To think that the media should stop people not to panic buy fuel?

[Jinsei]

I have heard several reports on the news this evening urging people not to panic buy fuel. It would not have occurred to me to buy fuel if I hadn't heard those reports as my tank is over half full, but I now find myself wondering if I should top up when I go to the supermarket tomorrow. Just in case.

I will resist the temptation, but aibu to think that such reports merely fuel the demand and feed the panic?

Thats not selfish Daisy - do you not count as an 'essential service'? You ought!

We are going to make sure that we have enough fuel to get to the hospital if needed (as I seem to be going there quite a lot). Other than that we will ditch any non essential travel. Only bugger is that I can only walk 5 minutes at the moment without getting rather poorly, so this will leave me essentially housebound.

I think if you need to get around then do it as normal this may all blow over in a few days , I would carry on as usual tbh just dont PANIC

If everyone just carried on as normal there would be nothing to worry about, its because people go and panic buy that causes problems, if everyone just brought the same quantities as normal surely we would be able to manage until the strike was over, wouldn't we?

Let them strike.

Let us see how efficient they really are compared to our highly trained and disciplined army.

If I were them I'd be in the transport caff thinking twice.

MY friend is livid she has had to cancel her sons birthday partyl , His army leave has been cancelled because of it ,

I am going to fill my tank later when I wouldn't have done normally just to piss you off sparks.

(well, not really.. more to ensure I can get to hospital when I need to over the next week if I need to, to ensure a, I don't die from massive infection b, that If I go in to very premature labour my consultant can take my cervical suture out so that my my womb doesn't rupture. I can see why you weekend away could be seen as more important though, hope you have a great time )

YANBU to think the media shouldn't be stirring it but people will want to be prepared. I tried to fill up my car yesterday and the petrol station was so busy that by the time I got to the front of the queue they had run out :( I went again earlier this morning and noticed long queues again - now I know why!

I usually make sure that I don't go under half a tank anyway so I'll carry on as normal. If that makes me selfish

I drove past three petrol stations earlier, and therer were no queues and free pumps so not much panic here in Worcestershire.

Sat in a mahoosive queue right now, engine off cos petrol light has been flashing all morning, plenty of panic in derbyshire! :(

Its ok, just got close enough to realise that some of the pumps have run out of unleaded, that's why we are queueing!

I don't have a problem with anyone filling their car up because there's going to be an immediate and essential need to drive. But right now, there are queues at all the local petrol stations and I suspect a goodly number of these contain people who've heard the words "don't panic buy" and gone out to do exactly that.

I live miles from anywhere. I do depend on the car (sadly) but I've got half a tank of petrol in it and even if I end up using the lawnmower fuel, I'm determined not to join the panic buyers. I realise that this ridiculous stance will come back to bite me, mind!

But if everyone genuinely didn't panic buy, supplies would probably meet demand even if there is a strike.

Hang on, woman in front of me filling up can and car, so guess there is panic!! Ffs!

I hadn't thought about panic buying. Now I am panicking!

AIBU to think that MN should stop telling the media to stop telling people not to panic buy?

Have to drive down the M4 tonight so will hopefully fill up at a service station ready for my panic buying trip to the supermarket tomorrow....

[runs about waving arms]

"woman in front of me filling up can and car, so guess there is panic!! Ffs!"

Or she needs a can of petrol to fill the lawnmower.

A good way top stop people panic buying fuel in these situations is to put a high *minimum" spend on each fuel purchase. If you know that the minimum you can pay is £30 when you fill up, you won't "top-up" very often, you will only buy fuel if you need at least £30 worth, in which case you probably genuinely need to fill up.

I have always thought this is a much better way to control stockpile buying of fuel than the usual only allowing a maximum spend per customer.

Well, thanks to all the threads on MN, I now know about the possible strikes.
I will be going to fill up tonight, as I have to get dd to hospital tomorrow, and possibly for follow up appointments.
So thanks to all those who've started threads today :)

My DP is self employed and most of work is over 30 miles away - would need a bus, train, bus and then long walk to get there. So we do really need the car as otherwise she won't get paid - and we need the money.

Last strike we stopped all driving except to DP's work as her not getting paid is our biggest worry. I can get the bus or work from home.

How many days notice of action do unions have to give?

Because that will be the window in which to stock up. As deliveries should be running normally for some time yet, then if people are moving now to keeping their car usually full, then topping up (as opposed to low or whatever, and relying on finding a petrol station at any time), then there will be less of a detrimental surge when the dates are known (and when garages may not be quickly replenished leaving areas dry).

Oh well, I filled up the car before just incase of the strikes when I wouldnt normally bother as I just potter about really atm (on mat leave). Guess that makes me a selfish fucker .

Although I guess not as selfish as someone using the AA (when they could be dealing with someone in real need) for the very flimsy reason of running out of fuel eh?

The last proper strikes my friend had to ring an ambulance to take her son to A&E for something that she could have driven there for, but didnt have any petrol because she didnt think ahead and fill up before the strikes. She always wondered what the impact of her 'taking up' an ambulance was but she had no other way of getting there. Thats always stuck in my mind so its another reason why I have filled up.

Sorry soup was all caught up in the drama of a good old fashioned panic.

In Hong Kong, when the Japanese Tsunami happened, everyone panic bought salt as there was a rumour that eating loads of salt would save you from nuclear fall out. Was very odd (and annoying) as there was no salt anywhere for about a fortnight.

CNN showed footage of people staggering out of supermarkets with trolley loads of the stuff

richman are you sure they just were not with this fella

I wonder if that was cos salt is perhaps supplemented with iodine there Rich?

Just put petrol in the car but had to que for 10mins just to get in the petrol station, filled my tank up because it was on the red and figured if I fill it right up I won't need to worry about doing it next week, the man behind me started muttering something about 4 wheel drive owners (I have a freelander) being banned from getting petrol when the strike happens because its not fair to everyone else, I pointed out that I was getting petrol because I needed it to get to and from work and not just because I fancied going shopping or to get my hair done I was very polite but his reply "your still a selfish bitch" the man who works there said they have had customers arguing all day.

Fwiw the rude man was asked to leave before he got petrol as a very nice lady had heard him and reported him but I don't understand why he felt the need to say it anyway

A couple of months ago, when the tanker drivers were considering striking before, one of those bloody silly women on GMTV said, as an off-the-cuff link, "so, might be a good idea to go out and fill up today then" and that Dan bloke said "yes, good idea!"
I was so furious I emailed a complaint.