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Original poster

I blame the media, not the panic buyers, for the immediate fuel shortages.

31 replies

PeachesPumpkin · 26/09/2021 22:27

I think it was irresponsible journalism/reporting that is to blame for the fuel shortages.
I understand why people are panic buying - they are worried about not being able to get to medical appointments/work/family etc It makes sense to get fuel if you are worried it is going to run out. The subsequent reporting has exacerbated the problem.
The reason people are worried about it running out in the first place is because the way news programmes were reporting in the first place - that triggered the panic buying.
In the longer term I blame the useless Tories and those who voted for Brexit, but the current crisis is because of irresponsible reporting. Media must know they trigger panic buying so they should think about which stories to report, and how, and be more responsible.

OP posts:
lljkk · 26/09/2021 22:30

I disagree, people shouldn't have to be infantalised.

This story started with six individual stations that had delivery problems. Six out of many tens of thousands.

Individuals made of that what they wanted.

This is the 3rd or 4th petrol-panic-buying situation I can remember in last 30 years. Something Brits are prone to, I suppose.

GiantKitten · 26/09/2021 22:34

Given that our news media are notorious for clickbait headlines, gross exaggeration & downright lies, it’s a shame so many people in this country overreact immediately to stories like this instead of counting to 3 and doing a bit of intelligent research Hmm

Lemmings123 · 26/09/2021 22:37

I agree, the media are to blame for most things in my opinion. My Mum was panicking about food shortages? This is how they get people thinking, it's insane.

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RufustheBadgeringReindeer · 26/09/2021 22:58

This is the 3rd or 4th petrol-panic-buying situation I can remember in last 30 years. Something Brits are prone to, I suppose

Not disagreeing, I remember 2000 and now obviously (memory is shit but not that shit) but what were the other 1 or 2?

MadisonAvenue · 26/09/2021 23:00

@RufustheBadgeringReindeer

This is the 3rd or 4th petrol-panic-buying situation I can remember in last 30 years. Something Brits are prone to, I suppose

Not disagreeing, I remember 2000 and now obviously (memory is shit but not that shit) but what were the other 1 or 2?

I only remember 2000 too, because we were on holiday on the Isle Of Wight with a three year old and a newborn and we were worrying that we wouldn’t get home.
RufustheBadgeringReindeer · 26/09/2021 23:03

Absolutely madison

We were in spain with a 18 month old, came back to the uk when the shortage was in full swing it wasnt a great journey home! Fil drove past a massive queue cos he just didn’t realise

Since then dh has always filled the car up at about half full (except my car which is quite often on the red because I don’t pay enough attention)

lljkk · 27/09/2021 11:21

Was 2000 the refinery blockade?

Early 90s event was maybe to do with snow & ice delaying lorries; anyway, was a massive panic buying situation then. I recall colleagues I had then worrying about getting to work & back & one muttering "government needs to sort this out!" so not purely caused by weather.

ThinkingAboutYou · 27/09/2021 11:25

I don't want the media controlled.

I don't want my language controlled.

I don't want the population controlled.

I want to buy petrol as it suits me.

I don't want more draconian state control thank you we have had enough.

Humans are not as bright as they like to think they are.

Humans copy each other.

StMarysKettle · 27/09/2021 11:25

I blame the bloody lemmings who can't see past the end of their noses and rushed out to buy petrol when there was no need. There WAS no shortage and now there is because people are idiots. Its not the government's fault. Its partly the media's fault but people who rush out to join the queue when they don't need to are equally at fault.

Ifailed · 27/09/2021 11:31

OP, ever heard of free will?

TatoAndBeans · 27/09/2021 11:31

I blame the government. The media only reported what they were briefed on…. by the government. Yes the current situation has been exacerbated by nearly everyone filling up over the weekend, but there were fuel shortages before. Garages in parts of Devon had run out without any means to get a delivery on the 21st! The problem is the HGV crisis, which the government was warned about and ignored for years.

It is the government’s job to secure critical infrastructure.
It is the government’s job to regulate and legislate, to ensure there is enough slack in the system to prevent this.
It is the government’s job to see risks on the horizon and plan accordingly.

Pointing fingers at individuals for “panic buying” (read: nurses, plumbers, teachers making sensible provisions to continue delivering critical services) or attacking “MSM” is just letting them off the hook.

Sirzy · 27/09/2021 11:34

The media hasn’t helped but all this has done is highlight the selfishness of too many people.

If you know something may be in short supply the answer isn’t to go out and buy as much as you can, it’s to limit it to what you actually need so their is enough to go around.

