Who’s to blame for panic buying?

[HeechulOppa]

Just wondering that really. Media or the people (or the twats in power)? Personally I think it’s the media (and the government for engineering the situations sometimes). I honestly can’t find it in myself to blame people - let’s face it, no matter how much you may believe in not panic buying, no matter how much you might believe in not contributing to the problem, it’s very very hard to stand back while everyone else buys things that are running out so quickly. So what do you do? If you don’t buy the item you know in your heart it will run out and, as these items are generally high importance (fuel, loo roll) you will probably be stuffed. If you do buy then you’re contributing to the problem. And whilst it’s also largely made worse by people buying more than they need, that level of thinking is usually entirely justifiable when you consider the hassle you go through and, quite frankly, the fear that supplies will take a while to return to normal so ‘best get some more to tide you over’.

Obviously slightly different with people who buy enough to keep them stocked for months.

It’s a pickle. And I don’t drive so don’t have a vested interest in fuel shortages for myself, but completely understand why people might panic there.

it’s very very hard to stand back while everyone else buys things that are running out so quickly. So what do you do? If you don’t buy the item you know in your heart it will run out and, as these items are generally high importance (fuel, loo roll) you will probably be stuffed. If you do buy then you’re contributing to the problem.

Well it's not difficult. I didn't do that the first time round, and I'm not doing it now. I am watching my town go fucking berserk. I am running on close to empty but I refuse to participate in this fucking stupidity. So yes. I blame stupid people who can't employ a bit of common fucking sense and work out that if everyone decides to go out, fill up cars and Jerry cans 'just in case' then THEY are the problem.

Talk about self fulfilling prophecy.

@exiledfromcornwall

I just caught a snippet of a speech by Keir Starmer in which he stated there are fuel shortages. Jeez, I despair!

Well there are NOW!!

@TeenMinusTests

I think in cases like this they shouldn't let anyone who is more than say 1/4 full fill up. So not limit to £30 per customer, but but only let people who are running low fill up.

Totally unfair and unworkable. People fill up for a whole range of reasons from getting to work all week or having a long trip to go on. Limiting the amount allowed will only increase the problem as people cruise around trying to get enough fuel

The media is to blame along with companies who have got away with paying crap wages to people from Europe who were happy to accept dreadful working conditions. It is not so much a lack of British drivers it is those who don’t want to work for peanuts

Everyone is responsible for their own actions at an individual level.

70,000 people didn't take their hgv test last year due to covid.
That has to play a major part on things.

Plus the media want to sell adverts so snap headlines sell papers or clicks and hence raise revenue

"Nothing wrong today it's all rosey" would be the headline of a paper that sold zero copies

The media do have to report but they can report responsibly, so instead of headlines saying "Fuel crisis in the U.K!" they could have accurately represented the situation with "U.K. needs more HGV drivers!"

At the point of printing, one of those would have been true, it wasn't the fuel crisis one, but by using the fuel crisis headline they have created a fuel shortage

In fairness I didn’t see any specific petrol headlines until after the panic buying had already started. BP announced its issues with the supply and that got picked up and ran with by the general public. Now the headlines are reporting a self-generated crisis… I’m not sure it’s the media that need reigning in for reporting company statements and PM speeches and then later the publics reactions which is essentially what’s happening.

Panic buying has a snowball effect, when it starts looking like it’s causing an issue people who wouldn’t have entertained the idea of joining in are backed into a corner because of the earlier panic buying disrupting availability.

Fortunately there is a limit on how long this can go on for. People will fill their tanks and Jerry cans then sit on that for however long and everyone will be conscious of how much they’re using for a short period so it should calm down fairly quickly. Drafting in the army to assist with logistics will help calm others down.

There is certainly a deeper issue with logistics generally but this particular storm will pass fairly quickly. It’s a good distraction from gas prices and the consequences of that I suppose.

@SaddenedByItAll

70,000 people didn't take their hgv test last year due to covid. That has to play a major part on things.

Plus the media want to sell adverts so snap headlines sell papers or clicks and hence raise revenue

"Nothing wrong today it's all rosey" would be the headline of a paper that sold zero copies

That’s because before Brexit most people who took their hgv test in the UK weren’t British. And the distrubuters specifically preferred to hire eastern european and Irish contractors who would do the job as ‘self employed’ rather than create jobs for locals or upskill anyone. So when these contracters quite rightly take their skills with them it leaves the whole of the UK facing repurcussions.

I don’t suppose it matters whose fault it is, it’s how people react. I live somewhere with good transport links and amenities in walking distance. I also own a car, which I do use, and I’m lucky enough to be able to keep it topped up so I have plenty of fuel.

I realise a lot of people are not in that position. However, looking out my window onto a fairly busy road (not far from a petrol station), it’s almost gridlocked. And lots of angry beeping. Do all these people need fuel? Are they using more fuel trying to fill up in case they need it?

It’s quite sad how these things show us as being selfish on the whole (see toilet roll debacle, 2020).

I won’t be contributing to the madness (again, I realise I am fortunate and not condemning those in genuine need). I’ve had friends with planned longish social journeys this weekend and they would not consider changing their plans or using public transport. People just don’t think.

ozanj
Most drivers want to be self employed as it is a more tax efficient method for them
Are you suggesting that all UK drivers want to be on PAYE?
But yeah, cos of Brexit innit
You keep being you

Uneducated people!

