Canadian Gas Revolt

OUTLAW

As of June 1st 2007..Many Canadians will not be purchasing gas from Petro-Canada.....WHY?.....To Start a Price War.....This will Drop the Price of Gas in this Country.....A question for my Fellow Canadians..Will you be participating??...OUTLAW

mavie

Outlaw, with all due respect, how will this work?

Unless consumption goes down or levels, the money will simply be redistributed.

Paralipomenon

No, it does make sense.

If people boycott one gas station, they will need to entice customers. The only means they would have to do so would be by lowering their price.

If they lower their price, other gas stations would follow suit to stay competitive.

I would say I'd participate, except I fill up at Canadian Tire Gas Bars... I like the funny money.

free2beme

No, because this joke goes by every single year and people still buy in to it. In reality, people can choose to not by gas on a certain day. Yet in reality, they will just by it the day before or after. Who ever came up with this urban legend, pure genius!

OUTLAW

Mavie..Some Canadian Gas Station Companys have a Monopoly..The little guy has to feed from the crumbs..What happens,when you turn the tables with your Purse or Wallet???...OUTLAW

OUTLAW

Free2Bme..This is not,just for 1 day!!..It starts June 1,2007..Canadian Consumers are starting a "Price War"!!...OUTLAW

OUTLAW

Paralipomenon..I have enough Funny Money,from Canadian Tire..It`s sooooooo..Canadian!!..LOL!!...OUTLAW

AllAlongTheWatchtower

Anti gas price emails have been circulating since around 98-99; know what? They're all crap. For one thing, not everybody will participate, some people will still frequent whichever company is the current demon because they have that company's credit card, or just like that company, or are apathetic in general. Even if people were willing to participate, there's a number of reasons it STILL wouldn't work-because gas companies buy and sell gas to each other...which is why I always laugh when people say "brand x gas works best in my car"...unless it's that clear colored Amoco stuff, you have no idea which company's gas you're actually putting in your car.

It never ceases to amaze me when two gas stations on one street corner are doing about the same amount of business, despite the fact that brand x station is a nickel+ higher than brand y station, yet it happens all the time. Maybe the cigarettes are cheaper, or the coffee is better, or whatever, but people will still go to brand x station.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasoline.asp#gasout

The above link refutes about a half dozen popular gas price email campaigns, individual links are provided on that page.

WTWizard

Here is a better way to impact gas prices: use less of the stuff. If people start doing that, then they will have surplus inventory on their hands, and the price will go down. And then keep using less--if we backslide, that will ultimately let them get the prices up again.

How to use less gas? First, drive less. Short trips can be made on bicycles or by walking. Combine errands when possible so you make only one trip instead of more. If you are one of Jehovah's Witnesses, start missing the meetings and blowing off service--that wastes a lot of gas. Buses and trains make sense in the city, where available. Take advantage of them. A full bus uses only a little more gas than the same bus with only one or two passengers, and they are going to run anyways.

When you do drive, do so sensibly. First, make sure the car is in the best possible condition. A poorly tuned engine wastes gas. Tires that are underinflated also waste gas, plus they make the car that much less safe. Unload that winter gear unless you are traveling to where you might actually need it. The ski rack wastes gas because of drag. Dangling a flag outside your vehicle is patriotic, but it wastes gas because of the drag it creates. Keep the flag inside to prevent this. And, it has been done before: Drive 55. That uses less gas to keep the vehicle moving than driving 70. If you have ever driven in a hard cross wind, you may have an idea of why. Steady vehicle speed also saves gas.

Shopping for a car should be done with fuel economy in mind. You do not need a SUV if you do most of your driving on the highway and the city. Those vehicles are good, however, if you are constantly hauling large amounts of gear or towing substantial loads. They are also useful if you often have lousy roads. However, the honest truth is that most of us do not need those gas guzzlers. Toyota and Honda make excellent small cars that will do well for most purposes. Bonus: If you are a Jehovah Witless, that will also make it that much harder for the hounders to recommend you for "privileges". These small cars are also a lot more reliable than many domestic cars, too.

A word about air conditioning. Use it judiciously. Opening windows creates drag; at speeds above 40, this takes more gas than running the air conditioner. At lower speeds, open windows unless you have allergies, it is extremely hot and muggy, or you are stuck in traffic. At highway speeds, the air conditioner is better. Setting the temperature at a comfortable setting instead of freezing will also save some gas.

Finally, about those stick shifts. I have seen people leave those in second gear for a whole block. They will leave it in third until they are going about 45, and I have seen people leaving a 5-speed in fourth until they are going way in excess of 65 MPH on the expressway in open conditions. This wastes a lot of gas. It is generally not necessary to run in second gear until you hit 30 or 35 MPH and third until you are going 45. Most cars today (the 5-speeds; the 6-speeds may have higher gearing) can be put in third gear by the time you hit 20, into fourth at around 30, and you should be in fifth gear by the time you hit 40. Steep grades and necessary brisk acceleration may necessitate delaying upshifting, since you need the power. And if the engine is running hot, you should run it in second to get the fan moving and cool it until you get to a service station. Generally, if you put the car in the highest gear you can comfortably run it, you will get the maximum gas mileage.

Try these tips. You will probably find yourself filling your gas tank less often, and saving money in the process. And, ultimately, you will help drive down the price of gas.

Finally-Free

I've implemented a different solution that benefits me over the long term. I moved closer to my job, so I can walk to work every day. It's a half hour walk each way, so I'm enjoying a health benefit as well as saving money. I only use my vehicle on weekends now. Instead of burning a tank of gas every week, a tank now lasts me an entire month.

W

Canadian Gas Revolt

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