Re: ] Anger at the Gas Pump

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

________________________________________
From: Robert Atkinson [rca53 () columbia edu]
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 5:06 PM
To: David Farber
Subject: Re: [IP] Anger at the Gas Pump

Granted that I only buy gas at a station in rural New Jersey (yes, there is such a place), the only anger I’ve heard is 
directed equally at commodities speculators and environmentalists, with politicians being criticized—but not 
angrily--for allowing speculation on 5 percent margin and for “caving” in the 90’s on drilling in Alaska and the 
continental shelf. Things may get testier when citizens get heating oil bills.

Bob

On 5/27/08 3:50 PM, "David Farber" <dave () farber net> wrote:




Begin forwarded message:

From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Date: May 27, 2008 3:30:11 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: "lauren () vortex com" <lauren () vortex com>
Subject: Anger at the Gas Pump


Dave,

Here in L.A. at least, people hardly ever talk to each other while
filling up at gas stations -- they tend to stay quiet and ignore each
other just like men in public restrooms.

But recently I've seen a unusual change in this pattern.  People are
loudly cursing, making unsolicited comments to other nearby patrons
(e.g., "Bush and the GOP did this to us!" -- "Damn those %$%@(## oil
companies!" -- "$80 #(@G! bucks to fill the tank!" -- "Screw
[insert public figure and/or foreign oil producing country here]" --
and so on.

This isn't just happening occasionally -- I'm getting an earful
of these every time I've been at a pump of late.

I've lived in L.A. my entire life, and I've never seen reactions
like this.  Even during the Oil Embargo, long lines, and odd/even
rationing way back, I didn't hear this kind of public anger, mostly
directed at government leaders.

I pass this along simply as an observation.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () vortex com or lauren () pfir org <mailto:lauren () pfir org><mailto:lauren () pfir org>
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
   - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org <http://www.pfir.org><http://www.pfir.org>
Co-Founder, NNSquad
   - Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org <http://www.nnsquad.org><http://www.nnsquad.org>
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com <http://www.vortex.com><http://www.vortex.com>
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com <http://lauren.vortex.com><http://lauren.vortex.com>


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