Myth Watch

The myth: A one-day national gasoline boycott in 1997 was so effective, prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

The pitch: “Don’t pump gas on May 15.”

The reality: An e-mail now in wide circulation has the year of the first gas boycott wrong: It was in 1999. And it was largely a bust: Few areas reported a substantial decline in sales and prices didn’t drop.

Consumer advice: If gas sales were to fall during a one-day boycott, they probably would be better than ever the next day. The only effective way to curb on gas prices would be a long-term, nationwide conservation effort, experts say.

Final word: The 1999 boycott had no lasting effect. The average nationwide price for a gallon of regular back then was $1.17.

-- David Colker