Are you planning to boycott BP?
As of May 5, the Associated Press reported there didn’t appear to be a consumer backlash against BP. Some commenters on our own Biz Beat blog said accidents happened and the overall feeling on the blog on May 5 wasn’t too angry.
However, 22 days later I’ve been hearing more moms talking about boycotting BP. I kept hearing snippets at the school picnic on Wednesday of moms reminding other moms not to stop at the BP. I also was involved in a conversation about it at the Kroger gas station.
What are you hearing and seeing in your community? Are you planning to boycott BP?
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159 comments Add your comment
Common Sense
June 12th, 2010
10:44 pm
It makes no sense to boycott the local merchant. We need their sales to remain stable if BP is to have any chance of repaying for the damage.
Bhorsoft
June 12th, 2010
10:45 pm
I’ve had a BP gas card for several years – only gas card I have and since I’m handicapped and have trouble walking from the pump to the cashier and back I’ll continue to use it, at least for the foreseeable future. My other thought was that if it wasn’t BP, it would be Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobile, Texaco, or someone else. The behavior of any of the “Big Oil” companies would be the same in this situation and there’s not a lot a little guy like me can do about it.
Sam
June 12th, 2010
10:47 pm
What is a boycott supposed to accomplish? When you boycott something you are trying to change behavior of that thing right? Does anyone think they blew the well on purpose? Are they doing nothing to clean it up? Are the expending energy and capital to take care of things? What would you people have them do differently today?
Sam
whatdoiknow
June 12th, 2010
10:48 pm
Boycott Obama, not BP.
Just why are oil companies forced to drill deep wells when we have plenty of oil in shallow waters or on land where accidents are easier to control and contain?
Fishhooks
June 12th, 2010
10:54 pm
Sam – I would have them not dumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil into our seas TODAY. It would take 10 years to get enough oil from that one well to last the USA one day. If there is any remote possibility that this type of catastrophe is possible (which obviously there is), then it not worth the risk, period. My concern is not for small business owners or taxpayers – it is for the environment, plain and simple.
retired
June 12th, 2010
10:56 pm
Not me..It is better that they make enough money to pay for this mess….
Terry Malloy
June 12th, 2010
10:57 pm
I would much rather boycott the homely obese maw maw and the ajc than British Petroleum.
Scott Perry
June 12th, 2010
10:59 pm
I love when people swear that some gas is better than others. Folks, it all comes out of the same pipeline! Its the same stuff! The only time you get a little difference is when they change grades in the pipeline by just turning the valve from regular to premium.
Boycotting BP is the right thing to do. It sends a clear message to the industry that is working in conjunction with each other to fix prices. The customer is in control. I just read AJC’s report that it is hurting small business. Well, we aren’t just stopping buying gas, so the gas station across the street’s business is picking up! All we’re doing is putting the pressure on these owners of BP franchises to CHANGE FRANCHISES! I’m sure our friend Hugo Chavez will be glad to put a Citgo banner on the front of their station!
Hope you are boycotting them to!
I’d love to see consumers boycott more. I think it sends a more clear signal to corporations to supply our needs better.
andrew
June 12th, 2010
11:06 pm
I was a big time BP customer, but the past 2 months I’ve been boycotting. I don’t think I’ll get another drop from BP. Its not because of the oil spill, its because of the way its been handled. They could have been upfront about everything, instead they’ve lied and tried to cover it up.
Brian
June 12th, 2010
11:08 pm
I’m visiting BP stations more often. The gas I buy at a BP station more than likely didn’t come from a BP well and refinery.
Jose
June 12th, 2010
11:22 pm
I was trying not to use BP or Citgo before any of this happened… with great American gas stations such as Racetrac and QuikTrip, why would I ever want to shop in the operations that are partly or completely foreign?
Regularjoe
June 12th, 2010
11:29 pm
Boycotting the local BP station mainly hurts the local owner and any employees they have. Most if not all of these stores are no longer corporate owned. Someone mentioned earlier, many companies use BP gas and the fuel is also use in thousands of product you use everyday.
BP is being punished for the spill, look at the stock price. We don’t want them too weak, they still have a lot of clean up to do. A better idea is to do a personal boycott later after some of the BP stations have an opportunity to re-brand, so you don’t punish the local folks.
Atl Resident
June 12th, 2010
11:44 pm
Why boycott BP? What’s the real purpose? Just like that oil spill years ago that was the worst one, people know they will be back at BP when all of this is over especially if gas starts fluctuating again.
