Failing To Learn From History
- Kevin Jackson
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: May 6
Younger readers may not remember that half a century ago OPEC imposed an oil boycott on the United States, to protest our policies in the Middle East. Due to our crippling dependence on imported oil at the time, the impact on the driving public was dramatic. Gas prices rose to new record highs, rationing was imposed, and very long lines formed in front of any gas stations that still had some to sell.
In the years since then precautions have been taken to prevent such drastic shortages, but we still see periodic price spikes. The following satirical article was written during one such event thirty years ago. As always, the dominant public reaction was to demand more drilling, less environmental protection, and even military intervention, with little concern for reducing fossil fuel demand. It was published in the annual Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission utility bill insert (although significantly redacted), and it seems eerily relevant today.
So cast your mind back to a simpler time when SUVs and mountain bikes were still relatively new, and it was even possible to question the emerging science of climate change without sounding like a complete idiot. While reading the article, reflect on our current situation and ask yourself if we have learned anything in the intervening decades. I must sadly conclude that many of us have not.
LOCAL BICYCLIST PROTESTS OIL PRICE INCREASE
“I’m mad as hell, and I won’t take this anymore,” vows eccentric pedaler.
Dateline Sunnyvale
Angered by the recent dramatic rise in oil prices, longtime Sunnyvale cyclist Kevin Jackson has vowed to fight back. “It’s outrageous,” he declares. “The cost of keeping my bicycle lubricated has more than doubled, to nearly THREE DOLLARS a year!”
His plan: “I’m starting a chain email letter calling for a one-day boycott. On April 1st I’m asking all cyclists to refrain from buying any oil at all. No Tri-Flow, no WD-40, no 3-in-1, nothing. That should bring OPEC to its knees!”
But doesn’t Jackson have to take some responsibility for his plight, by choosing an oil-guzzling all-terrain bike just to ride around town? “No way!” he insists. “It’s my right as an American to buy anything that flashy TV ads promise will be fun and make me look cool, without worrying about the consequences.”
“After all,” he continues, “What’s the point of having the world’s strongest military if we can’t push around anyone who stands in the way of a resource we need, just because it happens to be in their country? And sure, you gotta expect the occasional massive spill on the way over here, but they usually manage to clean up most of it, eventually. Those are small sacrifices I’m happy to let someone else make so I can enjoy the kind of lifestyle I deserve!”
Jackson bristled at the suggestion that he’s being rather silly, because his concerns about the oil situation are trivial compared to those of motorists. “Are you kidding?” he asks. “I worry about the gas crisis as much as anybody! When panic sets in and the gas lines return, what do you think all those desperate drivers will be doing as they slowly inch their way toward the pumps? Blocking the bike lanes, that’s what!”
Editor’s Note – As this story goes to press, crude oil prices have fallen from $30 down to $25 per barrel. U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has so far made no official determination that this decline is the result of economic pressure from the cyclists’ boycott. Consequently, none of the material in this article can be independently verified.
About the Author
Kevin Jackson is a long-time active transportation advocate. He served on the Sunnyvale Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission for many years and is currently on the Board of Sunnyvale Safe Streets.
