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Posted: Friday, 16 May 2008 6:41AM

Wis. Man Swears Off Gas For A Month

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CHECK 'LOW' GAS PRICES HERE

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP)
- Brian LaFave couldn't care less how high gasoline prices climb these days - he's parked his pickup truck and is refusing to buy gas for a month, possibly longer.

"The goal is to not use one drop of gas for 31 days,'' LaFave said, calling it his personal stand against the oil companies.

Now LaFave, 31, is riding his bicycle or walking everywhere he goes. He won't even let friends pick him up unless they already planned on being in the neighborhood.

"If they're not going out of their way, I can take the ride,'' he said. ``But if they're going out of their way, then ... I'm still consuming gasoline so it kind of defeats the purpose.''

LaFave started the effort May 11. He bikes to his third-shift job at Aldrich Chemical in Sheboygan Falls, a 9-mile commute.

"I did like a practice run ... two days in a row to make sure I could do it,'' he said. ``I'm not in the greatest shape. The mornings are the worst. It feels like it takes forever. I get like a mile down the road and I want to die.''

It's a big change for someone who put 300 miles on his truck the week before he stopped driving it.

LaFave fills out a chart each day listing how many miles he bikes, the destination and the gas price that day, among other things. He plans to compute his savings and donate that amount to a charity that provides food to children in Africa.

"I think just with the gas prices being so high, everybody complains about it but no one ever really does anything about it,'' LaFave said. ``People continue to drive nonstop and not think about it, but I just wanted to take a stand and say, `I'm not gonna pay this much money for gas.'''


Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
 
 
05/16/2008 6:50AM
Could you give up using gasoline for a month?
Share your thoughts.
05/16/2008 8:09AM
MJP
I would love to but when there isn't a lot of alternatives, it's hard. At least I take the train to work (one of the reasons I took the job) but I plan on contacting every legislator on the federal and state level and cc: the gas companies to complain. Probably should do the same things with the cost of food too.
05/16/2008 8:26AM
Three cheers
Brian has the right idea. I have to drive. It's my job. But I leave my own car in my driveway and save that way. Gas prices are OUTRAGEOUS! SUVs should be banned from the road, except in special situations. We should open our oil reserves and STOP BUYING FOREIGN OIL FOR A WHILE. But Bush won't do that.
05/16/2008 10:53AM
Without a doubt!
I coudl do it but car pool would be challenging as would grocery shopping (my backpack is pretty small) but if I could get someone else to cover those bases for me - YOU BET!! Brian is setting a great example!!
05/16/2008 11:04AM
MAC
Alright lets blaim the big bad oil companies. Something to remember: The refiners don't make alot of profit on Gasoline sales. A big part of the reason for such high prices are the hug a tree idiots out there who have successfully kept us reliant on Middle East oil. We can cry all we like about high fuel costs, but we shot ourselves in the foot several years ago when the oil companies were not allowed to develop oil deposits in Alaska, and other places within the borders of our own country.
05/16/2008 11:16AM
Go LaFave!
Kudos to LaFave for taking a stand. There may not be a perfect and quick solution to this problem but the recent spike in prices is a symptom of a big problem. Something has to be done! I have severely limited my driving and have taken up public transportation and walking whenever possible.
05/16/2008 11:23AM
Corner Cubical
I Wish We Could All Stop Driving For A week. The Oil Companies Are Doing Their Best To Ruin This Countries Ecomomy.There Is No Reason Oil Should Be $122.00 A Barrel Even If Opec Is Holding Off On Production. Why Doesn't Some One Do An Expose'On The OilCompanies And The Oil Price Situation We Are In Right Now? And Where Is Our Silly Excuse For A President ? There Are Things He Can Do To Help This Situation.
05/16/2008 11:47AM
WHY?!?!?!?
First off the president is plainly selfish. As you all can see is that all he wants is $$$$$$$. He has to step into our feet of the low-income failies that are out there and anyone else for that factor and realize that as he raises the cost of food andthe gasoline prices, that he is going to a TON of people starving and not being able to afford anything. Its just INSANE!
05/16/2008 1:18PM
40 mile each way commute
if I could do this I would. my 40 mile each way commute does not allow it though. and driving 25 minutes to the train to take it for an hour defeats the purpose in my eyes. I feel like I'm stuck! Would be nice to give us hard working people a break & make it reasonable, open the reserves here, SOMETHING. I walk where I can but I cannot walk or bike to work.
05/17/2008 11:31AM
expose
Oil companies in and of themselves are not the problem. They work on a very small profit margin, about 8.5%. In the corporate world that is nothing. If you do not make 30% profit or more you are failing. The problem is the federal and state taxes put on each gallon of gas, for no input into the production, refining, locating of this product the govt. is raking in billions of of the american people. Along with those who will not allow us to build refineries, or to use the oil we have yet untapped in alaska and in the gulf of mexico.
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