Protesting the Prices at the Pump

The April 8 front-page article, “Get Used to High Gas Prices, U.S. Says,” continues on page A25 with the headline “Gasoline Prices Expected to Stay High Through 2006.” Isn’t that an election year that the Bush administration and its oil industry friends have “an interest” in?

Here’s a way to remind fellow consumers, the oil industry and elected officials about the “important implications” of these obscene price increases. Let’s all deliberately stop the pump at $20.06 instead of rounding it to $20. Think how often consumers and the gas stations will see that reminder that “you can’t fool all the people all the time.”

OK, so paying $20.06 is an extra effort when we pay cash. In that case, why not stop the pump between $19.96 and $19.98. Then, you can either explain the protest while you get your change or “put in your two-cents-worth” by messing up their accounting when you drive away without getting the change. (Of course, the message can be sent on any amount, such as $52.06, which now comes with a fill-up of about 20 gallons.)

Gary Moir

Rancho Palos Verdes

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So we’re going to have high gas prices as the finite supply dwindles from now on. Duh. Who would have ever thought that would happen? Does no one remember OPEC, or a president named Jimmy Carter? He was urging fuel conservation, smaller cars and lower highway speed limits back in the 1970s, but everyone thought he was just an alarmist, especially the man he ran against for reelection. Oh well, “there you go again.”

Jack Redmond

North Hollywood