[News] There's no need to panic buy petrol

[clapham_gull]

Do you honestly think Starmer and Rayner would have got us through Covid and Brexit any better ??

Absolutely, but then would Thatcher, Major or May.

When you purge people from Government on purely ideological reasons (Brexit) you are left with a mixed bag.

In charge of this mixed bag you have a somewhat charismatic leader who is:

1) Genuinely useless. Has always relied on others to run the thing.

2) Never believed vote leave would win, but went that way thinking (on defeat) he would give him kudos with the members of the party for a future leadership election.

3) Even after after the vote was telling ambassadors he wanted freedom of movement to remain.

I can go on, but what's left is a Government that is simply a marriage of convenience. Boris wins elections, but the vast majority of MPs hate him. He spunks other peoples money down the drain and spends all day thinking of his legacy, just like he did when London Mayor.

He is so desperate to be liked/in power that one day he will introduce some authoritarian (supported by Gove and Cummings) like a lockdown then back down when the ERG wing start frothing at the mouth.

Against this background it's really hard to organise anything, particularly a response to a pandemic.

Labour tend to do their in-fighting in public, the Tories do it behind the scenes.

 

[vegster]

My experience too when out and about today. Yet news reports say only 25% of sites had to close because of no fuel - if this true they must all be in sussex!

This seems to be a complete lie, recently it seems that only 25% appear to be OPEN !.... but ,hey, we are used to being lied to now and we seem to accept it meekly.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Take your point but there wasn't the rabid behaviour and massive queues in Portugal. I guess the Portuguese are just more sensible and nicer than most Brits! Proof being they elect sensible Socialist parties.

Well, yes I think you have a valid point too. As a people we certainly seem to have become more ‘me first’ and entitled. Maybe it’s just me getting older but it certainly feels that way and the manifestation of this in the recent waves of utterly unnecessary panic buying and stock-piling just seem to support this.

The approach you suggested would and could work, but you just know that in modern Britain those with the wherewithal to exploit it to the detriment of others would.

 

[Poojah]

My experience too when out and about today. Yet news reports say only 25% of sites had to close because of no fuel - if this true they must all be in sussex!

The media is in reverse thrust (most likely at the government's behest) - signs of easing perhaps in so much that the mile long queues have gone and people aren't scrapping on the forecourts, but fuel remains scarce.

That's certainly my experience up here in Leeds. Nipped out at lunch to see what the situation was like, six petrol stations completely closed and hour long queues to get into Morrison's which appeared to have some. I don't have an hour.

Out again tonight, tried another nine or ten stations - all dry. Eventually drove past an empty BP but clocked the tanker on the forecourt mid-delivery. Spent 20 minutes giving the car a long overdue vac and then filled up once the pumps were back on. By the time I'd paid there were already queues forming, this being 9:30 at night.

Some way away from normality, whatever anyone says.

 

[Bry Nylon]

The media is in reverse thrust (most likely at the government's behest) - signs of easing perhaps in so much that the mile long queues have gone and people aren't scrapping on the forecourts, but fuel remains scarce.

That's certainly my experience up here in Leeds. Nipped out at lunch to see what the situation was like, six petrol stations completely closed and hour long queues to get into Morrison's which appeared to have some. I don't have an hour.

Out again tonight, tried another nine or ten stations - all dry. Eventually drove past an empty BP but clocked the tanker on the forecourt mid-delivery. Spent 20 minutes giving the car a long overdue vac and then filled up once the pumps were back on. By the time I'd paid there were already queues forming, this being 9:30 at night.

Some way away from normality, whatever anyone says.

Congratulations! Like you, I also struck the golden nugget of discovering a forecourt with a tanker on it mid-delivery whilst out foraging for fuel tonight. I waited in a short non- moving queue for 30 minutes, then another 30 minutes to get onto a pump. Sadly, no brawling on the forecourt to offer any sort of distraction so I just listened to the football on the radio to pass the time.

Don’t tell anyone, but I think I may have let out an involuntary “Yesssss!” as I got back in my car and drove away, leaving the growing chaos in my rear view mirror as the news of the tanker delivery spread through Saffron Walden.

 

[Since1982]

The media is in reverse thrust (most likely at the government's behest) - signs of easing perhaps in so much that the mile long queues have gone and people aren't scrapping on the forecourts, but fuel remains scarce.

That's certainly my experience up here in Leeds. Nipped out at lunch to see what the situation was like, six petrol stations completely closed and hour long queues to get into Morrison's which appeared to have some. I don't have an hour.

Out again tonight, tried another nine or ten stations - all dry. Eventually drove past an empty BP but clocked the tanker on the forecourt mid-delivery. Spent 20 minutes giving the car a long overdue vac and then filled up once the pumps were back on. By the time I'd paid there were already queues forming, this being 9:30 at night.

Some way away from normality, whatever anyone says.

Yes, I noticed lots of pictures of tankers leaving refineries yesterday on the news, I’m sure the media are being pressed to give a positive view in order to help manage the situation although suspect most people trust them about as much as they trust charlatan Johnson and his cabal.

 

[Easy 10]

I just know that one day in the next few weeks, I'm going to be chasing a tanker along the A27 like in Mad Max 2, only to find its a decoy full of SAND.

