Commuting - May 19 boycott

Wasn't today supposed to be a gasoline boycott, no fill-ups allowed?

I didn't get any gas (who is suprised?) I wouldn't have, anyway.

Debunking the May 19 "No Gas Day" action

Bottom line: the oil companies will sell just as much gas if you fill up on the 18th or the 20th instead of the 19th. The only way the oil companies will be hurt by a boycott is if people actually start driving less and therefore buying less gas. If they don't change their driving habits and just change when they buy gas there will be zero effect...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/nogas.asp

I was thinking the same thing randya. How about "No Gas Month" because then people would actually have to change their driving habits and start using other forms of transportation. I think it is funny how people will do anything to get gas prices lower, except driving less. People are just silly.

Exactly. If you want to spend less on gas then buy less of it.

They are actually going to talk about that email tonight on the news and discuss who's behind that email. I'll be interested to see who started this and why.

Koffee

Probably started by a gas station employee who want to hit the beach today. How about a day when everyone bikes to work. Or boycot all cars with < 30 mpg. Something that makes sense and saves gas, to make the USA independent on the oil countries

I think all we need are more cycling awareness programs. If people understand how safe a bike can be, and how much money they could SAVE...than it's almost a no-brainer...all they would have to do then is stop being a couch potato (add an e if you want :p ).

Since I stopped using a car for a bike january this year (my mustang died, so I decided it was as good a time as any)...I saved over $1200 in gas and car related expenses....and all I spent was about $350-400 on a decent bike and accessories, so the real total is about $850-900. Not bad at all, that kind of change can get someone a laptop computer, a nice surround sound system, or even a cruise for two. Let them think about things like that. If they see it as in what more they could do if they saved this money, it often helps put things into perspective.

Then talk to them about proper fiting of the bike, and comfort tips. This is the one spot where more riders give up is when they have something htat doesnt fit and they start hurting.

Then the whole safety bit should be covered, along with bicycle law so they do understand that the sidewalk is not a bikeroute.

Basically, I feel that if we all started to use bikes for short distance commute, much of our fuel consumption would go down. Who cares what the pump price is, what we should be worrying about is how much we are spending on it....cost is price times volume...so one can go down or the other and we get the same result...if the price isn't going down...reduce your volume, and ye shall be glad :)

They are actually going to talk about that email tonight on the news and discuss who's behind that email. I'll be interested to see who started this and why.


The whole "no gas today" thing has been floating around on the Internet forever. I first saw it way back in Sept 1999, and it only took that long because it took me that long to connect. I'm sure it was around before then (and probably even before the Internet even existed). I think it really only exists so that people can pat themselves on the back and feel like they're "doing something" without having to inconvenience themselves too much. As was said before, if you really want to make a whole in fuel prices, sell the car outright and cycle to work.

The irony is that those of us who are least affected by fuel prices are the ones doing the most about them.

I think all we need are more cycling awareness programs. If people understand how safe a bike can be, and how much money they could SAVE...than it's almost a no-brainer...

The problem, of course, is that "no-brainer" is an accurate description of 90% of comtemporary society's inhabitants.

I didn't buy gas today, but I didn't even hear about this "boycott"! But you guys are right, one day won't do a blasted thing. There would have to be at least 50% of the nation to agree to do this for at least a month; but I would say it should be treated like a strike, where we would not buy gas until the prices dropped to around $1.50 a gallon. That would not only effect the Sheiks in the middle east but would force our lazy asss politicians to make some changes because don't forget: if we don't buy gas then the Federal and States won't get their tax money they put on every gallon of gas we buy! And without that tax money coming in there would soon be some major concerns in our government. Every gallon you buy you pay .18.4 cents for federal tax, PLUS what ever your state tax is (here in Indiana it's .14cents but in Calif it's .51cents). That would be a pretty good chunk of change not going to the local or federal government.

By the way the reason other countries have more expensive gas prices is because their governments are charging way more taxes than the USA does. Their wholesale cost is the same as ours, and in the case of Europe less because they don't have to ship it across oceans; that means that a country that charges $5 per liter is sucking their citizens about $4 for taxes...and a liter is less than a gallon!

