Boro

iTrader: (1)

After seeing some of the recent topics and new stories in general about fuel prices and remembering some of the old fuel boycott stratergies, i was wondering why they were flawed and didnt really work.

Remember the one that advised boycotting certain brands of fuel, was it ESSO & BP? In theory, may well work, but tbh, who did it? Probably not many, cos we all thought no-one else would.

Anyway, i thought of a variation on a theme, same principal but with more communication between the people that ultimately are in control.

This is all imaginery at the moment, but would be interesting to hear peoples views and comments about a system that COULD work.

1) Theres a website, to register too. Takes Username Email and Mobile number.

2) Theres a forum, to discuss the system further.

3) The start date of the action is delayed until enough members register and leave their contact details.

4) At that point, an email and a text message is sent out to all registered members, reminding them of the DAY OF ACTION (a week from the ACTUAL DAY OF ACTION).

5) The night before, ANOTHER email/sms is sent with yet ANOTHER reminder is sent out.

6) The day of action, yet another email/sms is sent, detailing what action is to be taken.

Obviously, it isnt going to be anything illegal or something that demands planning on the part of the registered user. Its just a means of informing everyone that it has started.

The reason, i think, this could work is because people will know how many other people will be informed of this action, and in that, a confidence that they are one of many 1000's, maybe 10'000's who are taking the same action on the same day with a common goal.

I guess the question is. Would you take 5mins of your time to register to such a site and leave your email/mobile number to be contacted at some point in the future. Maybe even upto 6 months time, when enough members have registered and would you act on the information in the email/text if you thought 1000's of other people would be doing the same?

<flame suit on>

magepaster

iTrader: (2)

Yes I would!

The complacent and apathetic attitude of people in this country to being shafted by the government has to stop.

P1Fanatic

Tbh I dont honestly see the point in 1 day - I mean your still using the same amount of fuel so you will be buying it from somewhere eventually. Maybe not the day of the boycott but probably within the next week so the money ends up in the Govt and Fuel companies pockets eventually.

Simon

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Hi P1. This wouldnt be a 1 day boycott, the day of the text is the START day of the action and could in theory go on for however long with continuing emails/sms messages being sent out.

P1Fanatic

Hmm ok. I guess then yes I would participate. Now that would be interesting. I only tend to buy at Shell anyway due to cheapest price around and pluspoints so unless the boycott was for them I wouldnt be doing much.

Simon

bugeyeandy

Who would pay for that many SMS?
There is no way this would work , only a large scale blockade of fuel depots would work and unfortunately after last time steps have been taken to prevent this happening.

PaulC72

As much as the high fuel prices are a PITA a boycott would have little effect on the actual situation, if the duty on fuel was reduced it would probably go on something else so one way or another you would have to pay it but would have also incurred the costs of setting up and running the action site.

The most effecitve method of protest would be vote in a party that will actually do soemthing good for the country on a whole not just rape and pillage to their own good.

r32

We are the most taxed Country in the developed world, sadly motorists are an easy target. Whatever you do will have little or no effect. Targeting a specific oil company wont bother the munchkins in power.
Whilst we dont know if either of the other political parties would be any different, it would scare those in power if ALL motorists voted to get them out.
They are all worried about staying in power. Just like Maggie was a few years back they now have no thought to do best for anyone other than themselves. Its gone from govermnent of the people by the people. They will impose on us what they want to do, look at the broken manifesto promises.
So if we all write to number 10, saying sorry Gordon but we will be voting to get you out of office that might make a difference. But he didnt even blink with the pay to drive protests.

David_Dickson

Short term boycotts wont work simply because people will buy fuel the next day, or the day before.
Longer term boycotts would very probably have the opposite effect to intended. as soon as word got out, the general public would be out panic buying and sales would rocket. How long term are we talking here.... a few days? weeks? Weeks are whats needed to get the point across, but will the public go that long without fuel? I very much doubt it.

