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

[PeachesPumpkin]

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.

It’s been hilarious here, I live four houses down a road off a major roundabout and on the other side of it is a Petrol station and all we’ve heard over the last few days is blaring horns as people are queuing up on the roundabout to get into the station and the yelling out the windows. They closed down at four today as the pumps were empty.

I waited in a 15 min queue on my way home. When I got on the forecourt there were seven working pumps. One wasn't being used at all so I shot past everyone queueing at the other pumps. And a woman driver followed me. Then the pump next to me came free, again no one wanted it - they just stayed queueing at the other 5 pumps. The woman behind me manoeuvered into it. No one came to wait behind us. Meanwhile the queue was all along the main road jamming up one side of the main road completely instead of cars moving onto the court and distributing themselves,at all the pumps. . Where are people's brains? Why did they boycott those two pumps? The queue would have been so much shorter if all the pumps were being used. I just don't get it. 🤷

I’m fed up of people being blamed for panic buying.

If the country is so confused and frightened (in peacetime!!) that panic buying is a major problem for over a year - then it has a very very bad government and the blame belongs with them and only there.

I agree. The media should have kept their trap shut. And in theory many wouldn’t have heard so they’d not have stocked up unnecessarily.

Although nowadays we have other places to hear news like Facebook and so on. So even if the media didn’t report it, we’d have found that “johns aunts pals mums friend said her friend was told there were petrol shortages so you’d beat stock up” would still be the message circulating

@PeachesPumpkin

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.

I disagree on every level.

Grown adults can make their own choices.

If the media did not report on fuel distribution issues and people went to a station and got none there would be outrage.

I blame the media also.
The day before it all kicked off I filled my car up because we said we would use it for our holiday at the coast. It's a good job I did or there would have been no holiday for us.
When my partner went to put petrol in his car he was unsuccessful so he only has enough to get to work and not get back.
The media every bloody time. Just like they did in lockdown.