To all those wrongly boycotting BP gas stations. Please get the facts first.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/your-money/12money.html?src=mv>

the company owns only a handful of the 11,000 stations that bear its brand and is trying to sell the few still on its books. So those who wish to inflict the maximum amount of pain on the company are instead putting much of the hurt on the family businesses who actually own the stations.

Just how little does BP gain from its gas stations, besides whatever ancillary marketing benefit it gains from the signs? The gas in its pumps may not be extracted, refined or stored by the company and may just get a spritz of BP additives right before it ends up at the service station. All of this puts a mere handful of coins in the company’s pocket per fill-up.

:thumbsup:

"And the gas that people buy when they fill up elsewhere? Fuel from independent gas stations, grocery chains and big-box wholesale clubs sometimes comes directly from refineries or wholesalers that BP owns outright"

To the OP, what is the alternative?

Hell, since apparently doesn't hurt BP at all, let's ONLY go to BP stores for our gas! That'll show 'em!

Has been for years. Prolly don't achieve much but it makes people think they're doing something.

Was 1978.

As if Exxon was the only oil company.

since 1978. The idea that boycotting a particular oil company impacts them economically makes no sense - it has no impact on the basic supply and demand equation. BP (or Exxon) oil will simply flow to where their former customers are now buying gas.

You assume it was the oil company rather than gas station outlet that pissed me off to begin with.

Nevertheless, I'll ask the train conductor on my electric public transportation train, what Exxon station he frequents.

Tell us, oh wise one.

Are you that hell bent on a hanging that you hang an innocent man?

And does simply choosing not to patronize an establishment "hurt" the employees?

Am I hurting Hooters gals by not going there?

Or am I helping other restaurant workers by going to their restaurant instead of Hooters.

on innocent people? How about doing a little research first and figuring it out for yourself.

and yet are badgered by people who argue that a boycott is stupid...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8539744

I agree. I have more self-respect than to buy BP/ARCO gas... I know how wrong it would feel. That's enough for me. I haven't bought gas from Exxon since their little mishap either. It's still not cleaned up, still not made right. I won't give my money to ecological terrorists and be able to sleep at night. I need my beauty sleep; they can go fuck themselves.

But keep on being mis-informed and pretending that you are doing something positive.

In your original OP you say they maybe only getting a miniscule. Now your saying they are everywhere. So if we go by what you just posted We are hitting them if we are boycotting BP stations. At least it's a start.

No? I'm not surprised.

So stop answering your own questions Like you are the God all mighty. BTW I still stand by what I originally said.

"And the gas that people buy when they fill up elsewhere? Fuel from independent gas stations, grocery chains and big-box wholesale clubs sometimes comes directly from refineries or wholesalers that BP owns outright"

Plus, the refined product being sold at other brand named stations contains BP oil as well.

I simply can't believe anyone would be proud of doing virtually nothing but falsely vilifying a group of small business people who have done nothing to deserve it.

And you are correct. I do think that that is stupid. It's down right Teabagger like.

You should really chill... you have some good ideas, but you're attitude is really pissing people off... me included... fwiw.

Lots of vague terms you'd see in a report from a high school student that really doesn't have a true understanding of the situation, is too lazy to look up the actual statistics, or doesn't want to look up the statistics because it would prove them wrong.

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"BP owns only a HANDFUL of the 11,000 stations..."

"Just how little does BP gain from its gas stations, besides whatever ANCILLARY marketing benefit it gains from the signs?"

"The gas in its pumps ... MAY just get a SPRITZ of BP additives right before it ends up at the service station. All of this puts a mere handful of coins in the company’s pocket per fill-up."

"Once companies make a discovery, it comes out of the ground and ends up at a refinery. There, it CAN BE mixed with oil that a variety of companies have poured into the tanks."

"“Pick any one of those retailers, and you stand a GOOD CHANCE of filling your car up with fuel extracted by BP,” Mr. Lenard said."

"Alternatively, BP MAY HAVE stored the gasoline and supplied it to whomever delivered it to a grocer or warehouse store."

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That's a lot of mays, ifs, possiblys, could haves, etc.

Everyone think of it this way: one of those BP gas stations that you no longer frequent may just be one of those "handful" of BP-owned gas stations. If they are losing money now, they'll lose even more if you stop going to them. When they close down, they'll lose the "ancillary" benefit of not having their name and logo plastered on every street corner. That can't be worth much, right?

Boycott the fuck out of BP. It might not hurt them much, but that shouldn't prevent you from boycotting them -- it should just make you more determined to boycott whatever brands you can that they earn a profit from.

And I exercise my choices.

Even if refinery is different the feedstocks to the refinery (crude) are exactly the same.

Again, you aren't talking to an idiot here. I know where the local oil goes... wtf?

If you give money to shell you support ethnic clensing.
If you give money to Chevron you support contaminating ground water with MTBE and massive destruction of Latin America.
....

They are peas in a pod.

Saying there is a good oil company is like saying there is a good rapist. "If I get raped I sure hope it is by one of those good rapists not the evil ones".

There are many, many choices for gas. And for cars... and public transportation.

I'm not an idiot, though you continually treat me as such.

I know where the gasoline I purchase originates. And because I know many people working in local refineries, I know when things change.

Your rapist comment is thoroughly fucked up, btw. I resent any flippant analogy using rape as an example.

Ever heard of a necessary evil? You know full well we cannot eliminate all gas, oil, and oil based products from our lives overnight. Please do not assume the rest of us think in those terms.

I don't give a flying rat's ass... fuck it... you weren't paying attention anyway. I said I buy what I choose to make myself feel a little better... so naturally you had to pop up and make sure you mitigated the good vibe.