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

Just boycott one of the big suppliers until they drop their prices? TBH though it's more about tax than the actual suppliers of the fuel isn't it ... 81% tax isn't it - 63% fuel tax than 17.5% VAT on top

TX.

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

i think a protest should be staged outside downing street or similar. make a convoy from north to south using the many subaru clubs and just cruise to london at 60, stop at services handing out ready made protest letters with address to send it to parliment (spelling)? how many scobbies would we get? we could include other performance car groups, would highlight the hardest hit people and would show we aint all spotty kids. we could make banners and do an official protest in london? with newspaper space we might at least get a wider genral debate going?

BooSH

Problem with fuel at the minute is that Demand is out weighing supply, with the likes of China and India registering millions of new cars a month, the chances are fuel will never come down in price, fuel prices are rocketing all over the world at the minute

Boro

iTrader: (1)

The idea was to boycott one or two of the top oil companies with as many people as possible so they feel it.

As as i said not a 1 day, 2 day, 3 day, but for as long as it takes to get a result. Maybe a couple of weeks. This could then be repeated as often as required.

The way strikes happen.

I think people underestimate the power we have as a nation. We think nothing will happen so therefor we dont act and nothing happens it. Self fulfilling prophercy.

All im asking, is not for people to worry about if this will have a positive effect.

All im asking is, would be willing to sign up, register and boycott one or two companies for a set period?

The only way we will know the outcome is if people are willing to support the idea. If the people that think its pointless dont even attempt it, they will never know what could have happened.

Im sure there are instances in history where people have pulled together and succeeded. As im sure there are people than bury their heads in the sand and been walked over.

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

it isnt the fuel companys its the amount of tax that is levied, the goverment is hiding fuel tax rises as grenn tax rises but we have to boycot the goverment, a direct protest in london would get a lot of coverage. we can call it the southern big one

what can the fuel companies make the goverment do?

David_Dickson

Its now illegal to protest within certain distance of government seats.
So much for freedom of speech

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

well im sure something can be arranged, im sick of being shafted

HUDDERS1

i agree with all the comments above and that action is needed but one of the problems we the people have is that the government believe that they have now competition so will not be voted out. so i say in the next general election please vote conservative if not it a wasted vote if you wont labour out.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Hi phil, what can the fuel companies make the government do? Do you honestly know the answer or just assuming they cant make them do anything? Im genuinely interested, not being sarcastic.

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

that im unsure of but at the end of the day if i boycott shell i still need to get fuel from somewhere so someone will still benefit, if we boycott the goverment we might get a reduction which would benefit the people. the increase in VED and fuel has an effect on everyone with increased cost to all of us through higher cost of living due to food price increases, it costs us more to get too work etc etc.

does anyone think the conservatives will be any different? the tax rises are masked as "green" but where will the money be going? it wont be on green projects thats for sure.

its like the rises on alcohol, its maksed to try and reduce binge drinking but are they gonna invest in alchol awareness and real reduction plans with the extra tax? are they bollocks

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

i remember talking about the war in the middle east pushing oil prices up and thought about george bush coming from texas (oil producer) and britain (oil producer), i wonder how much extra money both goverments get from a high oil price? also how many M P's have intrestest in the domestic oil business's

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

The phrase 'pi55ing in the wind' comes to mind.

What have all the previous fuel protests achieved ?

At best you will maybe get 0.1% of motorists to actually boycott the forecourts, which will make no difference at all to the petrol companies. People may support one or two day boycotts, but only because they know that they can fill up the day before, and then again a few days later - income of the petrol station for the week is exactly the same as before, just with some days quieter and some busier.

Also, what are you going to do when the petrol companies take no notice of you and you run out of petrol ? not use your car ever again ?

I can appreciate the sentiment behind it, but if you really want to spend less on petrol, buy a Prius or something and sell the Impreza. Or only use the car for vital journeys, the rest of the time you can walk, cycle, or use public transport.

