Hundreds Of Truckers Protest High Gas Prices ( blocking Fla turnpike!!!)

[meganmonkey]

MIAMI -- More than 600 truckers gathered in their big rigs Wednesday to protest the rising gas prices in South Florida, NBC 6's Hank Tester reported.

The trucks, which included tractor-trailers, dump trucks and box trucks, gathered at the intersection of Okeechobee Road and the Florida Turnpike in Miami-Dade County.


Traffic in the area was at a standstill as the trucks started a caravan headed toward Miami City Hall.

The truckers claim that the high cost of gas has made it impossible for them to earn a living

more...

http://www.nbc6.net/news/4832833/detail.html

[electron_blue]

1. I can't get the song "Convoy" out of my head

Any truckers protesting near Tally? (where Jeb "works")

[dweller]

9. ...

.............
There's armoured cars and tanks and jeeps
And rigs of every size
Yeah them chicken coops was full of bears
And choppers filled the skies
Well we shot the line
We went for broke
With a thousand screaming trucks
And eleven longhaired friends of Jesus
In a chartreuse microbus

(Ah, Rubber Duck, this is Sodbuster. C'mon here?)
(Yeah, ten-four Sodbuster.
Listen, ya wanna put that microbus in behind that suicide jockey?)
(Yeah he's haulin' dynamite and he needs all the help he can get)

:rofl:

dp

[NaturalHigh]

20. I saw that movie again...

on a Sunday morning a couple of months back. It had been so long, I didn't even recognize the "plot."

[mcar]

29. OMG I thought the same thing!

:banghead: Now I'll have it as an earworm

[phantom power]

2. Nice of them to screw up traffic for everybody else.

Starting a huge traffic jam, causing all those vehicles to waste gas while idling on a freeway. That's the way to bring down gas prices....
:eyes:

[Sequoia]

39. They can cut their engines off then.

[Ian David]

84. Sometimes protest MUST inconvenience the general public

That's part of the game, I'm afraid.

Personally, I would prefer if things like that were announced in advance so I could either plan accordingly or choose to join in.

Just think about how easy it would be to shut-down some of the major cities.

Here in Boston, there are really only three major two-lane choke-points you would need to block in order to virtually isolate the entire city.

A few years ago, a lobster truck overturned on a bridge and caused one of the worst traffic jams ever.

Blocking Route 93 North, 93 South, and The Mass Pike would shut-down the entire city.

Blocking smaller highways like Route 9 would be over-kill, because blocking the major roads would wreak such havoc that traffic would be backed-up there as well.

In New York, you've got The Lincoln Tunnel, George Washington Bridge, Throgsneck Bridge, Holland Tunnel, and a couple other bridges. Blocking any two of those would probably shut-down the city.

[IA_Seth]

88. I bet Bostonians were pissed without their Tea too!

[brentspeak]

3. It would be better if they block the driveways

of the mansions owned by the oil execs. THAT would get Bush's attention.

[cpamomfromtexas]

89. This is good news

When Truckers get mad, this is good news, they talk to their neighbors and people will start to think again.

Maybe it will be enough to make everyone wake up and ignore the well-choreographed White House news machine.

[wishlist]

4. Don't they need to head for Crawford Texas instead of Miami City Hall?

Or at least the Jeb Bush's Governor's mansion to convey their message. This huge jump in prices this month has been a shock for everyone who must drive. It will only get worse as long as the Bush energy and Middle East policies continue.

[LiberalFighter]

56. They need to target the right hwys

Chicago?
I-80 Tollroad thru Indiana and Ohio?
LA?

[Silverhair]

5. Happens every few years.

I used to be a trucker. Fortunately, I was a company driver, instead of an Owner/Operator. The O/Os pay their own fuel, so every few years they go on strike for a day or two. Nothing every comes of it. Since there is no organization, no true leadership, and no well defined strike goals, it always fizzles. Find one of the strike handbills and you will see a list of gripes and some of the gripes will be no more than a trucker's version of urban legends.

