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Thread ID: 61383	2005-09-03 02:22:00	Consumer Revolt - September 5th	mejobloggs (264)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
385642	2005-09-03 11:38:00	I got FWD'd it while at work too, the whole site got sent it. In this case, its well-meaning people trying to make a difference without thinking it through. I had similar thoughts to Billy. If everybody were to stock up on Sunday with enough to not have to buy any gas on Monday, then that kinda defeats the purpose right?! At least nobody has tried telling me that if I pass the word on that the taco bell dog will roll past the bottom of my screen doing a song/dance, and my ex girlfriend who I dont really want will come back and love me forever more. ... Then the phone rings, and theres this scary voice that says "You have one week to live" (Okay, so diverging to quoting movie lines may be going a little far :p ) One person can change the world, this is just not the way to do it	Chilling_Silence (9)
385643	2005-09-03 11:42:00	Im like Metla though, I also suffer... things like "Add your birthday to my list". A friend sent me one of those (Which had a bulk CC: of about 30 other addresses that this company had sent the email to) and I replied with a sharp but fair/polite letter saying something along the lines of: Dont EVER put my name on anything like this again, all they do is spam you, and Ive had less than 10 pieces of spam in the past 2 years since I got this address. NEVER forward me anything, I dont read it, and never ever submit my name to anything like this! A quick reply came "Sorry sorry, il never do it again". I get a similar one a week later. Since that date, Ive been getting a good 7-8 spam emails per day. Lets just say this person got more than one earful next time she saw me.	Chilling_Silence (9)
385644	2005-09-03 13:29:00	It would work if everyone used public transport, or carpooled for the day though wouldnt it?	mejobloggs (264)
385645	2005-09-03 21:10:00	Its pointless. You want to make a difference - sell your car. And don't buy another one. A friend of mine came over for some PC repairs the other day - she just imported a car from Japan - she gets 3 weeks out of it on electric. Not bad when she lives in New Lynn and works in Takapuna. Of course, it helps if you can afford one....	pctek (84)
385646	2005-09-03 23:20:00	I wonder how much money these petrol companies make off selling other goods on their stores? (eg confectionary, drinks, oil etc) People generally don't have much choice about buying the petrol they need to get from A to B. How much would it hurt the pockets of the oil companies if people boycotted buying their other goods? Or would they just stick up petrol prices to compensate? (since they are a blatant cartel and hold all the cards they would probably do such a thing).	manicminer (4219)
385647	2005-09-04 00:03:00	Having been in the gas/petrol industry as a retailer/distributor for Texaco when I worked in Anaheim, California, we actually ran on a 2 cent profit per gallon . We went thru the 1970's "energy shortage" here in the US where we had alternate days to buy fuel promulgated upon the last digit of your license plate . . . even-odd numbers getting their own assigned days for fuel . We still worked on the 2 cent margin per gallon, but after the gas got more available (another fiasco there . . . for another post), we now had to pay the rent and the advertising to Texaco out of that same margin . In the days past, the rent and advertising was paid by Texaco for the station . Nowadays, the margins at the retail level are pretty much the same to the dealer . . . . . . . . . 2 cents on a gallon . It's not the independent or individual shop owner or station manager who is to blame for the cost of fuel . Asking why the prices get raised at the pumps before the actual fuel arrives that is higher priced, is kinda elementary . If the dealer is to be able to buy the next load of fuel at the new prices, he has to maximize the retail price immediately when there is a ripple in the next cost-per-gallon . That is the only way he can stay in business and insure the fact that he will be selling gasoline next week . He still is working at 2 cents a gallon, but he has to make up for the new price hike . . . which he missed by a few hundred gallons when the price change was announced . I would not like to still be in that end of the business . It sucks . Now, asking to not purchase the goodies at the store in the stations is taking the wind out of the lungs of the dealer . You cannot blame him if he tries to feed his children . . . or do you? Many times a dealer will lower his prices below the actual cost to him for the product just to get a solid base of customers . He cannot run a gift shop . Philanthropic philosophies by outsiders who have little knowledge of the ebbs and flow of fuel and sales is like asking circus clowns to perform surgery . (No offense . . ok clowns' union?)	SurferJoe46 (51)
385648	2005-09-04 00:19:00	A break down of the cost of fuel according to cambel live show last week From the ground to refinery 43% goverment taxe's 43% transport 3% ( don't know if that is international or local) service stations profit 2% Somebody else might have more exact figures, but as the price of petrol goes up yes petrol stations are making more money but there profit margin stay's about the same	plod (107)
385649	2005-09-04 00:25:00	A break down of the cost of fuel according to cambel live show last week From the ground to refinery 43% goverment taxe's 43% transport 3% ( don't know if that is international or local) service stations profit 2% Somebody else might have more exact figures, but as the price of petrol goes up yes petrol stations are making more money but there profit margin stay's about the same AH! But don't forget that your numbers skew when you factor in the monetary inflation rate . . . these aren't 1990's dollars we are now talking about . I don't know the rate of inflation . . . but here's an old saw about the fact that . . . . provided the inflation rate and all, gasoline is the same cost per gallon as it was in days past . . . if we allow the inflation factor . Historically, here in the US . . gasoline and milk have been neck-in-neck for price as long as I can remember . Milk is now about $3 . 50/gallon, and gasoline is a little less right now .	SurferJoe46 (51)
385650	2005-09-04 00:28:00	late afterthought . . . sorry . . . And don't forget that the gas station owner has to buy food the same place you do . . the local supermarket (if they have them there in NZ) or market or cow-trader or whatever . We are all in the same boat . . . . . . . . we gotta eat/drive/work/sleep/procreate .	SurferJoe46 (51)
385651	2005-09-04 00:28:00	AH! But don't forget that your numbers skew when you factor in the monetary inflation rate . . . these aren't 1990's dollars we are now talking about . I don't know the rate of inflation . . . but here's an old saw about the fact that . . . . provided the inflation rate and all, gasoline is the same cost per gallon as it was in days past . . . if we allow the inflation factor . Historically, here in the US . . gasoline and milk have been neck-in-neck for price as long as I can remember . Milk is now about $3 . 50/gallon, and gasoline is a little less right now . Milk here is $1 . 90 a litre, not taking into account the cheap stuff, which is ironic when it all comes from the same tit	plod (107)
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