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

isnt that why the goverment get away with what they do? rip of britian and we just dont seem to care

DYK

Id sign up,im like one of many who is tired of being ripped off,and would like to do something about it,but its like you look around you and other people seem to want to take action but dont,because there not enough of us.we just moan and keep getting hit in the gut as usual..i mean the French have got it right,they been on strike again,hence operation stack.us Brits are always taking the mick out of them,but they dont let their goverment sh@t all over them..I think if enough people came together and did something,it could work. what's the Plod gonna do if their were 10,000 people protesting,arrest everyone one of them..That first fuel protest we had was just laughable.5 or 6 people grouped together,with little protest signs..or am i just talking complete and utter rollocks.

phil_wrx

iTrader: (2)

agreed, for further comparison look at the thread about 2nd hand car prices, high fuel prices are one of the reasons why the *** has fallen out of the market.

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Something needs to be done and it isnt going to happen if the people dont MAKE it happen. There are 60million+ people in this country and we get walked over by a few hundred MP's.

We've all been conditioned into believing bull**** about global warming, iraq, etc.

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

'Rip Off Britain' is basically BS invented by the media - if you compare the cost and standard of living vs wages in Britain to the rest of the world you will see that we are about in the middle ( barring the anomoly of house prices, which is only a recent phenomenen in the grand scheme of things ). There are plenty of more expensive places to live, and you never see the media saying what a bargain it is to live here compared to them.

Protesting is all well and good as long as it isnt just falling on deaf ears, it isnt about being apathetic, its about living in the real world and realising that no matter how much you may dislike something, or want to change it, then sometimes you can't and may as well use your time more constructively.

I would love to pay 10p for petrol, 5p for a pint of milk and £1 a year road tax, but short of moving to a third world country that probably isnt going to happen.

DYK

I can see what your gettin at,but i lived in new zealand for just over a year,and ok i had to take a wage cut for the same job i was doing in the uk,and there was no NHS or anything.But its about quality of life and ok yeah you still have to work and pay bills no matter where you live,unless you got millions stashed in the bank,but i was much happier there than being back here,even though i had to work and still pay rent and stuff.the only reason i came back was because my contract had finished,but am thinking of going back there,or maybe somewhere in europe.you can actually go out and enjoy yourself without blowing 150-200 quid on a friday and saturday night out,because a bottle of barcardi breezer costs £3.50 in a club here.when i lived in czech for 6 months a glass of beer was like 30 pence,and it was nice beer,not the crap you get here.i tell you something my girlfriends brother was amazed how much money i earn in the uk,because it sounded alot in czech money.they dont earn nowhere near the wage we do,like a teacher in czech would earn the equivalent of 500 pounds a month,but they are alot happier than what we are living here.

David Lock

Protests at garages will do nothing. You need something a bit different that will attract the public's attention which basically means loads of media coverage. And also to get the point home to MPs.

Now if the Protest Website listed out MPs constituencies and even constituency offices - easy to find - then may be motorists could post a diesel soaked rag to their MP at the Commons and/or to his local office with a suitable note saying that the stuff on the rag is simply too expensive. Now this would be a hell of a nuisance (and smelly!) but not dangerous and would attract press attention. A theme could be "fed up with being treated like oily rags"

It won't happen of course

Luan Pra bang

Thats bollocks. Until everyone cottoned on the UK had the highest pre tax prices in Europe for cars as well as the highest prices for various other goods from DVD's CD's and designer jeans. 80% of the price of petrol is tax and the cost of running a business has become ridiculous becuase of the minimum wage, energy costs and ridiculous rates. The extra H&s red tape is another pointless burden on our economy. The countrys economic climate is being changed to make it impossible for small independant comapnies to start and operate with out chargeing ridiculous amounts. Many of the problems woth our economy would have been easy to solve but now we have gone down the road where public sector workers want to strike unless they get 4.5% pay rises and huge pensions that are unsustainable. The very idea of running the UK on the basis of borrowing more money every year and taxing more every year is destined to fail.

Luan Pra bang

1000 people stopping dead across all three lanes of the M1 then getting out of their cars and walking away would soon get some attention. do it every days for a month and duty would soon get dropped.