Panic buying, hoarding

[reohn2]

I'm just wondering what is the incentive for EU drivers to go to the UK and work there but only until Christmas.
There is a shortage of drivers in the EU so finding work isn't a problem even if it's not your own but a neighbouring EU country.
The fall in the £ has made earning money in the UK to take take home less attractive.
Add to all this the driving conditions and some attitudes to european workers and I wonder why anyone would leave their family and come to a country that clearly didn't welcome free movement of labour.

My thoughts exactly!

I await to see how successful the scheme is

The UK Brexit and Tory voters have made a rod for the backs of all of us,we deserve everything we get due these stupid shortsighted morons!

[Mick F]

I give up!

So do I.

[661-Pete]

I note that motoring lobbyist Cox has no evidence for his claim it was a cyclist other than his reading of reaction on Twitter. Why do you trust him?

I never claimed to 'trust' anyone. Certainly not that Cox bloke. That's why I put 'Militant Cyclist' in quotes.

[reohn2]

There was a report on R4 this morning with the reporter in the NE of England in some town or other - can't remember which - and the petrol station was empty.

He went along the A66 to Middlesborough? and the station had plenty of fuel and there were no queues.

Yesterday, we drove down to Saltash, and passed two filling stations and then Tesco, then drove south past another.
The local one up the hill had big queues, and the one only a mile further on had no queues though people were there filling up.
Tesco had a big queue - but no bigger than we've seen it before - and when we were on our way out, the queue had dwindled to only a couple of cars.
The one further on had no queues at all.

It all seems daft to me.

There's an old adage that can be applied to many things.
Don't go out to buy petrol, buy petrol whilst you're out!
ie fill up when it's convenient and you're doing other stuff.

There are people who NEED their vehicle to work,they can't get fuel to do that.

[661-Pete]

We went down for lots of things, so we had a good shopping experience and socialised with them too.

Does having a brief chat with the checkout assistant at Tesco's count as 'socialising'?

Tesco's was unusually quiet this morning and I piled my shopping onto a vacant conveyor belt. The assistant was busy chatting away to her neighbour and hadn't noticed my arrival. When she did, she apologised for keeping me waiting, but I replied, no problem, I'm not in a hurrry, and I added that the place seems remarkably quiet. She agreed, said it was because the petrol queue was blocking access to the car park for shoppers.

Well, that may have been the case when she started her shift, but it wasn't when I left the supermarket. The filling station was completely out of fuel and barricaded off, so there was no queue.

I then thought I'd make a slight detour on the bike and see how the nearby BP was doing. Well, they still had fuel, though it seemed that only two pumps were working - and there was a queue that I couldn't see the end of, probably stretched right through the town. A young woman on the forecourt was doing her best to marshal the frustrated motorists...

Boy did I feel smug (EV drivers are probably feeling smug too)! But I shouldn't really - there are some folk (e.g. doctors, nurses) who really need the fuel. Can vital workers be prioritised in some way?

R2 - your post just anticipated mine - same point.

[Psamathe]

There was a report on R4 this morning with the reporter in the NE of England in some town or other - can't remember which - and the petrol station was empty.

He went along the A66 to Middlesborough? and the station had plenty of fuel and there were no queues.

Yesterday, we drove down to Saltash, and passed two filling stations and then Tesco, then drove south past another.
The local one up the hill had big queues, and the one only a mile further on had no queues though people were there filling up.
Tesco had a big queue - but no bigger than we've seen it before - and when we were on our way out, the queue had dwindled to only a couple of cars.
The one further on had no queues at all.

It all seems daft to me.

There's an old adage that can be applied to many things.
Don't go out to buy petrol, buy petrol whilst you're out!
ie fill up when it's convenient and you're doing other stuff.

There are people who NEED their vehicle to work,they can't get fuel to do that.

I'm surprised the petrol stations (particularly the supermarket ones) have not said NHS, care and emergency services only e.g. 7:30 to 9:00. Certainly supermarkets are used to doing that sort of thing after early days of Covid. Security at the main gate (and a few signs along the queue) and present your employee ID card).

