Boycott's main effect was probably solidarity

A boycott of Utah gas stations Friday, promoted by KSL Radio talk-show personality Doug Wright, may have had little impact, but it was a way for consumers to show "solidarity" and displeasure with Utah's disproportionately high gasoline prices.

"I really don't like boycotts," Wright said. "I think generally they are counterproductive and generally they end up hurting the wrong people."

Wright's boycott was more about "self-therapy" for consumers, he said. How much impact the effort had was hard to gauge. Word-of-mouth reports varied, some saying stations were less busy, others that it was business as usual.

Wright asked his listeners to buy gas on Thursday or Saturday, but not buy gas or any other products offered at gasoline service centers and their convenience stores on Friday.

"There is no plausible, rational reason for this," Wright said of Utah's high gas prices, adding that perhaps the boycott would encourage some stations to lower their prices — and if not, at least for one day consumers would know they are not alone in their frustration.

Wright said several other TV and radio stations joined the effort and promoted the boycott. As to whether it had any effect, "It's a pretty hard thing to document."

Wright said he received one e-mail from a gas station owner saying business was the same as usual on Friday. But a listener in Tooele told Wright he always watches gas stations for prices and noticed a big decrease in the number of cars at those same stations Friday.

Wright said the oil and gas industry as a whole was "ominously quiet" about his boycott, with little or no reaction.

A clerk at a Salt Lake Chevron station said not only had she not noticed a downturn in business Friday, but "We have been busier than we normally are."

However, a worker at a Sinclair station a few blocks away said he definitely noticed a difference, saying, "Yes, it's been slow today. Very much less."

A clerk at a Premium Oil station on North Temple said business was about the same as it normally is on Fridays.

As the evening rush hour began, gas stations along 2100 South, 1300 East, 700 East and State Street and at select freeway interchanges all seemed busy, but perhaps a little less so than on a typical Friday afternoon.

"I'm going out of town," said Brad Nielsen, explaining why he was buying gas at the Chevron on 2100 South and 1300 East.

Kelli Lee, Midvale, said she heard about the boycott but had little choice but to stop for gas because, "I'm on empty."

Many motorists who were buying gas Friday afternoon said they hadn't heard about the boycott. Others said they either felt they didn't have a choice but to buy gas Friday or they didn't feel participating in the boycott was a worthwhile endeavor.

"There's nothing you can do about it anyway," Dave Powell said of Utah's gas prices as he filled up at a Conoco on 1300 East.

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E-mail: zman@desnews.com