"National 'Stick It To Them' Day"

I received this from a friend of mine, who is self-employed. Please pass this along.

Has anyone else heard anything about this boycott?
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"STICK IT TO THEM DAY"

It has been calculated that if everyone in the United States did not purchase a drop of gasoline for one day and all at the same time, the oil companies would choke on their stockpiles.

At the same time, it would hit the entire industry with a net loss of over 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS which affects the bottom lines of the oil companies.

Therefore, MAY 19TH has been formally declared "STICK IT TO THEM DAY" and the people of this nation should not buy a single drop of gasoline that day.

The only way this can be done is if you forward this E-mail to as many people as you can and as quickly as you can get the word out.

Waiting on this Administration to step in and control the prices is not going to happen. What happened to the reduction and control in prices that the Arab nations promised two weeks ago?

Remember one thing: Not only is the price of gasoline going up, but at that same time airlines are forced to raise their prices, trucking companies are forces to raise their prices, which effects prices on everything that is shipped. Things like food, clothing, building materials, medical supplies, etc. Who pays in the end? WE DO!

We can make a difference. If they don't get the message after one day, we will do it again and again.

SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. Forward this E-mail to everyone you know. Mark your calendars and make May 19th a day that the citizens of the United States say "Enough is Enough".

REMEMBER -- DO NOT BUY GAS!!!!
MAY 19, 2004

(on edit: typo)

BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

riiiiiiiiiiiiight...this will never happen. you live in the united states. if, and i say if, anyone was to do this, they would simply fill up on petrol the day before, or after. don't waste your time with this. drive less period. EVERY DAY . . ..

You've underestimated the fury, tenacity and resolve of the American public on this one.

Asking folks to refrain from one day of gas purchasing may not seem like much, but big oil losing a day's worth of revenue WOULD make a impact. And, as stated in the message, this won't be a one-shot deal, either.

I'm old enough to remember the gas shortages that occurred during the winter of 1973-1974, when gas went up to a buck a gallon and people were driving those "Detroit Dinosaurs". Odd/even days. Fistfights between motorists in line waiting for gas. Shotguns and handguns being brandished at gas station owners. Unscrupulous individuals who didn't want to get in line like everyone else, so they siphoned gas out of other people's tanks. (You couldn't find a self-locking gas cap anywhere here in Northern Virginia.) It finally came to a head, and people started boycotting the major gas/oil companies, and directing their anger towards the Nixon Administration. Believe me, it makes a difference. It also affects the outcome of elections. During times such as this, it isn't a good idea to be too chummy with oil company executives.

It would be nice if everyone here in the D.C. area rode bicycles to work or utilized public transportation but, unfortunately, the population here has increased five-fold since 1974, and most people aren't willing to give up those gas-guzzling, luxury monstrosities. Have you had an opportunity to ride on our bus/subway system lately? Always crowded, Metro is increasing fares next month, and they keep extending rush hour to take advantage of higher fares. So, not only are we being gouged at the pump, we're being bled to death on our bus and rail transportation, as well. (BTW, those buses run on gas, and when the price of petroleum goes up, so do the fares.) Ditto taxis: Cab drivers pass on increased gas prices to their fares. And cycling? Yeah, there are some here who do, but you're not going to get a majority of 4.5 million people here to start pedaling. Oh, and let's not forget the immigrant population here who are working at minimum-wage jobs. What will they do when the price of taking a bus or filling up their gas tanks takes a bigger and bigger bite out of their measly paychecks?

My friend has owned his own small electronics business since 1978. Since his company is a mail-order business, he has to charge his customers more for shipping rates, both domestic and international, because the USPS, UPS, FedEx and Airborne Express are raising theirs.
He's not laughing, believe me.

We've boycotted in the past and, believe me, we'll do it again.

P.S.: A friend of mine in Pennsylvania E-mailed me back after she'd received my forwarded message on the boycott. She informs me that it's actually "National Stick It Up Your Ass" Day, and that there are quite a few folks there who won't be gassing up that day. :)

Here's a link to a piece in today's Washington Post that says it all:

Mom and Pops Feel The Difference:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28722-2004May15.html

(Updated for additional text)

boycotts work wonders, yeah. but the fact is old fruit, you live in the states...where people bathe in oil and it seeps from their vessels and veins. a boycott of petrol in the states would no less better work than a boycott of rice in some far off asian country. i do admire your determination, however. maintain a drive like that and you'll accomplish many things . . ..

Please see Snopes:

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

It would be nice to actually put some pressure on the oil industry, but the boycott would have to last a lot longer than a day. The impact on every other industry would probably do more harm than good, however.

For me personally, I still won't buy gas on the 19th, as a protest.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm old enough to remember the gas shortages in the early 1970's and the boycotts that sprang from that. I'll more than willing to participate in another one.
Friends, such as the one who sent me the E-mail I posted, have businesses that are taking a hit with this increase.

Wasn't there a protest by truckers last week?

19may04 was two days ago. i don't think any damage was done to the oil companies...unfortunately . . ..

much business. My husband also noticed and mentioned it to me.

That boycott E-mail made the news on the local NBC affiliate here in D.C., BTW.