@SaddenedByItAll

ozanj Most drivers want to be self employed as it is a more tax efficient method for them Are you suggesting that all UK drivers want to be on PAYE? But yeah, cos of Brexit innit You keep being you

The new IR35 rules are causing huge problems for these drivers. As is brexit. Those are the two biggest issues after drivers retiring, that is causing the shortfall.

Brexit and the government.

Johnson couldn’t run a bath, how in hell people were fooled by this clown is beyond my understanding.

The people that voted brexit, blame them!

@CandyLeBonBon

it’s very very hard to stand back while everyone else buys things that are running out so quickly. So what do you do? If you don’t buy the item you know in your heart it will run out and, as these items are generally high importance (fuel, loo roll) you will probably be stuffed. If you do buy then you’re contributing to the problem.

Well it's not difficult. I didn't do that the first time round, and I'm not doing it now. I am watching my town go fucking berserk. I am running on close to empty but I refuse to participate in this fucking stupidity. So yes. I blame stupid people who can't employ a bit of common fucking sense and work out that if everyone decides to go out, fill up cars and Jerry cans 'just in case' then THEY are the problem.

Talk about self fulfilling prophecy.

You might feel a bit fucking different if you couldn't get to work, or to your elderly parents, or to your hospital treatment?

All this, I'll do without petrol , do you have any understanding that it's almost impossible for others to do without?

I can't get to work.

I have also rearranged medical appointments next week just in case. But before you start sweating at me, tell me that every single person panic buying absolutely needed to do it for work, hospital appointments or to care for elderly parent. Because I'd bet my house that's not the case, so save your anger for the selfish fuckers filling up extra Jerry cans and topping up on nearly full tanks when they don't need to, 'just in case. I am not the problem here.

DP also can’t get to work.

I've enough to get to work and back for next 3 days, that's including today

BUT

My food order is due on Sunday, if that's cancelled I will need to use the remaining fuel to do a food shop so won't have fuel for Monday

I'm not sure how supermarket deliveries will cope

@CandyLeBonBon

I have also rearranged medical appointments next week just in case. But before you start sweating at me, tell me that every single person panic buying absolutely needed to do it for work, hospital appointments or to care for elderly parent. Because I'd bet my house that's not the case, so save your anger for the selfish fuckers filling up extra Jerry cans and topping up on nearly full tanks when they don't need to, 'just in case. I am not the problem here.

You started the swearing, if you don't like it, don't fucking start it!

Sone appointments can't be rearranged! Some people can't get to work without a car.

Feel lucky that you're not one of those people.

By

@Offmyfence I was swearing at the general stupid selfishness I have seen first hand in my home town. That was not directed personally at you. HTH

Anyway, you can be as angry as you like that I think it's stupid and selfish to panic buy. You will justify your choices. There is not a snowflake's chance in hell that every person queuing and subsequently shutting down petrol stations is doing it for the reasons you've cited.

So I still think the vast majority are selfish and stupid, because those who didn't actually need to 'stock up' and recognise that there is enough for everyone, are the ones causing the problem.

Hi I am in Kings Langley, Herts. Texaco has just had a diesel delivery, so hopefully other garages will slowly be replenished with petrol + diesel.
It is cars in queues for the garage, which are blocking main roads - ridiculous.

Some very good responses here, thank you.

For those who feel it’s genuinely the fault of the panic buyers (and I am not saying there should be no personal responsibility and I absolutely believe there will be some who are taking more than they need) can you not believe that the majority of people are buying out of genuine need or need in the near future. I don’t drive, as I said, and I take two buses to work. It takes me 2 hours each way (a whole other story!) In my area we currently have a severe bus driver shortage - a lot of drivers recently quit. Buses are running on a quarter of their time table. I am also rural. So people can’t rely on buses to provide alternative transport. So you hear of these panic buys etc and you can decide to either stay out of it and know there’s a good chance you’re going to end up in trouble, or you buy and become part of the problem. And in saying that I am absolutely not blaming people for this - if I drove I would absolutely buy fuel if I needed it, or make sure I had enough to last me. And the fact is I know I would be part of the problem. But what else can you do? Put yourself in possible trouble by relying on others calming down and becoming level headed, and things returning to normal? But let’s face it, no one will believe the public will collectively decide to calm down (I appreciate that this also includes myself/ you etc and therefore we become part of it - but most other people will also be facing the same quandary so the faceless panic-buying public suddenly become more understandable.)

We need the government to step in. Put up limits. Something

Sadly, I do very well three people who absolutely did not need to fill up. WFH, living in urban area, no kids or school walking distance. No need to care for anyone. As a matter of fact, probably it fill up 4 or 5 times a year at most.

Why do they do it? Because of an inherent fear of missing out and a sense of entitlement that they are more important than others. Selfish people indeed.

@SaddenedByItAll

ozanj Most drivers want to be self employed as it is a more tax efficient method for them Are you suggesting that all UK drivers want to be on PAYE? But yeah, cos of Brexit innit You keep being you

No most drivers prefer being paid a salary actually. The self employed rules came specifically from companies that tried to cheat the rules re employee rights & hours.