Gassing up at BP

[Happy Panther]

As someone alluded BP doesn't own any BP gas stations. If the boycott actually gained steam it would only hurt some small business owners.

[Scrumtrilescent]

My car runs on the tears of small endangered animals, the blood was just gunking up the fuel injectors.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

I was listening to testimony of one of the engineers from the company that owns the rig that BP was leasing on NPR this morning. They didn't necessarily opt out of safety measures (it appears that the safety measures didn't work as they should). According to this one fellow, a BP official did rush them more than they were comfortable with and there were several heated discussions between the engineers and the BP official but in the end, the engineers agreed reluctantly.

If what he said was accurate, then BP is certainly guilty of a stupid mistake, but still just a mistake. They should pay for it, and they will. And I imagine the BP official who rushed them is or soon will be looking for another job as well as a Lawyer. But we are dealing with human's and humans make mistakes. As long as we continue to drive cars, and use oil, this kind of thing is going to be a risk, and there is nothing we can do to completely eliminate the risk.

If you want to know who I believe is really at fault, its we the people and our lifestyle today.

Well said.

[Davidson Deac II]

They didn't?

They pushed ahead to go faster against the advisement of the other companies in the name of the all mighty dollar and said fug the consequences.

They meaning the company as a whole did it, or just the one company official that was on that platform pushing the engineers?

They had all kinds of expensive safety devices in place that didn't work, some of which they weren't required to have. I doubt that they ignored safety in pursuit of the almight dollar. They tried to balance safety with profit and it backfired on them. I imagine every oil company, indeed every company that has any safety requirements at all does the same thing every day.

Oil is an enviromental hazard. As long as we continue to use it, this is the risk we take.

[Hawk]

it's always a fine line between safety and maximized production for sure...I do think though that BP has crossed this line far too many times lately! If you want to push that line, you need to make sure you spend the money too and they have been guilty of short cutting in many very serious incidents. Google BP Texas City for more!

[Davidson Deac II]

it's always a fine line between safety and maximized production for sure...I do think though that BP has crossed this line far too many times lately! If you want to push that line, you need to make sure you spend the money too and they have been guilty of short cutting in many very serious incidents. Google BP Texas City for more!

I guess the question is do they cross it anymore than any other companies, since we are talking about a boycott. Google Shell and Piper Alpha, or Exxon and Valdez.

One thing I do believe though. If guarantee that Safety is about to take far more importance at BP than it did before. In fact, I bet they will be the safest oil company around for at least the next 5 years.

[Scrumtrilescent]

I call that the Jack in the Box effect.

[Hawk]

I guess the question is do they cross it anymore than any other companies, since we are talking about a boycott. Google Shell and Piper Alpha, or Exxon and Valdez.

One thing I do believe though. If guarantee that Safety is about to take far more importance at BP than it did before. In fact, I bet they will be the safest oil company around for at least the next 5 years.

you would think that would be the case huh...but it was only 5 years ago when they had one of the worst incidents in US history, killing 15 people in Texas City...so, that argument doesn't really hold true here!

And you are right...everyone has bad incidents, and I know from personal experience, the difference between bad and catastrophic can involve alot of luck sometimes too! I remember a couple incidents in particular that had the conditions only been slightly different, places I worked would have been in international news as well!

[Carolina Husker]

Does anyone besides the OP actually refer to it as "Gassing Up"?

[bleys]

actually, BP is one of the more fuged up companies...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/business/09bp.html

or wiki has this...

Incidents

In the United States, BP or its subsidiaries have been convicted of environmental crimes on three occasions, one of which resulted from the Texas City Refinery Disaster where BP was fined $50,000,000 and given 3 years probation. Separate to that conviction, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration issued its largest fine of $87,000,000 to BP for 270 safety violations. BP is appealing the fine.[41]

Doyon Drilling, a BP contractor working in North Slope Alaska in 2000, pleaded guilty to dumping hazardous materials down oil well shafts. BP was fined $500,000 for failing to report the dumping when it became aware of it. In addition to the fine, BP was placed on probation and ordered to create a nationwide environmental management program.[41]

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

I think BP is run incompetently and generally avoid their stations unless its an emergency. This spill hasn't had much effect either way on that opinion except to provide further proof of their idiocy.

[Dpantherman]

I buy the cheapest gas, and do not look at the name. lo siento