It amounts up to no more than a temper tantrum by the O/Os

[Supersedeas]

85. likely to happen more frequently in days to come

[Silverhair]

91. Nothing will come of it.

OTR drivers aren't organized. Very difficult to organize a group of people like them. The live everywhere, don't have regular meeting places, nor fixed schedules. The company drivers don't care. Only the O/Os care, and they are a minority of the OTR drivers.

[Burried News]

6. About time. Gas in my area went from 2.13 to 2.34 in 3 days (10%^)

Good thing my wife and I are within 2 miles of our jobs.

[phusion]

66. Increased here, too...

Was at $2.36 on Monday. Put in a few more bucks today, and regular was at $2.50.

It now costs me $5+ to visit my parents outside of town.

[triguy46]

7. Wonder who they voted for? n/t

[Lugnut]

19. I can't speak for others

But my son who is an owner/operator is a life-long Democrat.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. I only know two truckers. Both are also life-long Democrats.

[Enraged_Ape]

44. The only truckers I've ever known have all been Dems

These guys know, probably more than anybody else, what side their bread is buttered on. And it ain't red.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

76. With electronic voting machines, I wonder how the HECK it matters.

[MissMarple]

8. In the late 70's farmers from the midwest drove to DC in their tractors.

They were all along I-70 in Missouri. It was awesome to see.

[MADem]

35. I was actually IN DC when they arrived

I was not living there, just visiting, fortuitously. I got some good pictures of the tractors...I should try to dig them out (yeah, some day!)...

[Penndems]

51. Me, too

I'll never forget it. They drove their tractors up Independence Avenue and camped outside the Department of Agriculture.

Just another day in your Nation's Capital. :)

[Digit]

73. Was that during that freak snowstorm on President's Day?

I lived in Crystal City in Arlington, Va at the time and I recall that the tractors came and made a path for us. The depth of the snow was incredible!

[GOPFighter]

10. Jeesh, what a dumb way to get the public's support..

Block Traffic! Yeah, that'll get every behind you (sorry, bad pun!)

[Freddie Stubbs]

14. Or worse

There are a lot of people packing heat in Maimi.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

77. Get ready...there's more where that came from.

[fooj]

11. BWAHAHAHAHA! Looks like the Shrub boys are having a bad week!

TS!!!

Peace.

[dave29]

12. Clearly this is Jimmy Carter's Fault.

That peanut farming SOB

[Gormy Cuss]

38. to quote Fogarty, "It's like deja-vu all over again." n/t

[DemoTex]

50. Yeah! Remember the "tractorcades" of the 70s?

I think that they rolled on Atlanta when Carter was governor.

[Catfight]

13. nominated for home page!

[maxsolomon]

15. welcome to the future, boys

what exactly do you expect the city of miami to do about it?

[bottomofthehill]

16. Jawbone

Please people, relax. Our Leader, the dim son or the idiot king has a plan. I am still waiting for him to deploy it but I am pretty sure that the half-whit in the Whitehouse said he would just jaw-bone them silly A-Rabs and lower the fuel prices.

I know he is an honorable man and would not lie to us so I sit and wait for the Jaw-Boning to begin.


Still Waiting



Still Waiting

[MADem]

36. Yeah, it will involve gas coupons for his pals

...like they give to the military overseas. While everyone else was paying five bucks a gallon, the military got by at whatever the going rate was...

He'll do the same thing for "essential services" if it gets bad enough, it'll be like WW2 rationing! And organized crime will make a fortune in forgeries, theft of coupons, and so on!

Time to get a moped!

[brystheguy]

58. I just bought two!!

[meganmonkey]

60. Oh my - everything in that picture is too cute!

I'm swooning over those little bikes and that adorable little kid!

:loveya:

[Rainscents]

80. Cute baby you have! Ofcurse, I like your bike also!

How much one of those cost? It looks like fun and huge gas savings!

