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

[Bry Nylon]

Well it seemed to be easing this morning.

Of the 5 garages that I passed this morning, 2 had no fuel but 3 had small queues of cars outside indicating fuel.

For the same garages since the crisis began it would be a wonderful, lucky day if even 1 was open on previous mornings.

That certainly seems to be how things are around here, 40 miles north of London.

I spoke to some parents at my son's football training last night and nobody is experiencing acute difficulties getting fuel across Essex / Hertfordshire or Cambridgeshire now. Obviously still some pinch points but broadly no - or at most very short - queues. No sign of Phil McCann on telly this morning telling people there is no need to panic buy fuel though.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

We are driving down tonight in advance of the game. Just been exchanging texts with the Air BnB near Godalming and she says it’s still a nightmare. She advises filling up on the motorway. Our daughter managed to do so Southbound and south of Birmingham on the M6 yesterday with only a little queuing.

 

[A1X]

On checking again I see it's an M&S in the background. At first I thought it might be a One Stop Beyond.

 

[Blazing Apostle]

You will have fun trying to get around the Holmbush roundabout at this precise moment

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Radio 5 now discussing the notion of the British public being 'stupid'. It's true that as soon as the media says 'please don't panic buy X' people will panic buy X. But, given there was a bit of a fuel supply problem, and here and there the petrol stations were occasionaly running out, it would have been censorship for the media to not mention it. And once it is mentioned.....

The analogy with Brexit is that if some politicians and people in the media spend 10-15 years repeatedly telling the public they are being robbed and swindled by the EU, of course people will clamour for the chance to vote leave. With petrol it takes only a few minutes for people to panic. As for toilet rolls.....

I struggle to blame people for being stupid, though. It is simply a natural response to events. I'd love to blame the Boris gang, too but, apart from saying that 'there is no crisis but we are ready to get the troops to help*' they are blameless.

*Er, hang on.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Best laid plans.

I have tried not to partake in this whole farce, not going near a garage since midweek last week. My car fuel light went on Wednesday, so I parked in the drive and left it. Mrs Wz was lending her car to our daughter yesterday to drive to a wedding, so got up at 6.30am and got £30 worth of petrol yesterday morning which would be plenty, and with my daughter due back this morning, would mean we still a car with a reasonable amount of fuel.

Cue phone call yesterday morning that my daughter had an accident a few hundred metres from the wedding venue. She and her friends are all absolutely fine , but a large truck going down the side of the car has done every panel, smashed front wing and wheel. She sent me a video and it looks to me like it's probably a write off. She's now quite happily ensconced in the hotel and getting a lift home today.

Not particularly bothered about the car, because we'll get another and I quite like shopping for cars, but there was the best part of £30's worth of petrol in it And from experience, when they eventually deliver the courtesy car, you know how much petrol will be in it.

So I finally had to go out this morning and did a tour of 6 garages none of which had any petrol. My petrol light was on throughout and I'm now down to 35ish miles. So what's it to be. late trip tonight or early tomorrow morning

 

[LamieRobertson]

You will have fun trying to get around the Holmbush roundabout at this precise moment

Ye my daughter was about the same time you posted..tad difficult…oh and fuels sold out

 

[Baldseagull]

On checking again I see it's an M&S in the background. At first I thought it might be a One Stop Beyond.

That would be Madness.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Its easy to label folk selfish, stupid or greedy, for wanting to fill their cars up, but surely it is a perfectly rational thing to want to insulate yourself from potential further shortages (even if by doing so you are contributing to it).

My car tells me I currently have fuel for 200 miles. I'll need all of that for the return trip to the Albion tomorrow, so if I pass anywhere where I can get fuel today, I absolutely will. I don't actually 'NEED' more fuel yet, but really don't need the aggravation of a return journey tomorrow night (in the pissing rain) with the risk of running dry, passing a succession of potentially closed garages.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Its easy to label folk selfish, stupid or greedy, for wanting to fill their cars up, but surely it is a perfectly rational thing to want to insulate yourself from potential further shortages (even if by doing so you are contributing to it).

My car tells me I currently have fuel for 200 miles. I'll need all of that for the return trip to the Albion tomorrow, so if I pass anywhere where I can get fuel today, I absolutely will. I don't actually 'NEED' more fuel yet, but really don't need the aggravation of a return journey tomorrow night (in the pissing rain) with the risk of running dry, passing a succession of potentially closed garages.

