Are You Going to Protest?

I can't think of a worse way to protest high gas prices than driving down the street using up high priced gas.

It's like protesting the high cost of beef by eating hamburgers.

The truckers problem is not so much the high cost of fuel its getting the shipper to pay a rate that will cover it as the price continues to increase. Some of the truckers I have talked to say its like pulling teeth to get money needed to cover the increased fuel cost to them. Hey I don't blame them to start to protest. I do think wasting fuel to do so not the answer. Nor is parking their vehicles and refusing to haul a solution as they have families to feed.

My niece's husband has all ready sold his rig as he could not afford the payments on it. Fuel costs will probably drive quite a few independents out of business. Then they will not be needed anyway. As the price of goods goes up due to the fuel cost no body will be able to afford them anyway. So why ship stuff no body can afford to buy.

ozzb:

You're correct and currently it cost about $.75 for a truck to move one mile, five years ago it cost about $.17. Freight rates have increased though twice in the last 40 years (:. But seriously it is the structuring of contracts that makes or breaks a trucker. Some will bail and others will fail but many of those shouldn't have begun without enough capital to begin with.

On another note there is emerging the a realization that supply is surpassing demand for oil and by 2010 I'm hearing the expectation $70-$75 per barrel oil. We all are experiencing a series of slow rolls and we will right ourselves just hang tight.

Gas prices are high because we are prepared to pay it.

We are prepared to pay the price because we need wheels beneath our butt's.

Protesting won't help we should rather kick ourselves on you know where.

Not buying for a day or a week will just spread the sales and income differently and one will only punish ourselves because gas ques will be longer.

The only real solution will be if everyone reduce driving around and thereby reducing demand.

We've had similar protests here & even had truckers blockading oil terminals but it's had no effect on the prices. One of our local firms has found it economical to fit extra fuel tanks & make the trip through the channel tunnel to take advantage of the cheaper prices in France.

Won't be long before the taxman figures out how to shut that one down. Just like the old song goes, "Declare the pennies on your eyes."

As said previously, the best protest is to buy less (combine errands, car pool, walk/bike/slither, downsize your wheels, change old habits/lifestyles)

It won't be easy, but we have no other choice.

it is a complex queston with no easy answers...

a) Reduction of demand is the way to go...which means lot of scarifice...not easy at all..!!..lot of us have gotten used to car so much that even car pool is not acceptable to us..leave alone alternative methods of transport.

b) China and India are having more demand because of growing richer middle class...

(remember almost half of the world's population lives within these two countries..) and more cars are rolling out of showrooms on to the roads everyday, than ever before..

c) OPEC cartel has to be dismantled.

d) Alternative energies have to seriously looked into...(not the corn though..!!)

only collective efforts will have solutions to global problems...and the developed countries have to take lead and show the path...instead of telling the developing to clean up their act..!!

Cheers..