[brystheguy]

87. Thanks that's one of my little guys! He's a hoot!

As far as the mopeds go - I purchased the green one for $165 and the blue one was $300. There seem to be a lot more mopeds for sale in the east than in the midwest. Both just needed a carb cleaning (easy to do) and they were ready to go. Once you start buying them, you can't stop though! I'm always on the lookout for them. You would be surprised how many people have one sitting in their garage that they haven't used for many years. Sometimes they will let them go for ridiculously low prices ($50 or less). They're a lot of fun. As far as mileage, the stock green one gets 80+mpg while the souped-up blue one gets less than 60mpg.

[MADem]

86. Fabulous mopeds, and that kid is adorable! n/t

[Gay Green]

57. Oh, My, God. Do you guys know what "jawboning" could mean when Shrub

is jawboning the Ay-rabs?

Hint: think "fellatio."

[kestrel91316]

70. Not to worry, BJs are only a problem if you are a Democrat. Repubs

get a pass.

[Child_Of_Isis]

17. They are threatening our national security

with all of that protesting!

[MisterP]

18. what will Jeb and his Chin-Udder of Miracles do now?

[6000eliot]

21. THIS will bring these people down.

Not their murderous lies and evil deeds, but the high price of gasoline.

[NaturalHigh]

25. Really big price increases...

are one of the few things that can unite left and right in this country.

[sattahipdeep]

22. cal can starve....3.02 a gal Oregon was

just as bad when u add the road tax.

[MiniMandaRuth]

24. I am sure some of the truckers are democrats

however, a couple of years ago, we had a similar protest up here in the PNW. The spokesperson for the group said that he did not believe that it was W who was responsible for the oil prices, and audibly recoiled at the suggestion of a union.

I got the distinct feeling he was a hate radio listener 24/7.

I so wanted to tell him elections have consequences and you get what you vote for fella.

Posted by AmandaRuth as miniAmandaRuth is doing the piano practice she has been putting off all day. Since i set the agenda here and all. :D

[progressoid]

26. This should be happening in Texas

like near a little town called Crawford.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Has anyone told those truckers that there are people suggesting

that the solution to our gas problem is to rely on rail and do away with trucking? Just thought I'd mention it.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

78. What was your point?

[leetrisck]

28. I'm glad they're doing it-someone needs

to. Haven't seen anyone else doing it.

[moondust]

30. Good.

They can bring this country to a standstill while Numbnuts is AWOL.

Go truckers!

[Sgent]

31. Maybe I'm mssing something

but Teamsters represent indepedent truckers (o/o) as well....

It might be time for a union drive.

[bemildred]

32. Sniff. This takes me back to the 70s. I sense a BeeGees revival soon. nt

[YvonneCa]

55. That just goes to show you how difficult the last 4+ years have been!

And I love the BeeGee's ! :7

[mconvente]

33. My Dad's a trucker

Harley and Buell rider too - and he's a fucking dem baby!!

[frictionlessO]

34. Take 'em to Crawford!

Maybe not realistic.. but still kinda fun to think on.

[bushisanidiot]

37. Good for them! At least SOMEONE is taking action to complain about AWOL

Bush's oil buddies SKYHIGH profits!!!!

people are suffering because he is giving his oil buddies tax breaks and letting them drill wherever the hell they want, whenever the want and with virtually NO environmental safety standards to follow. profit is all that matters to AWOL.. he fucking HATES america and every working american citizen!

[Mr_Spock]

40. Holy shit!

If this happened nation wide we'd be deep in doodoo.

[shadowknows69]

41. truckers could shut this entire country down in a day

we really need them on our side. this is a good step.

[Mr_Spock]

47. Well, they are on our side per say, BUT

AWOL MURDERER has pushed them over the edge with his lackadaisical approach to everything related to our country's future. The only thing that excites the MORON is religious fanaticism. We are so screwed with this moran in charge - the truckers can see that!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

42. Current temperature in Miami is 85 with 76% humidity...

While I sympathize with the truckers plight, I can't help thinking about overheating cars with infants and elderly people in them, possibly without water.

When the farmers drove their tractors to Washington in 1980 (I believe), a blizzard crippled the city; and the farmers dug everybody out.