Is the train a ball ache from Chandlers Ford?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I'd love to blame the Boris gang, too but, apart from saying that 'there is no crisis but we are ready to get the troops to help*' they are blameless.

*Er, hang on.

WTF. They are our government. Our country needs our government to anticipate problems and put in place measures to prevent or mitigate. I think we can safely say there have been warnings about forthcoming distribution issues for many years. I think we can expect our government to listen to trade bodies and ward off this type of cluster****. Instead we try to wing it. And here we are announcing troops to deliver fuel. And I am not sure I believe that will be anything other than a sop to appear to be doing something.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Its easy to label folk selfish, stupid or greedy, for wanting to fill their cars up, but surely it is a perfectly rational thing to want to insulate yourself from potential further shortages (even if by doing so you are contributing to it).

Of course. Everybody has a reason for wanting to have a full tank. People may think other people's reasons are ridiculous or not necessary but I can't imagine anyone sitting in a garage queue for fun.

 

[WATFORD zero]

WTF. They are our government. Our country needs our government to anticipate problems and put in place measures to prevent or mitigate. I think we can safely say there have been warnings about forthcoming distribution issues for many years. I think we can expect our government to listen to trade bodies and ward off this type of cluster****. Instead we try to wing it. And here we are announcing troops to deliver fuel. And I am not sure I believe that will be anything other than a sop to appear to be doing something.

Very fair points, but Whoosh ?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Is the train a ball ache from Chandlers Ford?

3 hours each way, 3 different trains, and would cost more than twice as much as the petrol (there are three of us).

And am not really comfortable with busy pubic transport, right now, either...)

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Very fair points, but Whoosh ?

Was it ?

Ah bollocks. Not the first time HWT has done that to me .....................

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

And am not really comfortable with busy pubic transport, right now, either...)

I hate pubic transport too tbh....

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

3 hours each way, 3 different trains, and would cost more than twice as much as the petrol (there are three of us).

And am not really comfortable with busy pubic transport, right now, either...)

Only 2 hours and 1 change if you got to Eastleigh. £13 each on a groupsave, would seem like a decent alternative to the car if we weren't in this pandemic, especially with all the traffic getting passed Chichester, Arundel, Worthing etc. I've done the cricket a few times, and my folks live over that way - hence the interest.

 

[RandyWanger]

I'm going to have to join the queues today. Down to 30 miles in the tank and don't want to miss tomorrows match.

 

[nicko31]

We are driving down tonight in advance of the game. Just been exchanging texts with the Air BnB near Godalming and she says it’s still a nightmare. She advises filling up on the motorway. Our daughter managed to do so Southbound and south of Birmingham on the M6 yesterday with only a little queuing.

Plenty of fuel in Reading though not sure that helps...

 

[Chicken Run]

Best laid plans.

I have tried not to partake in this whole farce, not going near a garage since midweek last week. My car fuel light went on Wednesday, so I parked in the drive and left it. Mrs Wz was lending her car to our daughter yesterday to drive to a wedding, so got up at 6.30am and got £30 worth of petrol yesterday morning which would be plenty, and with my daughter due back this morning, would mean we still a car with a reasonable amount of fuel.

Cue phone call yesterday morning that my daughter had an accident a few hundred metres from the wedding venue. She and her friends are all absolutely fine , but a large truck going down the side of the car has done every panel, smashed front wing and wheel. She sent me a video and it looks to me like it's probably a write off. She's now quite happily ensconced in the hotel and getting a lift home today.

Not particularly bothered about the car, because we'll get another and I quite like shopping for cars, but there was the best part of £30's worth of petrol in it And from experience, when they eventually deliver the courtesy car, you know how much petrol will be in it.

So I finally had to go out this morning and did a tour of 6 garages none of which had any petrol. My petrol light was on throughout and I'm now down to 35ish miles. So what's it to be. late trip tonight or early tomorrow morning

What time did you go out this morning?

I joined the Asda Hollingbury queue at 7:33am at got £70 in by 7:47, I darted into the supermarket to get a few bits and when I came out the petrol station was closed but with a tanker on it!

I think it’s early mornings not evenings that are the best time to go.