Panic buying of petrol

Started by Steve J, 25 September 2021, 07:49:37 AM

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Steve J

Well despite all attempts to prevent panic buying, it appears to have fallen on deaf ears in our part of Bristol. I set off to buy some food for our son at Tescos about 10 minutes away as the local ASDA no longer stocks the items he likes. Fine going there and they had started queueing at the Tesco petrol station, but the forecourt had one or tow cars waiting. I get back to the roundabout by our local ASDA and complete gridlock due to every Tom, Dick and Harry trying to get fuel, so no-one who just wanted to shop could get to the supermarket!

Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Very difficult to underestimate the stupidity of the great British public.
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Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
Muppet of the year 2019, 2020 and 2021

flamingpig0

"I like coffee exceedingly..."
 H.P. Lovecraft

"We don't want your stupid tanks!" 
Salah Askar,

My six degrees of separation includes Osama Bin Laden, Hitler, and Wendy James

Norm

25 September 2021, 08:24:31 AM #3 Last Edit: 25 September 2021, 08:27:39 AM by Norm
It has been 'fuelled' (!) by front page headlines attempting to make the country look like it is in chaos and scoring political points by an exaggerated focus on food and fuel shortages and gas problems (gas is in fact a Europe wide problem). A little more honest media coverage and the British public would be able to take most of this in their stride. The media have given us a big problem that is now harder to manage, which was in reality only a small problem that was easily managed!  I am not a political animal,  but have always been something of a news junkie, I am increasingly being turned off both!

steve_holmes_11

The same types who are still wiping their behinds on last year's loo roll supply.

I plan to drive economically on my way to Carronade today.

Steve J

I agree Norm! A few weeks ago the Today programme (IIRC) was speaking to a haulage contractor based in Lithuania and they were having exactly the same problems as we are right across Europe, yet we won't hear about it. As you say the gas problem we share with Europe. Hence I only tend to listen to the headlines these day and switch off.

Orcs

Yep, it's the news announcements that have caused this. It would be better if they did not mention it at all. Then no panic buying by the idiots
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

kustenjaeger

My wife got more petrol yesterday from Sainsbury's and had to wait a while but it was a frustration rather than a problem.

The media doesn't help it is true.  However 'panic buying' of petrol is a bit different from foodstuffs in that you can only fit a finite amount in your car, so unless you are driving it a lot demand should fall off again. If I didn't have to drive on Wednesday to Milton Keynes our local driving would mean we wouldn't need more fuel for a good two to three weeks.

Edward

Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Quote from: steve_holmes_11 on 25 September 2021, 08:28:23 AM
The same types who are still wiping their behinds on last year's loo roll supply.

I bulk bought just before the panic buying, still got 1.75 rolls left.
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Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
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Techno II

Quote from: Orcs on 25 September 2021, 08:58:00 AM
Yep, it's the news announcements that have caused this. It would be better if they did not mention it at all. Then no panic buying by the idiots

Absolutely !!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

The media, in all forms......now, sadly including 'Auntie', do this.

Ironically......The Technomobile is genuinely a bit short of petrol, and will definitely require filling up, in the next few days...We're lucky...a tank full lasts us around a month.
This morning....Down to the local village...get papers...'brunch'..and a couple of cards for Von's birthday which is fairly imminent.

The garage didn't seem to be over busy....Good :-bd....I'll go and get the petrol now.
Park at pump.....Garage operative comes out..."Sorry, we haven't run out of fuel....But the pumps and tills aren't 'talking' to each other...It's going to take 30 minutes, or so, before it's sorted out."

"No, sweat...I'll leave it for now."

Operative puts cones out, on the two entrances/exits to stop people coming onto the forecourt.

TOTAL FRIGGING CHAOS  ! =O =O =O

Me...driving around a cone to go out.

Some frigging idiot, moving the cones to drive in  :o :o......More folk trying to drive onto the forecourt...Folk trying to get out of the little carpark, next to the garage...and trying to get IN to the same carpark. X_X X_X X_X......Very cross faces !

I'm glad I got home without getting 'shunted'......I'd bet a pound to a penny, that's going to happen.....That'll make it even worse !!

Cheers - Phil. :)...Glad to be home !!



Heedless Horseman

I will admit... that if I had still had to drive to Work... I 'might' have filled up... plus cans... not 'panic'... just 'caution'... but so many like myself, now, just 'Dont't need'... so media reaction, again. If a queue... wouldn't have bothered.
Note to self... see if anything still in 'cans' from 'last time'! lol.  ;D
(40 Yrs ago. I should have been an Angry Young Man... but wasn't.
Now... I am an Old B******! )  ;)

Orcs

Last time we had fuel shortages, we were told as essential workers we would be given a letter and sent to a specified petrol station to fill up.

This time I am working from home so only done 1500 miles in my old Focus in 6 months, including the trip to Devon.  I have half a tank left from holiday so that will last me at least a month, and the Audi is far more economical, so will fuel that when it needs it and use that if the problem continues.
The cynics are right nine times out of ten. -Mencken, H. L.

Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Ithoriel

The two words guaranteed to engender panic - "DON'T PANIC!"

If you are told that supplies of something you rely on are likely to be affected it only makes sense to grab some if you can.

I saw an interview with an Eastern European HGV driver online who used to work in the UK and now works in Spain because,"The English made it clear they don't want us and besides the weather is better here."

Emergency visa systems may help with the former but alas won't improve the weather :)
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

Techno II

Quote from: Ithoriel on 25 September 2021, 01:40:21 PM
The two words guaranteed to engender panic - "DON'T PANIC!"

Totally right, Mike. (sadly) :'( :'( :'(

Time to start a panic for something else.......Water ?.....The Sun's about to go out, or go nova ?
Folk would be running to Boots to get sun block........

Blank me. X_X

Phil. :)


Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Quote from: Ithoriel on 25 September 2021, 01:40:21 PM
The two words guaranteed to engender panic - "DON'T PANIC!"

Particularly in nice freindly letters !
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Lord Kermit of Birkenhead
Muppet of the year 2019, 2020 and 2021