As gas prices continue to rise with no sign of relief in sight, drivers are increasingly desperate for a way – any way – to save even a few cents at the pump. People are looking to trade gas-guzzling vehicles for more efficient ones, investing in gadgets that promise to reduce gas use, filling up less (and running out more), and doing almost anything else they can to maximize their mileage. Meanwhile, some companies are offering free gas to their customers and employees.

This gas-conscious climate has inspired a series of email forwards purporting to have the solution to high gas prices. One of the latest schemes making the rounds claims to come from a retired Coca-Cola executive (by way of his buddy at Halliburton) and proposes a selective boycott of Exxon and Mobil, the two largest gas companies. It reads, in part:

”If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It’s really simple to do! Now, don’t wimp out on me at this point…keep reading and I’ll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!”

Unfortunately, like most similar schemes that make their way into unsuspecting inboxes, this one simply won’t work. For one, Exxon announced Friday that it’s getting out of the retail gas business. As for the economics behind it, blog commenters and forum posters were quick to poke holes in its logic:

“The price of gas is controlled by the market at which it is sold, the commodity market. To think that not buying it from Exxon or Mobil will reduce the price is insane; the only thing it will do is hurt those who own an Exxon or Mobil gas station.” – YoYo!, Starnewsonline.com

“This works in theory, but you also have to remember that other gas stations get their gas from Exxon and Mobil.” – Gamecaco4, Cafemom.com

“A boycott of a couple of brands of gasoline won’t result in lower overall prices. Prices at all the non-boycotted outlets would rise due to the temporarily limited supply and increased demand, making the original prices look cheap by comparison. The shunned outlets could then make a killing by offering gasoline at its ‘normal’ (i.e., pre-boycott) price or by selling off their output to the non-boycotted companies, who will need the extra supply to meet demand. The only person who really gets hurt in this proposed scheme is the service station operator, who has almost no control over the price of gasoline.” – JHanc968, Cafemom.com

”These no-gas days or boycotting stations are just examples of marginally inconveniencing ourselves by filling up a day in advance or a day late, or filling up from the station across the street. But are we willing to make a real difference by taking the bus to work, or biking for a whole week? a whole month? I didn’t think so.” – Lucid Chaotic, Paklinks.com

”Spam costs the world more than fuel ever will. Ban spam.” – Mtn-man, Groundspeak.com

Snopes.com, a site devoted to debunking (or in some rare cases, confirming) urban legends and dubious email forwards, hammers the final nail into the selective-boycott coffin: Not only would the scheme not work economically, the idea has been circulating since 2001.

Other proposed solutions to high prices that unfortunately won’t work, and why:

• Buying less gas at a time

• Petitioning President Bush

• Participating in a one-day gas boycott

Sorry, drivers: At this point, the only foolproof way to spend less on gas is to buy less gas. Our friend’s cousin’s wife heard from the kid in the Life Cereal commercials (who got it in a forward from Bill Gates) that this actually works.