That should make you all glad you live in the USA!! So lets forget the strike or boycott thing and get on with our lives!

By the way the reason other countries have more expensive gas prices is because their governments are charging way more taxes than the USA does. Their wholesale cost is the same as ours, and in the case of Europe less because they don't have to ship it across oceans; that means that a country that charges $5 per liter is sucking their citizens about $4 for taxes...
Let's just call the tax 80%...In the US, on the contrary, those of us who don't drive end up subsidizing those who do because so little gas tax is charged, they take the money out of other taxes we all pay instead. What tax funds the roads where you live - property tax? sales tax? I guess if you live in Las Vegas, the gamblers pay, but everywhere else, the more you drive, the more those that don't drive subsidize your cheap gas and roads through other taxes.

I hope the cost of gas just continues to rise. People will actively be seeking alternatives to their stupid cars and trucks then... :D

I didn't buy gas today, but I didn't even hear about this "boycott"! But you guys are right, one day won't do a blasted thing. There would have to be at least 50% of the nation to agree to do this for at least a month; but I would say it should be treated like a strike, where we would not buy gas until the prices dropped to around $1.50 a gallon. That would not only effect the Sheiks in the middle east but would force our lazy asss politicians to make some changes because don't forget: if we don't buy gas then the Federal and States won't get their tax money they put on every gallon of gas we buy!

Nor do they have to continue subsidising it. Check some official treasury websites rather than relying on a few whiners in the press, and you'll see the government would be far better off. Not that it makes a lot of difference either way. They'll just apply the taxes elsewhere if they lose any revenue. In any case, what difference would such a boycott really make? If people simply went back to their old habits as soon as the price dropped, it would only rise again.

$5/litre fuel now!!!

I didn't buy gas today, but I didn't even hear about this "boycott"! But you guys are right, one day won't do a blasted thing. There would have to be at least 50% of the nation to agree to do this for at least a month; but I would say it should be treated like a strike, where we would not buy gas until the prices dropped to around $1.50 a gallon. That would not only effect the Sheiks in the middle east but would force our lazy asss politicians to make some changes because don't forget: if we don't buy gas then the Federal and States won't get their tax money they put on every gallon of gas we buy! And without that tax money coming in there would soon be some major concerns in our government. Every gallon you buy you pay .18.4 cents for federal tax, PLUS what ever your state tax is (here in Indiana it's .14cents but in Calif it's .51cents). That would be a pretty good chunk of change not going to the local or federal government.

By the way the reason other countries have more expensive gas prices is because their governments are charging way more taxes than the USA does. Their wholesale cost is the same as ours, and in the case of Europe less because they don't have to ship it across oceans; that means that a country that charges $5 per liter is sucking their citizens about $4 for taxes...and a liter is less than a gallon!

That should make you all glad you live in the USA!! So lets forget the strike or boycott thing and get on with our lives!

Well... my thoughts exactly... for the most part. ;) I think people keep forgetting that the majority of the money Europeans pay for gas goes towards their social programs and their own governments. We are taxed for the same stuff in different ways- ie property taxes. What we should be discussing is how much tax we pay on top of gasoline prices and figure out why we're taxed so much on the gas and where the tax money goes. With the amount of property taxes we pay in Cook County, you'd think the taxes would be lower here, but for some reason, it's not.

Koffee

Well... my thoughts exactly... for the most part. ;) I think people keep forgetting that the majority of the money Europeans pay for gas goes towards their social programs and their own governments. We are taxed for the same stuff in different ways- ie property taxes. What we should be discussing is how much tax we pay on top of gasoline prices and figure out why we're taxed so much on the gas and where the tax money goes. With the amount of property taxes we pay in Cook County, you'd think the taxes would be lower here, but for some reason, it's not.

Koffee

But in Europe, England and even Canada Koffee, the citizens are taxed about 50% of their wages; some of that is value added tax and some is payroll tax-PLUS the gas taxes. So even though you may pay a lot in Cook County for your property taxes, your still not quite close to Europe standards!

