So much talk about panic buying - to me panic buying would be fighting at the pumps and people, you know, actually panicking. Or widespread filling of jerry cans and inappropriate containers.
That doesn't mean some of the buying that's going on won't potentially cause logistical problems. The trouble is that rational people have a tendency to be cautious, hence topping up a little early, or buying a little extra pasta, or whatever, and multiplied over the whole population that's all it takes to create pressure on supply. You could argue it's disobedient to the spirit of government advice not to change buying patterns, but that doesn't mean it's panic. All these warnings about panic buying probably more to provoke demand than reduce it.
I'm wondering where the MN sympathy for stretched families on small budgets is now - for many it's pretty rational to fill up earlier than usual right now because of the price increases. Imagine that multiplied over the whole country. That pressure on supply is just something the government has to manage so I think there probably is a risk of rationing to do that, but sneering at imagined panickers really misses the point. Only a tiny bit of increased demand is going to be coming from people who are actually panicking, at this point.
On the plus side, as a country we probably have a lot of headroom for saving fuel, so if everyone who can really starts to drive less that will make a difference.