Bad Karma
June 12th, 2010
11:45 pm
No I am not boycotting BP, Im boycotting a president that speaks out of both sides of his mouth. One day he is “Dirty Harry,” and wanting to kick butt, then acts like “Barney Fiff” and tells Brition, “ah, just kidding no hard feelings.” Yep, man of the world or whatever he’s called, definetly is not a leader.
So if everybody, including the Pope, boycotts BP, what happens? BP will be spending billions and billons on the mess they created and if they go bankrupt then what? Me, you, our kids will be paying for this.
Gas Hauler
June 12th, 2010
11:49 pm
NO…How can you….BP supplies gas to other stations and companies in metro Atlanta….do not be so quick to do so….you will never know what companies get the BP made gas…..but I do.
MommaMia
June 13th, 2010
12:05 am
No, I’m not boycotting them. First of all, they didn’t do it on purpose…it was an ACCIDENT. Second, it wouldn’t do any good. It would take millions of people boycotting them for it to have any impact, and that’ll never happen. So, get over it. They are working to get it fixed. I guess this is Obama’s Katrina. Why isn’t HE doing something about it?
Check Yourself
June 13th, 2010
12:08 am
@BadKarma…hey, what/where is “Brition”?
Michael Cook
June 13th, 2010
12:41 am
I don’t give a damn if they are small buisness owners. As long as they even USE the BP logo, they can go to hell.
Marcia
June 13th, 2010
12:49 am
I don’t use BP and I surely will not now. Being from Louisiana, it saddens me to see one disaster after another destroying the state and the gulf as well. BP should be made to spend billions to restore the healthy marine life in the gulf and to rebuild the gulf cities affected by the oil spill.
SouthernGal
June 13th, 2010
12:54 am
Do ya’ll think that BP owns the gas station on the corner? Your local BP Station owned by small business person that sells gas under the BP name.
anonymous coward
June 13th, 2010
1:01 am
That boycott is some real tough action, hey. You folks are being really hard on yourselves, doing without like that. I’m glad to know that you all are adding going without gas to not buying products from totalitarian regimes like China or Vietnam or Venezuala, not eating meat products and keeping the beef and poultry industries contributing to the damage to the environment, moving closer to work so you can walk or bike instead of driving 20-40 miles each way from the exurbs into the city…
oh, wait…
riley hawkins
June 13th, 2010
1:27 am
did VAN DER SLOOT work for BP–yeah right!
Whatever
June 13th, 2010
1:31 am
No – I am not boycotting the BP stores. They will only hurt the business owners and investors who own the stores. It isn’t those store owners fault. After all, BP doesn’t own the stores – only the gas – which is actually sold by a middle-man – which will get hurt as well. So – in the end – the so-called boycott doesn’t hurt a company like BP as much as it will hurt so many individual businesses – which already operate on very thin margins to start with. And if you think you want to hurt a company like BP – just remember – there are a LOT of pension funds and mutual funds that has a lot of BP shares in it. So – you also end-up possible hurting your own retirement or pension fund.
Whatever
June 13th, 2010
1:41 am
To people like Michael Cook – it is obvious that you have never run a business before. It’s jerks like you that can’t think your way out of a wet paper bag. I bet you live off tax payers like myself – or work at an hourly rate somewhere – and never have to make business decisions.
And besides – do any of you idiots who are calling for boycotts really think BP did this on purpose?? You know – 10 US Soldiers DIED this week fighting overseas in a war (2 wars) that most people don’t even seem to CARE about anymore (and yes, I do, I’m not antiwar). And NO one seemed to notice this week. And the costs (much less the cost of a life) is well over a Trillion dollars – but are YOU going to boycott the United States??? Are you going to Boycott Prez Obama (who NOW calls this a virtuous fight??)
RowDog
June 13th, 2010
1:51 am
Boycott Obama, he did not cause the disaster however he is hampering it. Oh wait, he did not do an environmental impact study or he waivered it last year so ………..There are ships waiting to help with the cleanup and Obama denied them access because of the Jones Act established in the 1920. Foreign governments want to help but Obama wants to help the unions. 2012 can’t come fast enough.
Baldemar Huerta
June 13th, 2010
1:56 am
I’m Boycotting Obama, the real villain in this mess.
Ron J
June 13th, 2010
1:58 am
You might as well not buy any gasoline at all, as there is no way to tell where BP oil has ended up. Go live in your caves and beat off to Obama.
