BP Boycott Hurts Local Business

White House officials have called the recent Gulf Coast oil spill the worst environmental disaster in United States history and its effects are being felt all the way up the coast, even into Arlington.

As millions of gallons of oil wreak havoc on the wildlife and beaches in the area of the spill, many are looking for someone to blame and BP - the company that organized the drill that led to the explosion - is under the microscope. Many all over the country have organized a boycott of BP and their products.

At 295 Massachusetts Avenue in East Arlington, the local BP station has seen its share of the outrage.

For a couple weeks, "environmental activists from Cambridge" as owner Elias Achi called them, have made their way over to Arlington to stand and protest. "They shout things, they hold signs, it does not affect our business," says Achi, though Nasar Abdullah, who works at the station says otherwise.

"We are off by 1,000 gallons a day," Abdullah said.

Achi, however, attributed the decline to, "typical seasonal differences. People use less gas in the summer months," he said.

Still, Abdullah has been frustrated by the treatment. "People drive by and say rude things," he says. "They yell out the windows of their cars almost every day." Abdullah insists that the only person such boycotts hurt is the small business owner.

"BP is just the distributor who distributes the gas to the companies, but they don't own the company," Abdullah said. "We have no say in anything." 

Both men agree on one thing: "our loyal customers know who we are and what we offer," Abdullah said.

But Patricia Gross of Arlington sold her stock in BP just after the spill and has taken to avoiding stations with their logo. "When I bought gas for my car a few days ago, it would have been easier to stop at the BP in East Arlington, but instead I went to Global even though it involved making an awkward left turn into the Global station, and another left turn to get back on Mass. Ave. going west," Gross said. "Usually I tend not to decide on price but rather on which station is more convenient."

Gross is committed to no longer being part of BP. "I don't know whether boycotting BP or selling their stock makes any difference, but I'm repelled by the callousness with which BP used shortcuts to save a little money, and in doing so killed 11 people and fouled the environment. I don't want anything to do with such a company if I can avoid it, even if my avoidance makes no difference at all to the company."