I have half a tank of fuel, it wouldn’t cross my mind to go and fill up “just incase”. Likewise when I do need fuel I won’t do my normal fill to the max approach if this hasn’t all settled down I will put in £20 or so just to tide me over

ChocolateRiver · 27/09/2021 11:43

I agree OP, it has been whipped up by the media. It was just a few BP garages that had an issue and I really don’t see why that needed to be reported on the news at all. If they’d just left well only no one would have known and there wouldn’t have been a problem. This could all have been avoided with more responsible journalism. As it was people worried about running out later in the week (and not having time to queue) so they filled up at the weekend.

Ifailed · 27/09/2021 11:49

If the media hadn't reported the initial PFS closures, then it would soon be on social media, with an added line that the Media aren't reporting it thus adding a level of paranoia to the message.

Hogwarts4Christmas · 27/09/2021 11:54

I agree, if it wasn't reported on, it wouldn't be such an issue.

The fact that it has been constantly on the news has spread panic (& therefore more fuel buying) like wildfire.
Not just panic either, but also those who wouldn't panic buy, feeling forced into it knowing that so many others will panic buy and that if they don't they may be left stranded.

It's ridiculous.

I was just lucky that I'd filled up as normal (bc my tank was on empty..20 miles left according to my car) the day before this started, so I've not had to go anywhere near a petrol station.

It's a self-perpetuating problem.

Hogwarts4Christmas · 27/09/2021 11:54

And by news/media, I include SM platforms too.

barnet2709 · 27/09/2021 12:32

I blame the government for creating the situation which led to the perfectly valid appeal for sense from the trade body concerned.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 27/09/2021 12:44

Bad news increases readership and advertising revenue. That’s what it’s all about. No point in publishing good news.

The amount of over exaggeration, hype, negativity, doom and gloom makes everything much worse than it should be. Those who believe it are fuelling the fire.

The media in general, radio, TV and social media, are despicable.

Thymeout · 27/09/2021 12:54

My BP garage had closed before the announcement on Thurs p.m. The industry had warned the govt at a meeting in Downing St a week before that BP was behaving problems keeping all its garages topped up because of a shortage of drivers.

The Govt did nothing. If they'd called in the army then to maintain supplies, there would have been no problem and no panic buying. And they're still only 'considering' using army drivers.

They're totally out of touch and don't seem to realise that many people can't afford to buy a full tank and just buy small quantities to see them through the week.

Bluntness100 · 27/09/2021 12:56

I blame the panic buyers. It’s ludicrous, demand is up over 500 percent. These idiots have went out and stripped the service stations dry. Only bp had an issue and it was resolvable, and there is no fuel shortage, now because these absolute twats are out there panic buying there’s a major problem and it’s impossible to fill the stations up quickly enough.

I don’t blame the media, I blame the idiots out there panic buying. If the6 hadn’t done it 90 percent of service stations would be operating normally.

Hogwarts4Christmas · 27/09/2021 13:26

Oh, I definitely agree that the blame ultimately lies with the panic buyers, but the media certainly don't help by fuelling the fire (excuse the pun).

Unfortunately, the panic buyers fuel it further because it has a domino effect on usually saner people, and those that wouldn't normally panic buy, end up filling up earlier than normal to avoid not being able to when they've actually run out.

dannydyerismydad · 27/09/2021 14:42

We've spent the last couple of years being told we wouldn't have a lockdown, we wouldn't have another lockdown, schools wouldn't be closed, only for an almighty uturn to happen the next day.

You can't blame the public for being suspicious when they are being "reassured" that there's no shortage.

Bluntness100 · 27/09/2021 18:58

@dannydyerismydad

We've spent the last couple of years being told we wouldn't have a lockdown, we wouldn't have another lockdown, schools wouldn't be closed, only for an almighty uturn to happen the next day.

You can't blame the public for being suspicious when they are being "reassured" that there's no shortage.

But there isn’t a shortage, there has never been a shortage. Bp had a haulier issue. No one else did. Bps issue could have been resolved. Except it was leaked. And then the public panicked and friggen bought every litre of petrol there was. They bled the service stations dry. In an absolute unnecessary panic. Filing up Gerry cans like twats. Queuing for hours.

And now none of us can buy fuel easily. Becayse rhe oil companies are trying to replenish the whole country at once.

longwayoff · 27/09/2021 19:44

What are people doing with all this petrol they 'don't need? The motorists I've seen interviewed on TV describe the other people in the queue as panic buyers but, oddly, the interviewee is never a panic buyer but someone who needs petrol urgently. So where's all the extra petrol and please don't light a match near it.

Cherrysoup · 27/09/2021 20:07

Agreed. If the media didn’t keep banging on about it, I doubt there would be such a massive issue.