Honestly... wtf?

Nope that is the fallacy that you cling to.

All refineries use the same feedstock. There aren't seperate BP pipelines and an Exxon pipeline right next to it, and a Citgo pipeline right next to it.

Oil producers dump oil into network and are compensate for the volume the unload.
Refiners pull from the network and are charged for what they pull.


"I know where the gasoline I purchase originates." Sure. If it makes you feel good keep thinking that. All your oil comes special "good guys" wells to "good guys" tankers to "good guys" pipelines to a specially built "good guys" refinery to a "good guys" tanker to the gas station. Of course it works that way.

That whole "good guy bad guy" thing is bullshit... I never said such a thing... I'm really done with you.

This is comming from a person who just happens to live on the Gulf coast.

They sell gas from all over just like other independently owned gas stations. Do what you want but at least inform yourself.

So I should just disreguard what my local BP owner says (who happens to be a good friend of mine despite the station he owns). I feel sad for my friend but am elated that his busines is not doing so well.

don't even check the facts before you dance on your neighbor's grave.

they make their money on the stuff they sell inside the station. they make a few pennies per gallon and actually make more when the price goes down and less when it goes up.

since we know several of the employees at the local BP we`ll buy stuff from them but not the gasoline. if they do`t make up the difference through gasoline sales they`ll find another supplier who will probably buy bp gasoline and brand it as theirs.

If my local station owners want to get my business, they can stop paying BP a franchising fee. Apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way- even at prices fifteen cents cheaper than the competition they've practically got tumbleweeds blowing through their lots.

:nuke:

Generally they must also buy most/all products from the brand owner or their approved suppliers, who generally have close financial ties. That's a franchise, by any rational definition.

The article in your OP talks about how the company is selling corporate owned stores to franchisees ...

You can't change anytime.

They change the signs out front as often as I change my shoes.

BP owners goes bankrupt... stations property, pumps, building bought by someone else signs a Exxon contract. He goes bankrupt someone buys it signs a Citgo contract, etc.

The station I normally go to when I need to fill up my work car is rebranding as I type. When I was in there the other morning paying for my fill-up and a copy of the Bee I asked about it. They got a better deal so they jumped ship. They sure haven't been tied to one brand 20 years, because the station hasn't been there anywhere near that long.

So, a bit of a moot point... But I do appreciate the asymmetrical impact on the small station owner..

people are having a delayed knee jerk reaction and cannot comprehend the complicated ins and outs of the petrol biz.

stations that have Dunkin Donuts coffee. They are all the same. They all rip me off. Might as well purchase something I enjoy while they have their hands in my pocket.

Do they not make any money from them, either?

As I said in another post, maybe we should ALL start shopping at BP gas stations! That'll teach 'em!

I guess it's just more proof what a crock of shit the "free market" is.

Whether or not the boycotts have any effect or not, you can be sure that even if hurting them slightly, not using their stores hurts them more than using them.

nope. They will simply sell more oil for garbage bags then, or pesticides, or plastic lawn furniture.

Why? Because there will be less Exxon oil or Chevron oil available because they are seeing higher gasoline demand.

It would be like thinking you could boycott Bank Of America money (never accept cash that has even been in a BofA location), or boycott Chinese air, or not drink water that originated from Pacific ocean.

But that doesn't change the fact that a boycott of their gas stations, gas cards (which you did not address), etc would hurt them more than help.

If no one goes to BP stations, the stores will eventually close down, like it or not. Other brands may pop up in their place that sell a mixture of gas from different companies, including BP, but that cannot be as profitable as having your brand plastered on every other street corner.

Or, as I said, the alternative is what? Should we ALL start frequenting BP stations? It apparently has no effect one way or another, so let's all start going to BP to show how pissed we are at them! :sarcasm:

It's a ridiculous point you are trying to make. It may not hurt BP as much as a normal boycott, but using as few of their brands as possible does hurt them, even if slightly.

I have been using a BP stations and a BP gas card for several years. I will no longer be using that card, nor will I be frequenting any of their stations again.

How much did they pay you to post that? :shrug:

I just feel sorry for people who are being used as scape goats by their neighbors who are pretending they are doing something to effect BP. Hopefully, someone reading this has decided to do some research and get the facts before they act.

Keep patting yourself on the back for whatever it is you think you are doing.

Those stations not owned by BP are starting to discontinue the affiliation and take down the BP logo.

So yeah, it's having a positive effect.

So we must not buy an Saudi Arabian oil right?

The only person hurt is the station owner who either
a) simply can't afford to break his franchise lease and just suffers
b) can break lease but has to pay BP franchise termination fee, and dump even more money into new lease, and new more money changing out signs.

Meanwhile BP will sell the same amount of oil with or without the stations. It will go into other stations gas.

Worst case scenario every BP station owner will go bankrupt or lose tens of thousands retrofitting their stations and BP will no longer have a retail presence in the US.

That doesn't stop Canda, Saudi Arabia, Mexico from making hundreds of billions of dollars a year selling oil the very same oil the powers your car.

He wants his life back.

if I drove into a BP gas station and filled up. Regardless. And you are an idiot for suggesting we do.

That's the unfortunate reality of the world in which we live. However, since our government is going to do everything in its power to save BP any financial repercussions from their criminal negligence, it falls to those of us who are justifiably outraged at this to express that outrage in the ways available to us. Bitching on an internet discussion board alone doesn't make those pictures of dead and dying animals from the Gulf any less infuriating.

They charge more per gallon than any other joint in the neighborhood, so fuck 'em.

After the latest environmental disaster, fuck 'em even more. I wasn't gonna shop there anyhow.