Russia at one time had 90% taxes!, no wonder their citizens didn't want to work! But that too was a vicious cycle...one person stops working the taxes go up to cover their expenses then another stops and so on. But in Russia you didn't pay for utilities, medical care, education both lower and higher, all forms of transportation and their fuel was subsidized. So that's the other extreme.

Here is the tax rates of most countries, these tax rates DO NOT include VAT, property or gasoline taxes!!!

In the Americas, the individual income tax rates vary from no tax (Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grenada, and Turks and Caicos Islands) to the highest maximum regular tax of 55% (Antigua and St. Vincent and the Gren-adines), 56% Panama, and 58% (Netherlands Antilles).

In the Asia/Pacific Basin, the individual income tax rates vary from 1% minimum in the Philippines (maximum of 35%), Macau (10- 15%), and Hong Kong (2-25%) to a maximum regular tax rate of 50% (Bangladesh, India, Japan, Korea, Turkey, and Western Samoa) and 55% (Thailand).

In Europe, the income tax rates for individuals range from 0 to 13% (Switzerland) and 0 to 17% (Norway) to the highest maximum regular tax of 60% (Cyprus and Netherlands) and 68% (Denmark). Liechtenstein has a regular income tax of only 1.2%, but it has a surcharge tax on income and wealth of 5-395%.

Finally, in Africa/Middle and Near East, taxes extend from no tax (Brunei Darussalam, Oman, and United Arab Emirates) to a maximum regular tax of 65% (Egypt and Liberia), 75% (Iran and Zambia), and 90% (Libya).

another thing that needs to be created is a widespread bike lane campaign. I think people would ride their bikes more if they felt safer on them.

another thing that needs to be created is a widespread bike lane campaign. I think people would ride their bikes more if they felt safer on them.

We have plenty of bike lanes--they're called roads. Learn to ride properly on them and you'll feel safer.

Paul

Well Paul, I wasn't refering to myself. I was refering to the average person that gets nervous riding on a road. Furthermore, I don't ride on high speed roads such as highways, which were the primary form of transportation in the town that I previously lived in. Mixing Bikes with high speed high traffic roads, though legal, is more dangerous than a dedicated bicycle lane or path.

Mixing Bikes with high speed high traffic roads, though legal, is more dangerous than a dedicated bicycle lane or path.

No it isn't. I ride on those roads every single day, which is more often than I'd be prepared to ride on bike paths.

No it isn't. I ride on those roads every single day, which is more often than I'd be prepared to ride on bike paths.

Depends on the bike lane / path in question. If they were designed as carefully as roads they could be the safest choice. Now it often seems they are just drawn randomly, with little or no consideration.

--J

[edited to make some sense]

Depends on the bike lane / path in question. If they were designed as carefully as roads they could be the safest choice. Now it often seems they are just drawn randomly, with little or no consideration.

That was my point exactly. It's all well and good to say if they were given proper consideration etc etc -- fact is, they never are. More to the point, nor will they ever be. It's simply not possible to build two "separate but equal" transit systems in any modern city simply due to space considerations. My commute alone would require the demolition of billions of dollars worth of spanky apartments. That simply is not going to happen.

Space considerations are a problem. But newly built areas around here are designed to accommodate bike paths along both sides of all major streets, so it does happen. Late add-on -type bike paths/lanes in downtown are probably not much better than yours.

--J

[QUOTE=catatonic]I think all we need are more cycling awareness programs. If people understand how safe a bike can be, and how much money they could SAVE...than it's almost a no-brainer...all they would have to do then is stop being a couch potato (add an e if you want :p ).

QUOTE]

and the fact that with that 800 a month they spend on that tahoe they could go out and buy a fleet of the finest ti frames with full record on them, being probably the finest road bikes in the world. then they would realize that's a far greater status symbol than some clumsy ole tahoe.

We have plenty of bike lanes--they're called roads. Learn to ride properly on them and you'll feel safer.

Paul

people always try to hit me on these roads... some damn truck came within 6 inches of me today. i was taking the lane (as ALWAYS) and there was plenty of room.. like a mile at least.. but nooooooo. i'm mr. red f150 flareside and i gotta be a jerk. i think it's usually the traffic that scares people.