Ron J
June 13th, 2010
2:01 am
Barney Fiff? He must have been the deputy on the “Andy Griffing” show.
John
June 13th, 2010
2:15 am
I don’t buy gas at a bp station anyway, but here is the reality, You don’t know where the gas you put in your car comes from anyway, most fuel comes from the same fuel Terminal, Generally speaking different company first put their own chemicals in their trucks the get fuel at the same gas terminal, so if you go to bp. racetrac, qt, pilot, or where ever you might just be buying fuel that came from BP or someone else.
So does boycotting the BP stations which are generally NOT owned by Bp hurting them, Nope just the small business owners of the station.
James
June 13th, 2010
2:47 am
what is wrong with you people boycott bp only people your hurting is the workers in the stores bp is doing what they need to do boycott our goverment and tell the to get off there asses and help in clean up instead of pushing bp they are not all at fault here look into it and you will see research why they drill so far out and so much more i bet you change your attitude towards bp i still use bp and always will
Mom
June 13th, 2010
3:04 am
Less we forget, or may not have known, 39 percent of BP shares is owned by Americans! 41 percent is owned by the British. I don’t know who owns the rest. We are all in this together, to get a thrashing re pensions and such.
Asheville Dawg
June 13th, 2010
3:34 am
I don’t buy Citgo, and now BP! The reasons should be readily seen. No to Hugo Chavez and no to folks to stupid run an oil platform properly.
Spill Baby Spill
June 13th, 2010
3:55 am
While I totally share the anger at BP, Congressional oversight, the fact big oil owns Congress, Interior, Salazaar, Minerals Management, the companies you read about running the rigs and the ones you never do, bypassing BP stations is ludicrous because it does absolutely nothing to impact them. The station you go to could be gettting its oil from BP no matter what it’s called. And Costco and all thhe other discount fillups are big BP customers and they refuse to release that.
Everyone who comments should educate themselves by reading this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/12/your-money/12money.html
USA isn’t getting off the oil tit in your lifetime ever. You certainly aren’t and most likely you’re burning fossil fuels unless you’re totally electric and few are. Other countries like China and India are increasing their consumption. Talk to any engineer who has worked on a rig in South America, and they’ll tell you that every rig there trashes the environment.
Until you go electric or at least hybrid, you might as well boycott your home, because you are a big part of the problem as well as the oil companies. And again, the station you go to to fill your guzzler may be a BP customer no matter what oil company logo is on it whether it’s one of the 11,000 BP owned stations or not.
patrick
June 13th, 2010
5:38 am
Yes, I am boycotting BP just as I did Exxon many years ago. To this date from the time of the Exxon spill in Alaska, I have not purchased anything from an Exxon (now ExxonMobil). I plan to do the same to BP. I, personally, do not support (directly support through my decision to purchase goods or services) companies that are not responsible to the community at-large. And the CEO of BP… makes my skin crawl.
KA
June 13th, 2010
6:14 am
I use BP gas and will continue to do so. The effect of boycotting BP does nothing to help stop the leak, does nothing to help the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico and beaches, does nothing to help those who have lost work because of the spill. BP gas stations are owned and run by small businessmen in our communities who have nothing to do with well drilling and the spill. Think people! Do you really want BP to fail and not be able to fund the cleanup and pay the fines?
G2
June 13th, 2010
6:59 am
Look we can’t and won’t live without oil. Second, who forced the deep water drilling operation? The government and their rules forced the company into the deep water position. Had this well been closer in the leak would have been capped and this would be yesterdays story. What happens to all the Americans whose livelihood depend on oil production? With unemployment and national debt weighing us down we all need to look at the perilous position we are in. Yes the leak is a terrible thing and yes the government should have stepped in and took charge earlier but they wanted to ignore it and hoped it would go away. Now we have a “finger pointer in chief” that can’t even waive the rules to allow foreign produced vessels to help in the effort. Does anybody else feel like they are part of a circular firing squad?
Boycott schmoycott
June 13th, 2010
7:12 am
Boycott- what crap….it was an accident and they are trying to fix it. A great company, as far as you can credit big business…4 th largest business in the world…yaeh, lets shut down! wouldn’t that be great for the world’s economy…you bleeding hearts love to slice off your noses to spite your double faces.. Start trying to use logic instead of emotion some time, hmmmm?
