"That guy is a real jerk."
Posted on 05/24/2007 7:05:48 PM PDT by Iam1ru1-2
The owner of Towne Market Mobil in this suburb north of Milwaukee shut down his pumps for 24 hours, hoping to start a movement aimed at persuading oil companies to lower their prices.
"Somebody out there is making money at these prices, but not me," said Pollack, 57. "So I just thought: What can I do to help the consumer?"
Yellow caution tape surrounded Pollack's six idle pumps for his protest, which drew dozens of drivers. One in a green minivan rolled down her window and shouted "Thank you!"
Maria McClory, 38, drove 10 miles out of her way to buy a diet soda from Pollack's station after seeing local television coverage of the protest.
"I just wanted to support them and thank them for making a statement," said McClory, who drives about 100 miles a day for work in her sport utility vehicle.
Other drivers were more skeptical.
Jeff Bensman, 52, pulled in expecting to gas up his Honda sedan. He said he appreciated the protest but did not think it would make much difference.
"Most other places are going to be open in the area," he said.
Jack Sobczak, general sales manager for Lakeside Oil Co., a contracted Mobil distributor that supplies Pollack's station, said Bensman was probably right: "The demand will just move down the street to the next Mobil station."
Pollack and station general manager John Schwartz agreed to experiment with a pump shutdown after an Internet-based push for a one-day gas boycott went largely unheeded last week.
"Somebody's got to be the first to try this," Schwartz said.
The Mequon station sells about 3,500 gallons of gas a day, Pollack said. He estimated the station would lose only $1,500 on the protest because some losses in gas would be made up by people buying convenience store items or more gas on Friday.
Pollack, who also owns a Milwaukee title insurance agency, said he bought the gas station in 2003 as an investment but he has not turned a profit in 30 months because gas margins are razor thin and he cannot sell enough volume to compensate.
Pollack said he has virtually no control over the price he charges for gas. The company usually makes 8 to 12 cents per gallon after suppliers' prices and credit card fees. On Wednesday - the day before the protest - that added up to $3.49 for a gallon of unleaded gas.
Schwartz called that "outrageous" and said even he can't fill up his SUV at that price.
"If it keeps going like this, my kids will never be able to afford to drive," said Schwartz, who has an 18-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.
"That guy is a real jerk."
Umm... Create a shortage?
Don't forget to add the local, state and federal taxes too, in Wisconsin that adds another 51.3 cents/gallon.
Who was it that was making money again?
Why does this movie scene come to mind?
To divert the mob, hold them at bay and escape, Bart holds a gun to his own neck, shouting:
Hold it. The next man makes a move, the nigger gets
Why does this scene come to mind?????
it...Drop it! For I swear, I’ll blow this n*****’s head all over this town. Oh Lordy-lord, he’s desperate. Do what he say. Do what he say.
When he successfully holds the lynch mob at bay and is allowed safe passage out of harm’s way, he marvels at his accomplishment and congratulates himself for bluffing them: “Oh baby, you are so talented, and they are so dumb.”
This guy obviously has not heard about supply and demand. If more stations took his approach, prices would go even higher.
Dang, you beat me to it while I was looking for the picture.
You are right that people might work even harder to make up lost time, and possibly exceed the consumption they were trying to boycott.
But it is conceivable that if you waste a day doing nothing, then the savings in gas is never recouped by the gas companies. You just have to be willing to suffer the pains of true idleness.
That’ll learn ‘em.
She should have thought of gas prices before buying a 15 mpg behemoth. Someone who drives that much should have a Corolla (40 mpg).
I know one thing.
I wouldnt buy from this guy ever again
Quite the genius, this one.
See above for a hint.
"So I just thought: What can I do to help the consumer?"
Reduce competition, bottleneck supply, reduce convenience, and make the consumer pay even more. Great job, we've got a regular Einstein on our hands.
One in a green minivan rolled down her window and shouted "Thank you!"
Congrats - the morons are flocking to you in gratitude for making their lot worse.
Schwartz called that "outrageous" and said even he can't fill up his SUV at that price.
Nobel Prize material, folks.
It’ll be 4 bucks a gallon before long so let’s throw a party.After all the thinking here is if we’re paying 4 dollars a gallon then the Europeans must be paying 5 or 6 so why complain right ???
see my tagline
Great minds....
Exxon, Mobile, Shell, Chevron, BP, etc.
I wonder what y’all will be saying when prices reach $5/gal.
“Price of supply and demand”? I highly doubt it. It will be a chorus of “Those Big Oil Companies are price gouging”. We have to pass a law to stop this.” Watch and see.
I agree. If people applied some common sense to their driving habits, we wouldn't need so much gas so quickly.
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