Man sets car [on fire] to protest high fuel prices

[Spectre]

From: http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/06/27/gas.html

Man sets car alight to protest high fuel prices
Last Updated: Friday, June 27, 2008 | 10:59 AM ET

A German man set his car on fire in Frankfurt on Friday to protest skyrocketing fuel costs, say police.

The unemployed 30-year-old man drove the black 1995 BMW 3-series sedan onto the lawn outside the city's convention centre at about 7:30 a.m., police spokesman Karlheinz Wagner said.

He poured gas over the car before setting it alight. By the time the fire department got to the scene, the car was completely destroyed.

The man "carried out the act because he was unemployed and could no longer afford a car due to the high cost of fuel," police said in a statement. They did not release the man's name because he has not been charged, but said they were investigating whether to lay charges under the country's pollution laws.

As in many countries, gasoline prices have risen steadily in Germany; a litre of regular gasoline now costs about $2.47.

[Viper007Bond]

Wow, great idea! No, don't sell the car and having money, instead throw your money away!

Oh, and 2.47 (Canadian dollars / litre) = 9.27484012 U.S. dollars / US gallon

[BlaRo]

In other news, ExxonMobil CEO and chairman Rex Tillerson was later reported as saying, "...well, shit. This random homeless German dude was right all along, we've been charging too much! I'll be issuing a press release later ordering all of our Exxon, Mobil, and Esso chains to lower prices to 1998 levels of 98 cents per gallon. Damn, why didn't our thousands of investors, stockholders, researchers, scientists, accountants, and engineers think of that all along?"

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

In other news, ExxonMobil CEO and chairman Rex Tillerson was later reported as saying, "...well, shit. This random homeless German dude was right all along, we've been charging too much! I'll be issuing a press release later ordering all of our Exxon, Mobil, and Esso chains to lower prices to 1998 levels of 98 cents per gallon. Damn, why didn't our thousands of investors, stockholders, researchers, scientists, accountants, and engineers think of that all along?"

Actually, it has nothing to do with the gas companies. Like 50% of what they pay is tax.

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

2.47 (Canadian dollars / litre) = 9.27484012 U.S. dollars / US gallon

[BlaRo]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Actually, it has nothing to do with the gas companies. Like 50% of what they pay is tax.

Yeah I know, that's what I was alluding to. Protesting gas prices by not buying gas, destroying your own personal property (joke's on you, sucker!) creating Facebook groups, and whatever other harebrained schemes people create to impress the gullible just isn't going to work.

If you wanted to protest the government and their high taxes on gasoline, like what British people should do, that's a completely different story altogether. Just try to get more than yourself and your poor BMW to do it, however.

[Labcoatguy]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

creating Facebook groups

I hate those idiots. I even hate my friends when they join. Almost makes me want to unfriend those fools. See what studying economics is turning me into??

[BlaRo]

Originally Posted by Labcoatguy

I hate those idiots. I even hate my friends when they join. Almost makes me want to unfriend those fools. See what studying economics is turning me into??

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=...gid=2209122259

Sent you (and literally everybody I'm friends with) an invite.

[Crazyjeeper]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=...gid=2209122259

Sent you (and literally everybody I'm friends with) an invite.

Joined

[Cobol74]

Had the bloke sat in the car whilst it burned - now that is a protest!

[Labcoatguy]

Originally Posted by Cobol74

Had the bloke sat in the car whilst it burned - now that is a protest!

He wasn't Buddhist enough for that.

(too soon?)

[MacGuffin]

Although it is said that he actually wanted to drive to Berlin to set the car on fire in front of the parliament but could not find the way (!) and did it in Frankfurt instead, they insist he is not mentally disturbed.

That might be bad for him, because then he has no medical excuse to not pay the 10.000 or so Euros the operation of the fire brigade cost, plus some fine for pollution and illegal waste disposal.

He seems to be aware of that, because he is asking for donations on his homepage. Oh and by the way: It seems that he is unemployed because he quit is job, not because he was fired!

Dear God, protect us from self-acclaimed social activists.

[vegasrebel29]

Originally Posted by MacGuffin

Although it is said that he actually wanted to drive to Berlin to set the car on fire in front of the parliament but could not find the way (!) and did it in Frankfurt instead, they insist he is not mentally disturbed.

That might be bad for him, because then he has no medical excuse to not pay the 10.000 or so Euros the operation of the fire brigade cost, plus some fine for pollution and illegal waste disposal.

He seems to be aware of that, because he is asking for donations on his homepage. Oh and by the way: It seems that he is unemployed because he quit is job, not because he was fired!

Dear God, protect us from self-acclaimed social activists.

I was pretty sympathetic until the quit his job part.

Still, he shouldn't be charged for anything except lawn repairs - the rest are public services.

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

In other news, ExxonMobil CEO and chairman Rex Tillerson was later reported as saying, "...well, shit. This random homeless German dude was right all along, we've been charging too much! I'll be issuing a press release later ordering all of our Exxon, Mobil, and Esso chains to lower prices to 1998 levels of 98 cents per gallon. Damn, why didn't our thousands of investors, stockholders, researchers, scientists, accountants, and engineers think of that all along?"

its not really the oil companies charging too much... its the damn stratospheric duty that governments slap on fuel because they claim its a luxury item (and thus is taxed as one) and as some kind of claim to it being a green tax to reduce CO2 emmisions

(which is something i think is wrong to be fair, taxing people to be green is not the way forward, especially when we still dont know for absolute certainty that man made CO2 is the culprit)

[Dins]

Germans are crazy. That's all there is to it.

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by otispunkmeyer

its not really the oil companies charging too much... its the damn stratospheric duty that governments slap on fuel because they claim its a luxury item

... and to put that into actual figures:

When we pay 150 Eurocents for a liter of petrol (a figure which has just been exceeded in national average), we actually pay...

54,0 Eurocents for the fuel itself
72,1 Eurocents of petroelum tax
23,9 Eurocents of sales tax on the combination of the above

[MacGuffin]

Originally Posted by vegasrebel29

Still, he shouldn't be charged for anything except lawn repairs - the rest are public services.

Yes, except you lay the fire yourself... that's a difference then.

[_HighVoltage_]

Originally Posted by Labcoatguy

I hate those idiots. I even hate my friends when they join. Almost makes me want to unfriend those fools. See what studying economics is turning me into??

No, mate. It's not studying specifically economics that helps you. It's studying in general. Every relatively intelligent person knows that Facebook groups won't solve any problem. It's just that some people LIVE with Facebook and think that everything that goes on in there is 100% true and legit.