? I cant be expected to move further away from everyone....i dont want to become a hermit. Doesnt it bother you that we are forced into these submissive positions??

Originally posted by GUICE2

Look...i have family in brooklyn, staten island, queens and a girlfriend in virginia ( i live in NY) so i have to drive. I just have to....

Wikipedia page: Transportation in New York City

New York City is distinguished from other cities in the United States because of its significant use of and dependency on public transportation, per capita. While nearly 90% of Americans drive to their jobs, public transit is the overwhelmingly dominant form of transportation for New Yorkers.[1]

If I lived in Brooklyn, I would ride the Train to Queens, or to Manhattan to get on the Staten Island Ferry, on SI, I would ride the bus or train. If I needed to get to VA, I would take Amtrak to Newport News... Amtrak Northeast and have your Girl pick you up... Or rent a subcompact while you are there.

I am not trying to be a jerk, mind you, to each their own. I know several people who live in NYC, and they do as I described, and for closer needs they ride bike messenger style bikes. One think I found about using public transportation when I still lived in a bigger city, I had more time for myself. I could read on the subway or bus, or use my cell phone without risking the lives of others. So living a lifestyle with less gas in it is possible, but it takes a conscious effort to do it. One plus in regard to removing the car from your life, is that you don't have to spend out the rear on gas/insurance each month that can be used for things like Amtrak tickets and rental cars.

Its all how each person decides to live their life. Some people will live completely carless, some with Cadillacs/Hummers. Many in between using various modes of transportation.

One option you could look into is buying a diesel ("Big Trucks" from GM, Ford, Dodge, or some newer VWs, or old Benzes) and run Bio Diesel. Depending on ones climate, and the temp outside, you can run a bottle of wesson cooking oil in a diesel without any problems. In colder climates you need heaters and additives to the oil so it doesn't 'gel' but it still can be done.

I have also heard, but cannot find info online right now, about converting old vw beetles to 'air' power, where you get compressed air in a tank, and 'powers' the pistons with that, instead of little explosions. Best of all it is 'non polluting' (except for the part where you need to compress the air with coal fired electricity ) It seems really cool, so maybe someone else can track it down. (I have to get back to work!)

All I can say is best of luck to each of us for finding a balance where we can try not to waste our resources, and can live a cleaner and less polluted lifestyle. There is no one right answer, and most of all our society encourages us to consume, not conserve.
Just try to do your best, even if that means what is best for you.
DocMoreau

reply to post by DocMoreau


thanks for your input dr moreau, its nice to see other people non-auto concious

my wife just got rid of her car this year

she loves walking now and we either bike it or electric bus

its just ridiculous to pay for things that isnt really needed

reply to post by MurderCityDevil


Amtrak?? They are not convenient either....they dont own any of the rails south of DC and west of NY as i was told directly from an amtrak agent. This means that there are always delays in those areas. So its either spend over $200 on an unreliable amtrak ticket, $76 dollars for the unreliable MTA and misc. charges for taxis in NY city, and over $300 for rental cars and gas when i get to where im going in VA.....so this should solve my problems?

Why didnt anyone answer my question.....Why do we have to be OK with being forced into these submissive positions by corporations and lobyists?

reply to post by DocMoreau


You know what comes next? Water....they will eventually find a way to control water and force us to pay the highest price for it and corporations will dominate the industry like they do for oil and gas. They already have done it with other staples of our society like education....when the price of learning an an accredited university can cost 60k, i call that price gauging.