To be more scared now than I was of Covid?

[Thesupercosyquilt]

I know IABU. I need to get a grip.

I wasn't frightened of Covid. The first few weeks were scary, all the uncertainty etc. But once my kids school closed, life for our family kind of carried on somewhat normally. DH and I were both out working at that point. I never thought we would catch it, we're all relatively healthy. I understood people felt differently and was sympathetic towards that, despite some of the more extreme opinions.

But now, with fuel price hikes, food shortages and now petrol being rationed, I am actually scared. It feels like all the panic of March 2020 all over again.

Don't worry, I'm not going to panic buy five million loo rolls. But I have such a sinking feeling knowing this is the start of really crap times ahead unravelling right before our eyes.

HGV driver shortage is primarily Brexit rather than covid. Covid has provided the perfect coverup for the government so they can still continue to convince the nation that Brexit was a good thing. Remainers did warn of food shortages should we leave and low and behold…

BTW This is due to Brexit not Covid

Driver shortages etc all an impact from Brexit

I agree OP- it's quite frightening. We have the army in driving ambulances, I tried to get petrol this moning ( empty tank- noy panic buying) and my local Tesco had no fuel.

@Thesupercosyquilt

I know IABU. I need to get a grip.

I wasn't frightened of Covid. The first few weeks were scary, all the uncertainty etc. But once my kids school closed, life for our family kind of carried on somewhat normally. DH and I were both out working at that point. I never thought we would catch it, we're all relatively healthy. I understood people felt differently and was sympathetic towards that, despite some of the more extreme opinions.

But now, with fuel price hikes, food shortages and now petrol being rationed, I am actually scared. It feels like all the panic of March 2020 all over again.

Don't worry, I'm not going to panic buy five million loo rolls. But I have such a sinking feeling knowing this is the start of really crap times ahead unravelling right before our eyes.

Its Brexit. Not covid.

Why do people keep saying it’s Brexit not Covid? That’s true to an extent (although I don’t think any problem has one sole cause) but OP isn’t saying the problems we’re facing now are due to Covid or that she’s scared of Covid. She’s saying she feels more scared of what we’re facing now than she did when Covid hit.

Anyway OP I understand what you mean. The PM is playing it down in his usual ‘I haven’t a clue what’s going on’ sort of way but I think we’re in for a very tough time.

@MrsLargeEmbodied

step away from the news it is far too depressing

have you food in the cupboard, petrol in the car?

Very little for many

I’m sure it’s the media whipping up the panic buying as usual. When I left Tesco the queue was being managed by staff and was probably about half a mile long snaking down the road.

I’m sure it’s a combination of Brexit and covid. It doesn’t have to be one or the other, it can be both.

DH went to fill my car up & it was fine. No queues and a full tank. I can relax a bit now, until I need to fill up again

OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.
OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.
OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.
OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.
OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.
OP HAS NOT SAID SHE THINKS IT IS COVID.

Aaaaaaarrrrgh.

Some people really lack the ability to read a post properly.

I bet if the OP had posted, 'I'm terrified of spiders but this seems even worse', there would be dozens of people posting sagely 'It's not caused by spiders, OP.'

Fuel shortage is an issue here already (largish town in south).

We are running low on petrol and are responsible for elderly parents who live rurally 10 miles away. Just went to put a bit of fuel in tank (not a full tank - just enough to get us to parents/ run local errands for them) and there is no petrol available.

We’ll be fine, but quite worried about our parents and other vulnerable people like them.

www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/24/boris-johnson-asked-for-emergency-food-deal-says-jair-bolsonaro-brazilian-president

And now we’re having to grovel and beg fascists and rainforest burners for food. The humiliation.

No doubt the Brexit crew will be along to say that it doesn’t matter if we have no Turkeys this Christmas, we should be eating wild pigeons anyway and during the war blah blah blah…

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/24/boris-johnson-asked-for-emergency-food-deal-says-jair-bolsonaro-brazilian-president

And now we’re having to grovel and beg fascists and rainforest burners for food. The humiliation.

Now you’re being dramatic.

He asked for a deal to do with a specific product that we are obviously struggling to source. Now the question is, what might that be. Avocados? 🤔

@RancidOldHag

Anyone else remember the rptanker drivers strike of 2000?

That was the last time we had fuel rationing.

I doubt it would be as bad if (huge 'if') it similar happened now. Covid experience might be useful - more people are set up to WFH - reducing need for fuel for their commuting. And less congestion on the roads means better fuel economy. More capacity for supermarket deliveries too - one van rather than several cars

Yep I agree with this. Pre Covid I used to fill my tank with £70 of diesel twice a month, now only once. And I think we've got used to meal planning and big shops in lockdown. So the 3 or 4 trips to the supermarket are now only 1 or 2

apparently 5 petrol stations shut yesterday in the whole of the UK it is not a shortage of fuel but of drivers it is a frenzy made worse by media hype
shortage of lorry drivers is due too retirement average age of drivers is 55 no new drivers as tests cancelled for months in pandemic drivers returning to EU some drivers complaining about IR35 & CPR testing
isolations due to covid are a small part lack of tests due to covid are a much bigger thing no tests means no more new qualiified drivers to replace retiring drivers, the job is lonely with poor conditions the camaraderie at truck stops stopped due to social distancing, when drivers arrive at destinations having to socail distance and also not being allowed to use toilets etc ( just awkwardness people need toilets especially after driving 6 or 7 hours) when you do a boring job the social side of job matters more so truck stops with decent facilities does mean a lot there are too many places that say no HGV for no good reason
using cheap labour from eastern Europe(EU) is not the answer, training people better doing something about test backlog and making working conditions better is the answer

@TeacupDrama easier to blame it all on brexit , cheaper drivers forced many out as well, why do people think its ok to get eu drivers in on poor pay and then claim to be pro eu ? Why because its ok to pay them less than uk citizens ?

@Peregrina its more than brexit though other have posted the numbers and people actually bought more at the beginning of covid , people were panic buying left and right then
Not having hgv tests for months is also an issue , conditions is a big one many hgv drivers have posted saying , maybe people need to read all rather than blame one thing all the time as thats convenient and if it was all brexit a quick fix would be to dd hgv on the fast track skilled list
Its more than just brexit and if people didn't panic buy that would help
A poster here said they filled up which will last them a couple months, inplying they usually just buy a little
If we all do that then it will be hard
I think i read bp are closing garages in turn so that each place goes without for a short period

This scenario was widely reported on the governments own Brexit risk assessment.

We were told this would happen.

But whatever, I'm sure the sunlit uplands are just over the horizon...

@ichundich it’s not blitz spirit. The papers have wanted us to be scared of Kim Jung Un, Brexit, Covid and now this. I have panic exhaustion, I am choosing to live in the moment and be happy. What, exactly does me worrying achieve? Nothing? OK then. Yes we can all adapt and plan but me feeling bad because of situations I did not cause and cannot control is pointless. YABU for assuming I should feel anxiety.

Yes I get you OP. Many people on here can easily absorb all the price hikes though so they’ll think you’re being ridiculous.

I deal with it by thinking whatever happens I'll just have to get on with it. I can't control what will happen with the economy or petrol or anything else. Keep calm and carry on is what I'll do.

God I hadn’t even factored in the massive backlog in testing!! So even new drivers can’t pass the test as there’s not enough driving instructors to get through the quantities of people waiting. What a perfect storm!!!