Page 9 | AIBU to think there's more to the petrol "crisis" than meets the eye?

Mckmck123 · 27/09/2021 19:05

Scared to get petrol now in case I’m thought selfish

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/09/2021 19:22

@wellstopdoingitthen

Surely if it was purely panic buying it would be ok by now. After all you can't store that much petrol. If people had filled their cars that didn't need to, they'd still have a full tank. So the situation should right itself.

My son went to 6 petrol stations last night -no fuel. He took the train to work today. The 2 nearest us are still out of fuel.

The problem is people are still queuing for petrol and filling Jerry cans, presumably to store. If the idiots that have been panic buying don't rejoin the queue as soon as there's space in the tank then it should get back to normal.

I remember during the fuel protests in 2000 the petrol stations near me put minimum charge on transactions so even if you only squeezed in a few drops you still paid the minimum. I was alright all the way through that as I had an old car that ran on four star!

genius1308 · 27/09/2021 19:40

@threatmatrix

It’s a ploy to get around bringing in more immigrants

I've got to agree. My husband works in an oil refinery. He said there's no fuel shortage and the drivers are pretty much working as they have been for months. There saying there's 100,000 lorry driver shortages, but only 15,000 has 'returned' to the EU since Brexit so where are the other 85,000??? Well, there's 45,000 in this country, waiting to work but the DVLA cancelled all testing last year so all of these people are willing to work but can't until the DVLA get they're act together (apparently that won't be till after christmas). The government also aren't saying that they've changed the tax system, which means many of these drivers are now inside IR35, they have to pay more tax but are still expected to pay for their own training, licenses, insurances, parking, food etc... At £10.80 an hour many of them are so don't it more beneficial to work in warehouses for the same money, less agro and they can go home to their families every night. But we'll blame it on Brexit because then we've got the perfect reason to get cheap labour back into the country!

funnelfanjo · 27/09/2021 19:43

For the past couple of decades our economy has moved to being "just in time" for virtually everything, relying on an extremely complex global system of logistics to get items to/from factories to where they need to be. It's unusual for any business to run with a sizeable warehouse/stock of items as the economy just isn't set up to have assets just sitting there.

It is great when it works, but the system is very vulnerable to disruptions, whether terrorism, weather, covid, Brexit, strikes - you name it. You also get unintended consequences in odd places - eg fertiliser production slowdown = less CO2 availability = food shortages.

This is how life will be from now on in the UK. As a PP said, our current government is appallingly reactive and doesn't know the first thing about scenario planning. Market forces can't predict and mitigate for shortages of key workers (HGV drivers, doctors, nurses, food workers) particularly where there is an element of training and licensing to do the job. This is one of the basic fundamentals of the role of government and there are sections of the civil service whose job it is to plan for all sorts of situations like this. I wonder at their morale because no-one in the Cabinet appears to be paying any attention to them whatsoever.

wellstopdoingitthen · 27/09/2021 19:44

@PinkSparklyPussyCat
If people are filling jerrycans just to hoard that is ridiculously selfish. However how do you know that's what they are doing? If we do find a garage open near us we would have to put petrol in a jerrycan for our son as he is on fumes now (since trying to hunt it down last night).

Thecurliestwurly · 27/09/2021 19:46

AIBU to think there's more to the petrol "crisis" than meets the eye?

Yes there is, this country is broke.

Titsywoo · 27/09/2021 19:46

Good way to encourage more people to go for electric cars?

notimagain · 27/09/2021 19:49

For the past couple of decades our economy has moved to being "just in time" for virtually everything, relying on an extremely complex global system of logistics to get items to/from factories to where they need to be. It's unusual for any business to run with a sizeable warehouse/stock of items as the economy just isn't set up to have assets just sitting there.

Agreed I think one thing the last year/18 months has highlighted is many peoples (and I include most senior politicians in that “many”) lack of any understanding of how the logistics/supply chain works

I still sometimes get the impression that many people think goods and drugs arrive on the supermarket or pharmacy shelves by magic carpet.

WearsideBridge · 27/09/2021 20:07

This makes me smile on here...The bit that doesn't make sense to me is why, if one main cause is shortage of drivers, they did not bring in the military

You do realise that Tory government cuts slashed defence budgets too...military...what military.

midlifeangst · 27/09/2021 20:30

This was total hype by our media and we have fallen for it. Don’t think there is a lower number of drives, lorries or petrol

vinoinveritas · 27/09/2021 20:46

It is a bit wierd that the fuel crisis has just happened ... Brexit started a while back, Covid was worse a few months back. So why it’s happened just now I’m not sure?

