Panic buying of petrol

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

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Heedless Horseman

Thing about the Old 'Don't Panic' or similar, now fondly thought of, posters, was... those who would, would have done' already.. but those who Hadn't, got 'reassurance'...and a laugh!

HGV issue...  not funny... BUT!  How long since Brexit vote? How long for 'Business' / Hauliers to 'incentiviise', recruit and train UK  Drivers? Not Gov'ts fault,... but another'panic' to be bailed out...

In later years at work, 8 to 10 Big HGVs... foreign plated... parked up on industrial estate for sleepover. Drivers and Companies all paying Taxes, Profit, elsewhere! I don't like 'Containers'... but, if going to use... drop at Dock and UK work for dock and shipment... how Brexit SHOULD work! Bur 'Commerce' averse... and gov't not 'made' it happen

So... maybe another political response to 'Panic'.

But... the Old Posters Were Right! 'DON'T PANIC ! lol.
(40 Yrs ago. I should have been an Angry Young Man... but wasn't.
Now... I am an Old B******! )  ;)

Big Insect

Here we go again

Passed 3 local petrol stations in our part of Bristol twice today (once on way 2 and once on way back) and the queues were as long at 19.00hrs this evening as they were at 10.00 this morning. Interesting that they were mostly full of large 4x4s - ideal for the close Victorian streets of Clifton & the school run of course !

We have half a tank of fuel left, which will keep our little A2 running for a week locally - so fingers cross all the panic-buyers will be happy and out the way by then!

The Press just love to create a crisis - as that means they can report it and sell more media/papers (e.g. advertising) to the twits that like to know about a crisis.  Lunacy!

Maybe we could get them all to panic about something useful - like picking up their dog mess or litter or not driving their little tiny ones to school in fuel guzzling monster cars or getting Bristol City Council to realise that their new electric scooters are just a serious (deadly) accident waiting to happen.
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Gwydion

Odd, there didn't appear to be any fuel queues this side of the Severn yesterday.

I dropped my daughter off to work this afternoon however and all the petrol stations were chaotic with cars backed up onto roads. Tesco was  as Steve described the scene in his original post - queues blocking the entrance to the supermarket car park, already a sign saying they had run out diesel. =)


Ithoriel

Quote from: Heedless Horseman on 25 September 2021, 06:23:06 PM
HGV issue...  not funny... BUT!  How long since Brexit vote? How long for 'Business' / Hauliers to 'incentiviise', recruit and train UK  Drivers? Not Gov'ts fault,... but another'panic' to be bailed out...

In later years at work, 8 to 10 Big HGVs... foreign plated... parked up on industrial estate for sleepover. Drivers and Companies all paying Taxes, Profit, elsewhere! I don't like 'Containers'... but, if going to use... drop at Dock and UK work for dock and shipment... how Brexit SHOULD work! Bur 'Commerce' averse... and gov't not 'made' it happen


Hauliers were complaining of a shortage of drivers way before Brexit, that just massively compounded the problem.

If recruiting and training drivers were easy we wouldn't have this problem. Very few people want to spend nights sleeping in thier cabs, away from home for days or even weeks, with no social life to speak of.

When I worked with the local mobile library service we had no problem getting HGV drivers for the artics.  Regular hours, by their standards, even though it was shift work. Sleeping in their own beds at night. The pay was way less than long distance driving got you but the perks made up for it.

Most containers on foreign lorries were loaded up on the continent and do door-to-door delivery. Off-loading and re-loading containers would be crazy.

Brexit was utterly stupid but not's let make it worse than it needs to be. If we are determined to be a third rate nation, let's at least aim to be the best third rate nation we can be.
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

steve_holmes_11

Quote from: Ithoriel on 25 September 2021, 07:56:42 PM
Hauliers were complaining of a shortage of drivers way before Brexit, that just massively compounded the problem.

If recruiting and training drivers were easy we wouldn't have this problem. Very few people want to spend nights sleeping in thier cabs, away from home for days or even weeks, with no social life to speak of.

When I worked with the local mobile library service we had no problem getting HGV drivers for the artics.  Regular hours, by their standards, even though it was shift work. Sleeping in their own beds at night. The pay was way less than long distance driving got you but the perks made up for it.

Most containers on foreign lorries were loaded up on the continent and do door-to-door delivery. Off-loading and re-loading containers would be crazy.

Brexit was utterly stupid but not's let make it worse than it needs to be. If we are determined to be a third rate nation, let's at least aim to be the best third rate nation we can be.

With the take off of delivery (parcels, take always ...) there is a lot of alternative employment for trained drivers that doesn't involve all the issues above.

It doesn't help when the person telling you "It's a minor supply issue, don't panic" has a track record as an untrustworthy chancer.

Steve J

Mark, don't get me started on those bl**dy electric scooters. Suffice to say I hate them and those private ones that aren't meant to be on the pavements and roads >:(.

In South Glos the taxi/bus service for getting children with additional needs to school has had to be suspended until next month due to a shortage of drivers. Covid is being blamed, but I imagine a lot have moved to better paid driving jobs, at least for the short term.

Westmarcher

Someone, somewhere, has suggested we start a panic buying rumour for condoms - might result in less idiots in the world.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

Techno II

Davy.

That's a brilliant idea !  ;D  ;D ;D

Cheers - Phil :)

flamingpig0

Quote from: Westmarcher on 25 September 2021, 10:18:15 PM
Someone, somewhere, has suggested we start a panic buying rumour for condoms - might result in less idiots in the world.

I think someone  tried  to achieve a similar impact by getting a minor washed-up actor to campaign against the covid lockdown and mask-wearing
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whubble

At least its not toilet paper!! :)

Techno II

Home...from heroically braving the heaving crowds, to get the normal Sunday food shop done !

For crying out loud ;D ;D ;D ;D.....I went in 20 minutes earlier than usual, just in case the 'sheep' were blocking the way to the Tecso's store and garage....That was MY concern.
Arrived 20 minutes earlier than normal...(there's a surprise.).....No horrid queues.....HUZZAH !!  :-bd

Thinks....."If the garage is quiet, I'll get some petrol now."......Well...there's quiet..and then there's very quiet.

Apart from a young chap on a motorcycle..I was the only one there !! ;D ;D ;D

Chatting to the operative on the garage till...Sounded like it was complete pandemonium on Friday...(they did run out of fuel, at one point..until a tanker turned up)....yesterday (Saturday) was pretty normal.
From what I gleaned from Matey at the till......Folk, who they recognised as coming in once a week for £15 worth of fuel, were all going for at least twice as much.
Matey at the till was fairly confident that they'll have a very quiet couple of weeks now....Good !!!!.... those poor sods deserve a bit of a break now !

I loathe the media. ;)

Cheers - Phil. ;)


Lord Kermit of Birkenhead

Well last time I filled up I wuz tut only un on tut forecourt. Mind you was 07:00, and it had just opened, wuz on me ways to Dungworth near Shef....
FOG IN CHANNEL - EUROPE CUT OFF
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Norm

26 September 2021, 12:33:01 PM #27 Last Edit: 26 September 2021, 12:55:27 PM by Norm
Saw a funny joke on the phone.

It is a picture of a chalk board outside a pub, the top part said 'Beer about to run out', the lower part said 'Panic buy here!, :-) very good.

Techno II

 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Nice one, Norm !

Cheers - Phil. :)

Westmarcher

'tun out' - for beer, that's an apt typo!   :P

Anyway, what we really need to know is, "Where is this pub?"   We need to know.   Now!   :'( =P~ 

(pretty please)  :-[
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.