DHD
June 13th, 2010
7:33 am
Only a fool would boycott BP over this. But, there are lots of fools in this country….thus Obama.
howard
June 13th, 2010
7:39 am
BP now stands for By Pass to me. I will boycott their products…
Tell it like it is
June 13th, 2010
7:40 am
So we are suppose to let BP off the hook?You people that support BP are some of the ones that voted Obama into office.BP made a mess that will take years to recovery from,Same can be said for our Goverment
fed up
June 13th, 2010
7:41 am
If you don’t believe a boycott will work then how the hell does capitalism survive? I thought that the market got to choose. If we don”t like a company’s business practices then we take our business elsewhere. Yes, some “small” people are going to be hurt financially but it will send a message to the “big” corporations. It’s all about the market! I get to choose where I spend my money.
addicted to oil
June 13th, 2010
7:50 am
Nope, not boycotting BP. In fact, I’ve deliberating starting buying at BP when I heard about the boycott, It was an accident and it is very tragic. And seeing those animals suffer breaks my heart. Instead I’m sending extra money each month to the ASPCA to help with the costs of saving the animals.
And those of you who feel so sorry for the people of Louisiana, did you know that hunters in Lousiana will start a forrest fire to force the deer to flee out of the woods so they can shoot them? I think it’s illegal, but they do it anyway. And there doesn’t seem to be any efforts to stop this dangerous & cruel practice.
DB, thanks for reminding me of Chavez and CITGO. I will boycott that busines.
Robert H.
June 13th, 2010
7:55 am
Yes, I am boycotting bp along with any more deep ocean drilling for crude oil. Our Gulf of Mexico has been poisoned by irresponsible geeks who can go on back home to their fresh waters and that’s just what they should do! If you love your country you will never ever pull up to another bp gasoline pump.
Joe
June 13th, 2010
8:01 am
Everyone of you that is planning to or is boycotting BP is misguided. While there’s some merit to the company’s response to the spill, it would have never happened if not for the crazy environmentalists.
I see Obama’s attacks on BP are working on some of you when it’s our hapless governments bending to pressure from the crazies that got us into this mess. If they had been able to drill in shallower waters, this thing was resolved in a few days.
PappyHappy
June 13th, 2010
8:17 am
So we are going to punish innocent franchisees for the spill?? Come on folks. Maybe when the company you work for makes a serious error, we will boycott that as well and put you out of a job! How about them apples???
Bob
June 13th, 2010
8:32 am
this week I went to Texaco and ended up paying .10 cents more per gallon than BP. Next time will shop around and buy cheapest even if it is BP.
ATLbiker
June 13th, 2010
8:36 am
All this feigned outrage over the spill is just #@#$!! nauseating. americans really are out of touch with what happens to the environment by our demand for cheap gas, and god forbid we are inconvenienced by long lines, or heaven forbid we give up our cars for even 1 or 2 days a week, for an alternative to the almighty automobile. So go to Exxon, Mobil, Shell, and skip over BP. In the end, OPEC will still be your pimp, so shut up and pay the money. I might add, most of the states affected, happen to be Republican controlled, so as ye sow, so shall ye reap, beyotches.
Rusty Nail
June 13th, 2010
8:51 am
I had never given much thought to purchasing gas until this crisis I always stopped where the gas was the cheapest. Now, I buy my gas from BP. Reason no. 1, The BP stations are independently owned, so when you stop purchasing gas from BP you hurt your local station owner. 2. If everyone stops buying BP gasoline then they go out of business. Guess who’s left with the mess to clean up? You got it, the taxpayers.
Buy BP gasoline. At least until they finish with the cleanup!!!
Chris
June 13th, 2010
8:58 am
I refuse to buy gasoline or any other product at a BP or BP affiliated store.
The oil spill is a tragedy.
BP has proven that they were not prepared to handle the disasster. BP (and any other company envolved in deep water exploration) should have had an emergency response plan to deal with a release. Im sure there are other companies just as unprepared. Unfortunately, the spill occurred and the entire U.S. has been impacted.
Do I understand a boycott effects small business owners in Georgia? Yes, I do. However, those owners once made a desicion to change their store front signs to BP signs. They are now joined with BP.
My money will not be spent at BP.
T W
June 13th, 2010
9:01 am
Do we really think any other oil company was better prepared for this type of thing, or that the others cut corners from time to time. We all know about how well our government oversite works.They just keep creating rules with no means or ablity to oversee the policy they create. smaller goverment will always be much more efficent!