BP spill felt in metro Atlanta's filling stations

“About two weeks ago, when the AJC put a picture of a pelican covered in oil on the cover, then things started going downhill,” he said.

Teriah White, a middle school teacher who lives in Dunwoody, said she used to stop every morning at the BP station on Chamblee-Dunwoody Road to buy coffee and a newspaper. But not anymore. On Thursday, she was pumping gas at a Shell station at North Peachtree Road and Savoy Drive.

“I don’t know if it makes a difference, but I am so incensed,” she said. “I came to Shell today because of the pictures of the birds. I just don’t understand why there aren’t systems in place to fix something like this. I haven’t been happy with BP’s response.”

The British oil giant has tried for more than seven weeks to cap its leaking undersea well and to clean up the mess as it floats into marshes and onto beaches from Louisiana to Florida. Right or wrong, that struggle reaches all the way to the 472 BP stations located within 50 miles of downtown Atlanta. Owners and their employees at those stations don't work for BP, didn't cause the spill and can't fix it, but some are losing business because of it.

Clerks at BP stations on the north side said late last week that sales have been down significantly, while nearby competitors, from Shell to Texaco, have seen an uptick.

‘Hurting a small-businessman in Georgia'

Jim Tudor, president of the Georgia Association of Convenience Stores, a trade group that represents 2,500 convenience stores that are mostly gas stations, said consumers boycotting BP have chosen the wrong target for their anger. Most BP stations, he says, are locally owned.

David Nicholas, a BP spokesman in Houston, confirmed that there are likely no BP-owned gas stations in Georgia. The company's Web site shows 762 BP-branded gas stations in Georgia, including the 472 in and around Atlanta. The company, which merged with Amoco, also owns Arco stations.

Said Tudor: “I find it interesting that people are mad because small-business people are hurt in the Gulf, and they think we are going to fix that by turning around and hurting a small-business man in Georgia."

One Midtown BP station owner, who asked to remain anonymous because he didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with BP, said he is waiting for a shipment of tags from BP to hang on his pumps that will say the stations are locally owned. The owner said that, in any case, his sales have not been affected because his auto-repair shop generates more revenue, and he also has some commercial gas accounts. The man said his gas sales are actually up.

‘I like the clerks'

Marla Tandy said that while the oil spill is “very scary,” she was filling up her tank at the BP station on North Peachtree Road just outside Interstate 285, with a Texaco across the street.

“It’s too close to my house,” said the Dunwoody resident of the BP station. “I also like the clerks.”

Meanwhile, Jeremy Smith, who lives near Emory University, said his company gives him a BP gas card. That’s why he was filling up at BP station on Clairmont Road, though he didn’t like it.

“It [is not good] having to buy gas from BP, but on the other hand, it was an accident,” he said. “It could have been anyone’s oil – Shell or Exxon. They obviously didn’t want it to happen, and it’s costing them billions.”

The fallout for BP and the independents who own BP stations may not last long, particularly if BP gets the blowout under control.

“The brand is clearly tarnished,” said Ken Bernhardt, a marketing professor at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. “Especially among the most environmentally concerned consumers.”

But Bernhardt believes the long-term impact to BP’s brand could be minimal if the company acknowledges its liability and pays for the cleanup and lost income.

“People tend to have short memories and they tend to act in their own self-interest,” he said. “The good example is Toyota: It had those sticking accelerator problems. What did they do? They put out some special deals, and guess what? People bought Toyotas at very good prices.”

In the end, Bernhardt said, local BP station owners should reach out to their most loyal customers and explain that a BP boycott is only hurting their neighbors.

“The first thing I would do is hug my regular customers and tell my story to them.”

‘We're open, we're here'

Tim Davis, the manager of the Piedmont Road BP, has worked at the station for 18 years.

He said his income helps to support his mom and sister, and of course, his beloved dog, Prince, a miniature Pinscher. But the only thing he owns, Davis said, is his car.

Working the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift last week, Davis had a message for gas buyers: “We’re open, we’re here and we’re sorry that the situation has happened. It’s affected everyone, including us.”