I received an unsolicited email from someone asking all Americans not to buy gas on May 15th to protest the escalating gas prices. I normally do not respond to such emails (thank God for the 'delete" key) but this one hit a nerve and I actually responded to the sender by saying that instead of not buying gas, you should instead utilize public transportation.
Here is the original message followed by my quick response:

From FH (identity withheld)
Subject: Don't buy Gas on May 15th

NO GAS...On May 15th 2007
Don't pump gas on may 15th
In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On May 15th 2007, all Internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the Internet network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up.

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 company's pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day.
 

My quick response:

Not buying gas for one day and reverting back to our bad habits the next day will not matter. The oil companies will have a bigger cash deposit the next day!
Price of gas is determined by supply and demand and the emotional variables which come into play to effect the final cost of this commodity.
My advise is to leave your car at home on May 15th and use public transportation to get to your job or school. If that is not possible, work at home that day.
This is the way to save money, the way to tell oil companies that we can go about our lives without a car for at least one day.
The reliance on corn for ethanol is a bad economic policy where a better and cheaper alternative is readily available. We can use sugar cane based ethanol as is successfully implemented in Brazil. Because of corn-based ethanol, prices of many basic commodities have risen significantly and other food basics and transportation cost will increase further.

There is also the environmental impact of corn-based ethanol. Refuse from processed corn will add to our landfills and pollute our rivers.. Moreover, oil companies have not shown any enthusiasm for installing ethanol- only pumps in but a couple of states. Talk about hogwash energy policy.

You also misname the oil Industry as being 'Middle Eastern". True most of the world's crude oil reserves are in the Middle East but the companies that operate the oil fields and more importantly the ones that refine it into gasoline are primarily American companies such as Exxon. As an Exxon stock holder, I am laughing all the way to the bank at the company's incredible yearly profits (over $40 billion last year). As a consumer, I feel your pain.

The choice for most of us, I am afraid, is to continue to drive our cars even if the prices reaches $5.00 a gallon. This is evident from AAA studies which show that most people intend on driving about the same number of miles this Summer irrespective of gas prices.
For me, I am charging my clients a set fee for the gas price excess!. And very few have objected. Aref Assaf