 

[beorhthelm]

Yes, I noticed lots of pictures of tankers leaving refineries yesterday on the news, I’m sure the media are being pressed to give a positive view in order to help manage the situation although suspect most people trust them about as much as they trust charlatan Johnson and his cabal.

love how anyone would think the media, who created this mess, are controled by government. this is just another phase, the actual forecourts are dull now so watch the refinery, probably hoping to show a lack of movement. by next of the week they'll be bored of the whole story, stop reporting on it and we return to normal fuel buying.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Have to go to sites today, so need fuel, nothing at the BP’s in town, currently in a 25 strong queue at the esso on London Road.
Friday Crossed ��

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

50 min queue, only one unleaded pump, and the queue stretches back to A27/A23 roundabout now, looks like 4 pumps of leaded though.

This ain’t ending by the weekend…

 

[Icy Gull]

50 min queue, only one unleaded pump, and the queue stretches back to A27/A23 roundabout now, looks like 4 pumps of leaded though.

This ain’t ending by the weekend…

Enough of the moaning, did you get fuel? I have been sitting here worrying about you for nearly an hour now!

As an aside I thought leaded fuel pumps were discontinued over a decade ago!!

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

Enough of the moaning, did you get fuel? I have been sitting here worrying about you for nearly an hour now!

As an aside I thought leaded fuel pumps were discontinued over a decade ago!!

Diesel then

Yep £35 only, seems fair, should get me to sites today around Sussex, phew…

 

[BrightonCottager]

Government ministers and other commentators are saying the solution is to pay tanker drivers more. According to Private Eye (reporting recruitmentads of the Royal Logistics Corp), the army tanker drivers who are lined up to save us are paid £15985 on recruitment up to £20400 after 6 months.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Government ministers and other commentators are saying the solution is to pay tanker drivers more. According to Private Eye (reporting recruitmentads of the Royal Logistics Corp), the army tanker drivers who are lined up to save us are paid £15985 on recruitment up to £20400 after 6 months.

HGV drivers can earn 50k from what I read. Are you saying fuel tanker drivers are paid considerably less than this ? If so, then those Government Ministers and commentators are correct.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Just trying to keep up with the Government's responses

Day 1 - Government denies there is a problem
Day 2 - Government denies there is a problem, blame the press
Day 3 - Government denies there is a problem, blame the public
Day 4 - Government announces temporary visas for EU drivers to rectify the problem, despite this definitely NOT being part of the problem
Day 5 - Government denies there is a problem, blame the Road Haulage Association
Day 6 - Government deploys their reserve fleet of 80 tankers
Day 7 - Government denies there is a problem, run out of people to blame

Ongoing - The Government is still considering using the army

Imagine what might have happened if they hadn't been right on top of the situation

 

[southstandandy]

No queues at Tesco at Shoreham this morning when I went past at 7am

 

[Silverhatch]

Tanker drivers £25-£42k (source: Glassdoor).

The pandemic has shown us that the economy is upside down. The lowest paid, least valued jobs keep society alive. This country and all countries need a reevaluation of what a pandemic/climate changing/mentally fragile and frightened society needs and how it’s resourced. But frankly, does anyone have any confidence that the current political and corporate class generation can grapple with this? Spent my entire career as a virtual slave to the vagaries of meeting KPis linked to aggressive Growth & Shareholder value. This ethos HAS to be tweaked to meet the challenges faced by all our children.

 

[A1X]

It just isn't getting better, is it? Honestly it's time for authorities to step in. People weren't taking Covid seriously until a lockdown was imposed, I'm not going that far but if I were in power I'd introduce the following (enforced by police / army depending on manpower, not by the shop staff nobody's going to argue the toss with a guy in fatigues);

1. Limit people to £40 fuel max, no jerry cans or return within 48 hours except in emergency scenario listed in point 5
2. People with more than half a tank of fuel are turned away and told to return when below half a tank
3. Postcode restrictions for people with between 1/4 and 1/2 a tank (i.e. people in BN3 cannot fill up in BN6 except in emergency scenario listed in point 5)
4. Priority is given based on key worker status then by fuel level
5. In emergency situation where fuel gauge is in red / fuel light on previous restrictions do not apply

It would only need to be short term to get the situation back under control and prevent people touring the place then topping up their little bit of fuel while key workers and other locals go without.

 

[Rugrat]

It just isn't getting better, is it? Honestly it's time for authorities to step in. People weren't taking Covid seriously until a lockdown was imposed, I'm not going that far but if I were in power I'd introduce the following (enforced by police / army depending on manpower, not by the shop staff nobody's going to argue the toss with a guy in fatigues);

1. Limit people to £40 fuel max, no jerry cans or return within 48 hours except in emergency scenario listed in point 5
2. People with more than half a tank of fuel are turned away and told to return when below half a tank
3. Postcode restrictions for people with between 1/4 and 1/2 a tank (i.e. people in BN3 cannot fill up in BN6 except in emergency scenario listed in point 5)
4. Priority is given based on key worker status then by fuel level
5. In emergency situation where fuel gauge is in red / fuel light on previous restrictions do not apply

It would only need to be short term to get the situation back under control and prevent people touring the place then topping up their little bit of fuel while key workers and other locals go without.

Unworkable. But I do think banning of jerry fans would be an easy start and get rid of a small part of the problem

 

[A1X]

Unworkable. But I do think banning of jerry fans would be an easy start and get rid of a small part of the problem

Not sure what's unworkable, the fuel gauge is visible on most cars (and AFAIK can't be easily faked), postcode checks already take place at many amenity tips in Sussex.