to be particularly worried about this fuel strike?

[StealthPolarBear]

Don't know why but it's making me feel very anxious. We managed through the last 2 so I don't know why it feels like this one will be different but it feels as though it will go on for longer and be more disruptive.

The answer to this is LETS ALL CHANGE TO ELECTRIC CARS! and fuck up the governments greed

thesecond it's very easy to belittle others if you don't have any particular need to drive in the next few days.

But if you did. And you had littel fuel in your tank right now. What would you do? Say fuck it. The ponies can starve! To hell with my Dad's birthday! Screw tomorrow's holiday!

We have just moved from walking distance to a city centre with buses every 10 mins to a rural village with no bus service. Right now I have about half a tank of petrol and have never planned to buy any when we do our weekly shop tomorrow and I still wont. Then again we dont NEED to go anywhere over the next few days. Yes it will be nice to go for a drive somewhere, but we dont NEED to. However if a strike is to happen in say 6 months when hopefully I will have a job I may feel a little different. I dont think there will be any problems this time and quite interested to hear the consipiracy theory regarding putting fuel up/ taking the publics minds off other government activities etc.

Well they voted to strike

We're doomed, I tell you, doomed.

Tsc, no not thriving on the drama. I am looking into alternatives but Tbh I've already done that a few times as I don't enjoy the drive, and its not really feasible. And worrying somewhat about keeping my job.

Well we need fuel too...in that dp works a 40 mile round trip away in the nhs. Public transport doesn't cover the shifts she work. We have two cars and will fill them both up and I just won't use mine so we can have two full tanks to get her to work....I support the strike though

I went to a shopping centre last night (Glasgow) the petrol station had no more/less than usual. I'm going tonight again as I forgot something, I may fill up then (as in right to the top) but that will last me ages anyway.

its all a bit bonkers really

I bet people with LPG cars are sitting back and laughing yet again, at 75p a litre and mostly taxi's and a few cars there isn't enough of them to cause a panic at the many filling stations!

I think there is a difference between stockpiling and filling your car though. I think this will focus people's minds and reduce extra trips which will make a difference and make what is out there last longer than it otherwise would. Instead of making a special trip to the supermarket on Saturday, go to one on the way home type stuff. I would rather have panic buying now, whilst there isn't a strike and people be more careful, than panic buying setting in later and it causing even more problems.

I don't see you get round the problem any other way, apart from really scaring people even more with rationing and only certain professions getting fuel. Everyone with a car, has a reason to drive and the world doesn't stop because there is a potential strike. It is a lot harder for some people than others purely because of where they live and they would be foolish not to take measures if its going to affect them particularly adversely.

As for the remark about software engineers - you might have a point about most not being essential, but it depends on what the software engineers actually do. If its security for a High Security Prison for example, you might want to reconsider that. Or if its the difference between a business going under or not - which is the case at the moment for a few people, then the sales rep might be important so that a whole bunch of people keep their jobs and don't loose their homes. In short, until we have a real crisis on our hands, then suggesting one person is more worthy of fuel than another really don't cut it. Right now, its an inconvenience we need to plan into our life one way or another.

Nothing is going to happen until after Easter.

This government seem to really hate the Esso - first pasties and now this?

Everyone who normally half fills the tank deciding to fill it is enough to fuck everything up, isn't it?

Stupid Francis Maude.

It is odd. Basically if they announce the date is next Friday then won't many people have enough fuel as they filled up today? esp low users.

meanign the strike would have no impact.

How is it selfish to want to get to work! Whenever people are out of work they are told to be prepared to travel to work!

Well, I have just filled up and there wasn't a queue. They had run out of diesel and the expensive petrol, though.

I'm assuming that all the panic buyers will be done by Monday and I'll be able to fill up just fine.

If there is a strike will it just be a one day job? I'm going away at Easter and staying on for a couple of days won't be a problem but just wondering how long problems would be expected to to on for.

You do know that its not a fuel strike?

It is a strike about health and safety.

As far as I can see no-one is going to blockade refineries, fuel will be able to be moved.

But you have to amire the Gov for the way that they have put the fear of god in to the population.

Well they want people to fill up now so that the strike doesn't have any impact, don't they?

Fuuny how this coinsides with a mention somewhere that the price of oil has gone down by $2 a barrel. Will find the link to it later if I remember.

I suspect that they want the panic buying to reduce support for the drivers.

I don't believe that the Gov has any altruistic motives.

Oh, not through altruism, but to say 'you can't hold us to ransom by striking'

Suspect that this is all handily distracting from the issue of Dinners with Dave too.

Who are the "essential workers" that got fuel last strike?