I hope those who are engaged in this protest will be as considerate of those whose lives are in jeopardy as a result of this.

[VegasWolf]

43. I wonder how "Worst" is enjoying his summer vacation!!!! nt

[RebelOne]

45. Good for them. My deceased ex-husband was a trucker

and he was always complaining about the gas prices and this was many years ago. And he was also a Democrat. These guys are paying through the nose in order to make a living.

[Paintedlady]

46. Just so y'all know

Owner Operators can not organize, it's against the law. As an O/O you are considered management, that's why all the protests fizzle out. Every trucker has to make enough money to pay his truck payment and all his other bills, or he will lose everything he/she has worked for.

I had my own truck until just a few months ago, when I realized that it was a lost cause and sold the truck. I also left the US but that's another story.

Anyway, the price of diesel keeps going up, but the freight rates are not. I hope these guys stick it out! I hope it will spread around the country! I hope traffic will get snarled all around the country! Maybe somebody will pay attention.

I have a lot of trucker friends, I hope they will be able to stay in business, but I sure don't have a lot of hope.

Remember, just about everything you need in your daily life was brought to you by a truck-driver.

[spuddonna]

61. I didn't know that about the people that owned their rigs...

Thanks, Paintedlady, for the info. I hope your friends are able to stay afloat... :)

[jayfish]

67. I Stand With The Truckers.

Truckers get shite upon every way from Sunday. All the while people tell them to do something about it. When they do they get shite on at DU too. ...shameful.

Jay

[enlightenment]

48. Didn't they do this in France and Britain last year -- or was it the

year before? Can't recall what the outcome was, but I suspect it was better than how this will turn out.

[jobycom]

49. So you say you want a revolution? Well, you know

they aren't pleasant. But there are early warning signs...

[Cocoa]

52. the liberal trucker elite n/t

[peacetalksforall]

53. I believe they take a reading each day and if no one is protesting - it's

up, up and away! So, maybe it will come down a penny today.

[Gregorian]

54. Where's the outrage over the lack of new energy sources?

We should be in the streets over the lack of renewable energy, not fuel prices.


Reading from above, I think it's absolutely inexcusable that fuel prices have gone up, but freight prices have not.

BUT, we have been living with greatly underpriced fuel costs in this country. It's still less costly than milk. And it still beats walking, or riding a horse. In all honesty, we have had it coming. And it's killing us. And the Iraqi's. It's poison in every way.

[Lorien]

63. Amen Gregorian; all that corporate welfare for fossil fuel companies

in the new energy bill, RECORD profits for the oil industry, and half of the country thinks that drilling in ANWR will solve our problems! Lack of imagination and the underfunding of alternative energy development will be our undoing, not just as a Nation, but as a species.

[getmeouttahere]

71. Way to go, Gregorian....

That's what it's all about, alternatives. We're AT LEAST 30 years behind. And they made a big deal about BushCo signing a highway bill. Talk about an appropriately named bill. I wonder how much of that will be spent on mass transit.

[boddhi]

90. i thought it was called...

... the Highway Robbery bill

my bad...

[durablend]

104. Bankrupting the American public (/sheeple)

One gallon at a time...

[MichiganVote]

59. Hurray for truckers!

[bribri16]

62. Most of those guys voted Republican, you can bet.

Suffer with the rest of us!

[meganmonkey]

64. I've been looking for an update

alll I have found is one link with an extra paragraph saying they made it to city hall and delivered their petition.

Anyone have local news down there with more info?

[tinfoilinfor2005]

65. Did anyone expect oil prices to go down when they voted

for an oil man?

That logic always left my head spinning.

[opihimoimoi]

68. Call Bush...he is at fault......he brought on a POX to America

[meow2u3]

100. Bush gives chicken pox a whole new meaning

eom

[lonestarnot]

69. Alldamnrightnow! Take heed follow their example!

[LSU_Subversive]

72. gas has more than tripled at some stations since i moved to

louisiana in 98.

good for them to take a stand. but i can't help but wonder how many of them supported * and his greedy cabal during the election.