Ian

[ossie]

Are their any contingencies in place for care workers ?

A relative works for a blind charity visiting patients and is completely out. Nine garages in our area were closed as out of fuel.

I can't imagine how this will play out but meals on wheels etc ? This needs decisive action from the Government - any sign of that yet ?

[Psamathe]

I keep feeling the panic aspects of this to an extent reflect the lack of confidence in our Government. I appreciate so many are just selfish, doing the me, me, me. But also, if more people actually believed Ministers when they make "no problem, no need to panic buy" then fewer would be in the queues and there'd be less of an issue.

Trouble is they [Government] keep spouting such lies demonstrating they have no idea or no appreciation or only want to blame others we end-up with closed/empty petrol stations.

Ian

[Jdsk]

Are their any contingencies in place for care workers ?

I'm not aware of any national responses.

I hope that local arrangements are appearing.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

Are their any contingencies in place for care workers ?

A relative works for a blind charity visiting patients and is completely out. Nine garages in our area were closed as out of fuel.

I can't imagine how this will play out but meals on wheels etc ? This needs decisive action from the Government - any sign of that yet ?

Today's leaks suggest that they are relying on demand decreasing as tanks fill up. I haven't seen any calculation that supports that.

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

I keep feeling the panic aspects of this to an extent reflect the lack of confidence in our Government. I appreciate so many are just selfish, doing the me, me, me. But also, if more people actually believed Ministers when they make "no problem, no need to panic buy" then fewer would be in the queues and there'd be less of an issue.

Trouble is they [Government] keep spouting such lies demonstrating they have no idea or no appreciation or only want to blame others we end-up with closed/empty petrol stations.

Note the previous denial by the government and certain factions of society about other shortages and about the NI-GB border. I wouldn't assume that stops even with this failure.

Jonathan

[ossie]

Are their any contingencies in place for care workers ?

A relative works for a blind charity visiting patients and is completely out. Nine garages in our area were closed as out of fuel.

I can't imagine how this will play out but meals on wheels etc ? This needs decisive action from the Government - any sign of that yet ?

Today's leaks suggest that they are relying on demand decreasing as tanks fill up. I haven't seen any calculation that supports that.

Jonathan

The issue I can imagine is that not everyone rushed to a fuel station in the last 4 days - just a percentage of selfish idiots, which in this country appears to be extremely large and was enough to tip things over the edge . So there will be a substantial amount of people who still need fuel but are being sensible. These people might ordinarily stick £20 in but will be brimming the tank if they can and who can blame them? The subliminal and real fear (and the reality) is that the shortage of HGV drivers isn't going away soon so we can expect more of the same I reckon.

[Debs]

Have anyone noticed if the price of fuel has gone up since the shortage started?

[Psamathe]

Are their any contingencies in place for care workers ?

A relative works for a blind charity visiting patients and is completely out. Nine garages in our area were closed as out of fuel.

I can't imagine how this will play out but meals on wheels etc ? This needs decisive action from the Government - any sign of that yet ?

Today's leaks suggest that they are relying on demand decreasing as tanks fill up. I haven't seen any calculation that supports that.

Jonathan

The issue I can imagine is that not everyone rushed to a fuel station in the last 4 days - just a percentage of selfish idiots, which in this country appears to be extremely large and was enough to tip things over the edge . So there will be a substantial amount of people who still need fuel but are being sensible. These people might ordinarily stick £20 in but will be brimming the tank if they can and who can blame them? The subliminal and real fear (and the reality) is that the shortage of HGV drivers isn't going away soon so we can expect more of the same I reckon.

I find it difficult to assess. e.g. suppose a zero hours person has half a tank (4 days to/from work) do they believe the Government or do they fill-up to make sure they can do all the hours offered and feed the family? And given what the Government has done to/for that zero hours person over the last 10 years is it any surprise if they decide to fill their tank and safeguard their ability to get in to work? I have no idea how many in queues might be in such or similar'ish circumstances, how many need fuel to get round those they are caring for and how many are being selfish

Ian

[Oldjohnw]

From a 2016 Transport Select Committee Report just after the Referendum: