> Thanks for the reply, Laura. While I'm not begging for participants, I
> would like to clear something up:
>
> I'm out to *prove*, (roughly speaking) the effect or lack of effect of a
> "Gas Out".
I don't think that lack of effect is any reason to not protest.
Maybe last year it didn't do anything. Maybe this year there will only be a
ripple. But, maybe NEXT year-there'll be a noticable effect.
> Talking about cutting down gas consumption and driving less is a whole
> different story- which I support, BTW. I beleive we, as a culture,
consume
> far too much of a lot of stuff, gas included.
It's easy for people like me, who do not work outside the home to do
this-but for people who commute-and where there isn't mass transit-it's
another story. Also, people who don't make much money certainly do not
consume as much as the ever-shrinking middle class. (Hey, I don't even own a
CD player and my T.V. still has dials! My money is limited-so I spend it
differently...as do most people.) And remember-there are more poor and
working poor than any other class in this country. We live in a country were
the minority consumes the majority of the goods (gas included)
I see the news interviews at the pump-the SUV and mini-van owners are
filling up and don't seem to care about how much they're comsuming. I see
the interviews at dealerships and the people looking at these vehicles, when
asked about gas consupmtion and the price at the pump say, "Oh, I'm not
concerned! I 'll buy the SUV!" Selfish and careless to say the least. And
I'm out there on the freeway and I see these people speeding and weaving in
and out of traffic and I think -"not only are they an accident waiting to
happen-they're consuming A LOT of gas!-I guess they can afford the gas -and
the insurance premiums when they get caught!"-and I see this behaviour A
LOT-(underlined!)
But, these are the minority of Americans. The majority are really struggling
along. And I see many, many people who have really cut back. (But, these are
not usually people who own high consumption vehicles either!)
> However, I would like to see if the "Great Gas Out", (which encourages
> people to withhold filling up for a specific period of days), actually has
> any effect. The chain letters say "It worked last year, let's do it
again",
> but I don't remember it "working", (i.e. the prices dipping significantly)
> last year. I'd like to see for sure by recording gas prices. I thought
> that the people on this list would want to see also, since we're avid
> drivers.
I know that in southern California it didn't work, but like I said
previously, maybe this year it will make a ripple-and if we insist and keep
it up-maybe it will make a difference in the future! Rome wasn't built in a
day-and the U.S. wasn't won in just one battle!
Laura G.
Vita brevis est: rapide agite, vigore strigate!
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