[Digit]

75. Bet that some will be re-thinking their position....

I know many in my area are for other reasons.
Months ago, you could not even speak about not voting for * , and now it is in the open and MOST will agree with you that our country is going in the wrong direction.
I am in a red state and this is HUGE....HUGE!!!!
Critical mass is happening.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

79. I bet a majority of people voted against Herr Busch in 2004....

...but we'll never know since the NeoCons control the electronic voting machines.

[Rainscents]

74. Alright TRUKERS!!!!

Shut down the fucking country!!!This maybe the only way, "WE THE PEOPLE" can take the our country back!!!

[rman]

81. Month old trucker strike over fuel prices in Vancouver still going

Today's Trucking
Task force to explore causes of Vancouver trucker strike
http://www.todaystrucking.com/displayarticle.cfm?ID=425...

VANCOUVER, (Aug. 9, 2005) -- Transport Canada has created a task force to review the underlying factors that caused the six-week truckers' strike at the Port of Vancouver.

<more>

=====

Marathon talks resume in B.C. container strike
Last Updated Fri, 29 Jul 2005
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/07/29/Port...

All eyes will be on a federal mediator in Vancouver on Friday as he tries to broker an end to a crippling, month-long strike at area ports.

<snip>

The major issue is a rise in the cost of fuel, for which drivers have said they aren't being compensated. They said it costs $350 a day to run a truck but that they are paid between $300 and $400 a day.

<snip>

Business leaders have demanded that the federal government legislate the truckers back to work. But federal Industry Minister David Emerson has dismissed the solution as too simplistic.

The Vancouver Board of Trade has warned that the shutdown has pushed many businesses including manufacturing, retail, restaurants and forestry to the breaking point.

======

China Economic Net
Vancouver strike goes on
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2005-08-01
http://en.ce.cn/World/Americas/200508/01/t20050801_4317...

The strike that has paralysed Canada's biggest port of Vancouver for more than one month may not end in the near future as the truckers have rejected a deal that would have returned the port to full operation on Tuesday.

<snip>

The reports noted that 90 percent of the truckers have agreed to the deal earlier on Sunday. But they did not mention why the truckers finally decided to reject it.

The truckers walked off the job June 27, complaining that higher fuel prices made it impossible for them to make a living.

The strike is costing 75 million Canadian dollars (62 million US dollars) a day, and has dispruted business and caused problems across the country as retailers wait for goods to sell. Local business community has urged the federal and provincial governments to step in and help end the strike as soon as possible.

[DiverDave]

82. With the exception of a few post, you all know NOTHING

about the role of trucks and the people who drive them.

I started driving in 93 (with a 2yr break to go broke in the computer field)

The long haul trucker is on the road for weeks at a time, not seeing family for days at a time.
There is so much freight to move that the trucking company's are literally begging for drivers.
But the pay is not enough to entice me (and alot of other folks) to be away from the family for such a long time.

Yes, most of the drivers are repukes, and have no problem singing the dimsons praises on the C.B.

However, they have such a HUGE disconnect when it comes to fuel prices.

See, they blame the greedy freight company's and the load brokers...

Alas, they drank the kool aid and are happy that 2 guys cant get married.

I had countless arguments on the C.B. and in truck stop restaurants about this and a pile of other things that would effect them if they voted for *.
Like talking to a 4 year old...they cant pay their truck payment?
Fuck em, they made their bed, now they get to sleep in it.

[meganmonkey]

83. Do you have any idea why they think that Miami city hall

can help them?

That's the most confusing thing to me...

:wtf:

[midnight armadillo]

92. And in a related protest...

Truckers blocked the corporate offices of Internation, Volvo, and Mack Truck to protest the poor mileage and low efficiency of their vehicles.


Oh, wait, that was a daydream. Never mind!

(now I know a tractor=trailer is never going to get 30 mpg, but I'll bet a scoop of ice cream that they don't build 'em to be easy on fuel either)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

93. REALITY CHECK, PEOPLE: This is one thing you can't blame on Bush,

tempting as that might be.

