ABSTINENCE DAY AT THE PUMP YIELDS MIXED RESULTS IN SCV.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS 

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Adolfo Renteria made his routine stop Tuesday at his favorite gas station.

He picked up his usual energy drink at the convenience store and took a glance at the day's paper, business as usual minus one thing: He didn't buy gas.

Chain messages by text and e-mail went out as early as two months ago promoting gasoline abstinence on May 15. The message quickly traveled by word-of-mouth and online sites like MySpace, promising boycotters a 40 cent drop in gasoline prices if they didn't pump the entire day. The message claimed the day's boycott could cost oil companies billions.

At one Valencia gas station it seemed several customers were heeding the message.

Renteria said at his Valencia aerospace company several co-workers and friends were participating in the boycott.

"I'll try anything that will get the prices down," Amanda Pittario said, as she left the gas station convenience store on Newhall Ranch Road and Dickason Drive with chips and a drink but no gas in her $80-a-tank truck.

Ben Monsod, a registered nurse, said he was aware of the boycott but had no choice. He needed to gas up to get to work -- but would avoid any extra driving.

The first reported gas boycott day was in 1999, according to several news articles and Web sites, but most reports claim that the boycotts have been unsuccessful and have received little attention.

While most experts agree that the one-day boycott is not enough to affect oil companies, some say the message could create a buzz among politicians and oil tycoons.

"A one-day boycott will probably not make any difference in a weekly or monthly average as people divert to other days of the week. But if enough people actually abstain from gas it could capture media attention, and whatever's in the media gets politicians' attention," said Daniel Blake, professor of economics at California State University, Northridge, and director of the San Fernando Valley Economic Research Center.

But Blake said overall, the boycott message is built under a false premise. He said gas prices have been driven upward by a number of uncontrollable factors, such as the addition of India and China into the global market for oil and the closures of oil refineries in the U.S.

Blake also said laws have permitted mergers of major oil companies nationwide, which also have increased pump prices.

"The thing is people get upset over the pump increases but you feel the increase every time you shop because it affects everything that has to be delivered," Blake said.

Blake suggested people monitor their car trips and look into public transportation if they really want to help out their pocketbooks. But on the same note, Blake admitted he wouldn't buy gas on Tuesday.

"I'm running low on gas but I'll fill up tomorrow."

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Photo:

A gas boycott was supposed to be in place Tuesday. This Citgo Gas station on Newhall Ranch Road saw pretty much normal operations, although it was free of customers when this photo was taken. While most experts agree that the one-day boycott is not enough to affect oil companies, some say the message could create a buzz among politicians and others.

David Crane/Staff Photographer