I ran into Stacey C. at a BP Gas Station in Gulf Shores and asked her a few questions regarding the spill. Considering we were at a gas station, I kept it short. Read the encounter below.
Q: Hi Stacey, thanks for answering a few questions for me today. Not everyone would be so eager to sit down with a stranger in a BP gas station and chat. How long did you say you’ve lived in Gulf Shores?
A: Well I was born in Mobile, so I’ve been in the area my whole life. But I’ve lived in Gulf Shores for about 20 years.
Q: Wow, that’s quite a while. During those 20 would you say this is the biggest non-weather related disaster you’ve experienced?
A: Absolutely, without a doubt. I’ve never seen a quieter 4th of July in my life.
Q: That was my next question. So you’d say it’s much slower down her this year?
A: Without question. My brother-in-law owns a restaurant on the beach and he said it’s the worst year he’s had since he opened in the early 90s. There’s just no one down here this year.
Q: Right, my family has been coming for years and it’s never been this quiet. Why do you think it’s so quiet? For the most part the beach hasn’t been noticeably different.
A: Well I think a lot of it is the media coverage. At first it didn’t cover it enough, but now it’s over-covering it. They’ve shown so much brown and red water on tv that just isn’t the case down here. I mean, we have the tar ball situation, but clean-up crews take care of those nightly.
Q: Right, it was much worse when I made a trip down her a few months ago. Moving on to someone else, what is your view of BP? I see you obviously aren’t boycotting.
A: Oh gosh [laughs], I’ve never been one for boycotts. But in this situation I think boycotting will make things worse. I’d rather buy their gas now so they’ll have the money to fix this mess.
Q: That’s a good way to look at it. I’ve talked to people who blame BP, and I talked to someone yesterday that thinks it was intentional. What do you say to that?
A: What an idiot [laughs]! Why would they do this on purpose? Seriously though, I think BP deserves the blame because it was their well, but sh** happens. No one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.
Q: Once again, that’s a good way to look at it. Do you think we should limit offshore drilling to prevent future spills?
A: Do you think we should ground all air traffic to limit the risk of terrorism? It’s the same thing. Limiting or banning drilling would be a disaster even bigger than this one. That would effectively destroy economies all along the coast.
Q: I’m liking you more and more every second. Do you want to come on staff at The Conservative Journal?
A: I’d love to! Give me a topic and I can go on for hours. I’d need someone to censor me, of course.
Q: Nah, that’s why I like you! You’re unfiltered. One last question: When do you think BP will cap the leak?
A: Hmmm.. That’s hard to say. I’d like to imagine they’d have it fixed by the end of July. Hopefully its August at the latest.
Q: I agree. Well, thanks for sitting down with me for a few minutes, I appreciate it more than you know.
A: No problem! I love a little political talk now and then. Enjoy your stay!
Disclaimer: Obviously this interview was conducted before the leak was capped.
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Thanks for reading!
Rick
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Great interview…that gal has a lotta smarts. I hope a whole bunch of her friends and neighbors think as she does.
I think this interview was great because you got a unique perspective.
I love the cold-interview angle. Anymore individual interviewed? Or was Stacy the only patron willing to sit down?
Stacy was the only person I sat down with at the BP gas station, but I do have a few more interviews with other people affected by the disaster. Look for those int he coming days!
Rick
Great interview, looking forward to reading the rest of them