The fact is that oil supplies are not growing enough to keep up with new demand from the rapidly industrializing economies of India and China.

The probability of oil prices dropping significantly, no matter who is president, are next to zero.

You CAN blame Bush for wasting money on the Iraq invasion instead of

1) funding research into alternative fuels with the same intensity that marked the space program of the 1960s and

2) funding mass transit and intercity high-speed rail to free up some of the oil that is now going to private cars and short-hop plane flights

[moondust]

95. One question:

Is anybody in the federal gov't investigating the possibility that we are being Enronized by refineries deliberately curbing production in order to pump up prices?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

96. Possibly, but as attractive as that theory is, the Peak Oil theory is much

more likely.

America shot itself in the foot when it allowed itself to become so automobile-dependent, to the point of destroying its non-automobile infrastructure.

[Spider Jerusalem]

97. ...

cost per gallon of gasoline, from the refinery, has nothing to do with the wellhead price per barrel, which is set on global commodities markets. Red herring, irrelevant question, totally misses the point. $65/bbl right now. Up from around $45 at the beginning of the year. Middle Eastern supply is flat or declining; every other major oil-producing province on the planet is declining. Demand has increased to a current level of approximately 84-85 million barrels a day (of which the US accounts for roughly one-fourth; the increase in demand has been driven by Asia, though); we burn four barrels of oil for every one replaced through new discovery. OPEC nations, for all intents and purposes, no longer have any spare capacity. This means that they're incapable of opening up the taps and bringing millions of barrels a day of extra production online to dampen spikes in oil prices (as they WERE able to do less than a decade ago). The petroleum market is now demand-driven; the price increase is the result of simple economics and natural market functions. Looking for someone to blame ignores the reality.

[moondust]

98. OPEC and others

have blamed decreased refinery capacity for the current runup in prices. Of course there is no way to ignore China and India boosting demand. I'm not sure where the truth lies.

I think it is telling that the Fed is not, to my knowledge, even entertaining the possibility of Enronization. A less oil-friendly administration might very well check it out.

[Spider Jerusalem]

101. That's an attempt to shift blame, then.

Because it's in their interest to perpetuate the myth that they CAN increase production and make the problem go away. They can't, so they come up with nonsense about refinery capacity. If there were any economic benefit to be gained from increasing refinery capacity, believe me...oil companies would be building them. Yet none have been constructed in the US since 1976.

No, the increase in world price per barrel (which has nothing to do with refiner-to-wholesaler cost of gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, etc, and EVERYTHING to do with the increase in gas prices) comes from demand increase and static supply. Nothing to check out; it only takes a relatively simple understanding of basic economics to grasp what's going on. (and where are the fuel shortages? If there were a dire refinery capacity situation, we should be seeing gas lines, no?)

[moondust]

102. If you understood basic economics

you would understand that it is not necessary to curb production so drastically as to create fuel shortages.

Your reply is sufficiently arrogant to prevent me from continuing this discussion.

[Spider Jerusalem]

103. If you can't see the correlation betwwen $/bbl of oil and $/gal. of gas...

I don't see that there's much point in continuing it, anyway. Because, like it or not, it ISN'T US refinery capacity driving the increase in oil prices, and it IS increase in oil prices driving increase in gas prices. Like I said, basic economics.

And there wasn't anything "arrogant" about my post...unless you find simple facts stated plainly "arrogant", that is.

[CAG]

94. Don't they know that highly effective bush economic team met this week

and told us we have nothing to worry about; the economy's great??



Its just unamerican to complain about these high gas prices; after all, the profits go to patriotic american companies like exxon. Why do these truckers hate america and our freedoms!!!!

[washinfo89]

99. Anti-Bush Cindy Sheehan's home address on Dilby Site...

Cindy Sheehan's address and number (which I'm sure doesn't work) is listed on http://www.dilby.com

WTF, this never stops... darn conservs.

http://www.dilby.com is the site again

this is the last post admins