Fergie's Tech Blog

In Passing: Central CA Gas Station Owner Dies In Hunger Strike

Mehdi Shahbazi in 2005.

Mehdi Shahbazi, a gasoline station operator who waged a hunger strike and public-relations battle against Shell Oil Co., died this week at Stanford University Hospital of liver failure. He was 65.

Shahbazi leased a Shell station in central California from 1982 until September. In 2005, he posted signs at the Marina station highlighting "big oil's unearned profit"—a protest that Shell said violated the terms of his lease. Shell sued, then Shahbazi accused the company of breach of contract and of violating the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act.

In July, he went on a liquids-only diet to underscore what he called onerous franchise fees and other problems faced by individual gas station operators.

He refused to sell gas, instead inviting customers to spend money at the store's mini-mart and car wash. He spent long hours writing legal motions for his federal case against Shell and e-mailing journalists about how station operators were suffering. He passed out business cards with the slogan "Pumping Mad" above his phone number.

posted by Fergie @ 11/19/2007 11:49:00 PM