Pain at the pump: BP stations hurt by spill perceptions

By Alana Prettitore Jun 29, 2010, 13:25 GMT

Washington - As drivers fill their petrol tanks and zoom off to work and summer travel, BP stations have become less appealing as images of birds drenched in oil cause some consumers to reconsider where they buy fuel.

'Business is slow,' said Tigist Atreso, who has worked at a BP station for four years in the US capital of Washington, as she got into her car after her shift.

Though she couldn't say whether the downturn was directly related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, local BP managers across the country have been forced to explain to customers that not filling up at their independently owned stations won't necessarily hurt the British oil giant.

A nationwide poll by NBC and The Wall Street Journal released last week found that 67 per cent of respondents have a negative image of BP. Environmental groups hope to tap into that sentiment by advocating for a BP boycott, while local retailers worry that anger will spill over and people will begin to avoid their pumps as the disaster drags out for more than two months and counting.

Mahmood Haidei, who has owned a BP station in downtown Washington for five years, has reminded customers that his business is independently owned. He's been lucky and says he hasn't seen any protesters like those who have picketed at some stations elsewhere.

Haidei hopes drivers realize that he is also a part of the community - and that 'no single person is responsible for the disaster.'

But some managers are under so much fire, that they do not even want to talk about business. A manager in Pensacola, Florida, where globs of oil have washed up on the city's popular beaches, declined to comment on how business was going or how she felt about the oil spill.

Allison Fisher, an organizer with the left-wing, non-profit Public Citizen, thinks people should avoid BP at all costs - even if other gas stations are far.

'Walk. Take public transportation. They can ride their bikes, start to carpool, and make some new decisions about how they get themselves around,' Fisher said.

But it's more complicated than just choosing to tank at an Exxon or Shell station. BP also owns Aral, Arco, am/pm, Amoco, Castrol, Wild Bean Cafe and other alternative energy ventures.

Fisher ultimately believes that it is essential for Americans to move away from risky sources of energy. And the recent poll shows an increase in people who agree with her - 48 per cent of respondents said they believe the environmental harm outweighs the economic benefits of offshore drilling, up from 41 per cent last month.

Chris Castro, a student at the University of Central Florida, organized a protest as part of an international grassroots effort, Hands Across the Sand. Castro and others stood on the steps of the US Capitol and held hands at noon Saturday to show their unity for change in energy policy - others stood on beaches around the country.

'It will raise educational awareness. It will show the leaders in our nation, in Congress and BP, that the people around the world are coming together on one specific date. It's about the importance of dependency on foreign oil.'

Even though boycotts might hurt station owners most, he thinks the larger point is valid.

'I think the managers there even see - or I hope they see - the dependency on oil and the importance of moving away (from oil). I think they understand the importance of adopting cleaner technologies and sustaining our future, and in order to sustain we need to transition to a clean energy economy,' Castro said.

However, not all citizens feel as adamantly as Castro and Fisher. For many customers, price and convenience overpower any political statement.

'It hasn't affected me at all. This is the only gas station in DC. I have nowhere else to go for gas,' said Grace Doan, a customer at the Washington BP station.

Other BP customers are more sympathetic to the boycot efforts.

'I wanted to boycott - I really did. I think they should be held responsible and pay,' customer James Sledge said. 'I have been avoiding BP, but it was the closest station to me this time.'