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Why "Don't buy gas on xyz date" chain emails are a big failure

I got this forward this morning and have seen a number of blog posts about it:

Example:
"New gas protest circulating for April 15th, see following:

What the heck, I’ll go do it! If running low, just get your gas the day before on April 14 or the day after on April 16. Every little bit helps

In April 1997, there was a “gas out” conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On April 15th 2011, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $1.20 a liter in most places.

If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that’s almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on April 15th and let’s try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.

If you agree (which I can’t see why you wouldn’t) resend this to all your contact list. With it saying, “Don’t pump gas on April 15th”"


Sorry to be a nay sayer but I don't see it.

There are ~34Million people in Canada (according to the CIA World Fact Book). In order to "cost" the Gas or oil companies 3 billion each person in Canada would have to NOT buy ~$88 worth of gas.

68.5% of Canada's population is driving aged : 15-64 years. Yes some older people "can" drive, but some 15, 16, 17, 18, etc year olds don't or can't (~23.3million people). Which means that to "cost" them 3billion each driving age person has to NOT buy ~$129 worth of gas on the given day.

Now lets assume that 33% of driving age people buy gas on any given day (~7.7million). Each of them would have to NOT buy ~$390 worth of gas.

Etc etc, considering car pooling, not everyone drives everyday, people "drive" for a living and those companies will continue to buy gas to perform their commercial activities (the post office, the cops, the military, truck drives, construction....).

Not to mention that similar to death and taxes almost all of us are in the unavoidable situation that we need gas to run our cars. So even if we don't buy it on the appointed day we'll still have to buy it the day before or the day after......and who has complete control of the price of gas? THE GAS & OIL companies.

This idea has been circulating for some time, snopes.com wrote up "Pain in the Gas" in 2007.
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