A "citizens' action" idea that WILL have an effect on gasoline prices.

Forget the dumb ideas like boycotting one or more brands of gasoline. Screw the stupid ideas about putting stickers on the gas pumps.

THIS will work, and I even came up with a snappy name (sorry in advance if someone else thought of it first):

Stay-home Sundays.

Doesn't even have to be every week, though that would be good. Just twice a month, don't drive on Sunday. Period.

If enough people did that, consumption will drop enough to trigger the old supply-and-demand equation.

How hard can it be? And think of the other benefits: Less traffic noise, health benefits if you walk or ride a bike to go to church or whever else you might want to go on those Sundays...and hey, you might get to know your family or even your neighbors a bit better if you're not all spending the day charging around in cars.

Twice a month. One more time: How hard can it be?

Redstone

May as well write a message on the net advocating teleportation Sundays.

silly, pointless "let's boycott Exxon!" schemes, and bitch and complain some more, rather than, well, I don't know, use less gasoline.

But I thought I'd try anyway...sigh.

Redstone

Sunday driving is just "silly." People are not going to be "driven" to reduce consumption by some sort of PR blitz. Practical economics is doing that already. And further, on the "silly" aspect, the idea that monopoly pricing has anything at all to do with supply and demand is hopelessly naive.

Everyone just keep driving as much as you want to, and I'll shut up my silly mouth.

But don't bitch to me about the prices.

Redstone

just the assumption the we live in a free market society where prices are negotiable between buyers and sellers based on supply and demand. No personal offense intended.

Way to go Redstone. Your suggestion has merit on a couple of levels. First it would actually reduce consumption (and that's a good thing, no matter what the amount is). Second we need to start coordinating and focusing our efforts in positive ways. This a great place to start.

And BTW, keep coming up with ideas like this, gives scoffers something to do.

:kick: & recommend

and why haven't they been doing that for longer than 5 or so years? Frankly, I'm trying to figure out what in the hell is going on so if you think you know, I'm all ears. I've heard demand is way up globally, there's not enough refining capacity, price gouging, speculators are driving up costs. I think short supply of oil is out as a reason. I've heard someone on TV say that if we reduced our demand by 3%, prices would nosedive. Hard for me to believe that, but worth a try anyway.

anything that involves people not driving when otherwise they would is a good thing, especially on a massive scale.

but lately, I've been driving less. I walk more, feel better, and save $$$!

btw, how's your fast going, Redstone?

:hi:

Surprisingly easy, considering that I do enjoy eating. I think it might have done something good for my eyesight, because I can see better without my glasses than with, all of a sudden.

And we're like you; we use only 12 gallons of gasoline a week between the two cars. But we're still riding the bikes more than last year, and as much as possible. Easy for us, because we live in town. Might not be so easy for people in the 'burbs, but I still think the stay-home idea is a good one.

And, folks, stop mowing your goddamn lawn every single week, would you? Twice a month works just fine.

Redstone

Oh wait, Farenheit 9/11: The BUSH family works for the SAUDIs.

Never mind. Sorry about those high prices, I try to conserve.

Don't drive on Sundays. Don't buy gas from Exxon.

How hard can that be???

Sorry - no can do.

I do it every Sunday already.

won't work for all work places - but enough of them will make a difference

switch to a 4-day/10 hour work week. Cuts commute time out by one day.

regarding gas gougers: Most gas gougers get slapped with a small fine. But it's a drop in the 'tank' compared to how much they are racking in.

my suggestion:
-- station has to empty their tanks by giving away the remaining gas FREE
-- station is prohibited from selling gas for "x" amount of time (3-6 months?)

if it's gouging at the oil company source - then they have to sell their gas to the station owners at 1/2 market price for 'x amount of time'