Lemons1571 · 27/09/2021 21:03

DH works in a secondary school (south England). It’s so bad locally that the Head is talking about closing year groups and moving to homeschooling, as there is no fuel within 30 miles, Staff can’t get in. We don’t have enough fuel left to drive around trying to find a petrol station that’s just had a delivery. So teacher DH won’t be able to go to work. We are in this mess because the government said don’t panic buy, so we didn’t, and now we are on empty, and stuck.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/09/2021 21:14

[quote wellstopdoingitthen]@PinkSparklyPussyCat
If people are filling jerrycans just to hoard that is ridiculously selfish. However how do you know that's what they are doing? If we do find a garage open near us we would have to put petrol in a jerrycan for our son as he is on fumes now (since trying to hunt it down last night). [/quote]
I'm sure not everyone is stockpiling but after seeing pictures of some people filling up multiple Jerry cans and even one stupid cow filling plastic bottles I'm sure plenty are. There's a difference between one can for someone running on fumes and filling the boot with them.

LassFromHaweswater · 27/09/2021 21:17

@tartantroosers

AIBU to think there's something very weird going on with the fuel "shortages"! Big caveat- I'm not a conspiracy theorist but it's so bad where we are (Just inside M25) that many people I know won't be able to get to work this week. Garages have queues which are blocking all main routes and they're not even open! Is this a novel way of ensuring that we all "STAY AT HOME" ?!

Nah

They're no longer pushing stay at home. Not since July 19th and most of us are vaccinated now.

LovelyIssues · 27/09/2021 21:22

You're a year behind with the "stay at home"

Plunger · 27/09/2021 22:29

Obvious a conspiracy going on. They've let the lunatics out of the asylum! There were a few petrol stations running out of some feuls but then the lunatics decide to store the petrol in their fuel tanks irrespective whether they needed to go somewhere or not. A week ago there was no shortage at all but the the media get involved and hype a non event causing people to panic buy.

Isaidnomorecrisps · 27/09/2021 22:30

There are 100,000 fewer drivers and the DVLA wasn’t beefed up to deal with applicants.
That’s why petrol can’t get to the right places.
Driver companies are going under due to lack of employees.
A conspiracy would be fun but it’s just simple lack of planning by anyone whatsoever in Govt

MibsXX · 28/09/2021 07:30

Call me a conspiracy theorist if you will, but..... the gov has lost a lot through taxes this past year, so have their buddies who control and own the oil supplies. Add to this their insane drive to get rid of fossil fuel vehicles and heating systems, ( even they admit they don't know how to supply the electricity required for the replacements) this seems like a well designed short-term money grabbing exercise to me, with the further aim of scaring people from relying on fossil fuels going foward...

NorthbyNorthwest22 · 28/09/2021 10:28

I have been watching similar threads for a while now, not commenting because i know the reaction i will get.
I will tell you what i see and you have the choice to take it on board or not.
My partner and I (me former) are civil servants. My partner worked for many years in the prime ministers office, mostly under a labour government.
First point is, and this goes for all similar threads... All governments are the same. Labour would not have handled any of the current issues we have any differently. They all answer to the same higher authority. Im not a conspiracy theorist, Iv seen how things work up close and personal.
Second... There is no petrol crisis, shortage etc. The dont panic message was put out deliberately to make you panic. They want to use up all the petrol that has amassed from lockdowns as petrol has a shelf life like most other things.
Third... There will be shortages of other things. Food mostly. And soon! While i dont advocate panic buying you should always have enough put by to get you through a difficult few weeks. The lockdowns served as a test run. Learn from it. Buy seeds. You will need them.
Fourth... The economy has already collapsed. We are currently printing money at a ridiculous rate to keep things going a little longer while they prime you for whats coming. The same is happening all over the world. Listen to the repeated phrases all world governments are using.

The take away is this. I dont care if you believe me or not. The government cares even less. Iv seen whats coming for years and there is nothing i or anyone else can do about it other than to be in the best position possible when it does.

blueboocat · 28/09/2021 11:10

@NorthbyNorthwest22

I have been watching similar threads for a while now, not commenting because i know the reaction i will get. I will tell you what i see and you have the choice to take it on board or not. My partner and I (me former) are civil servants. My partner worked for many years in the prime ministers office, mostly under a labour government. First point is, and this goes for all similar threads... All governments are the same. Labour would not have handled any of the current issues we have any differently. They all answer to the same higher authority. Im not a conspiracy theorist, Iv seen how things work up close and personal. Second... There is no petrol crisis, shortage etc. The dont panic message was put out deliberately to make you panic. They want to use up all the petrol that has amassed from lockdowns as petrol has a shelf life like most other things. Third... There will be shortages of other things. Food mostly. And soon! While i dont advocate panic buying you should always have enough put by to get you through a difficult few weeks. The lockdowns served as a test run. Learn from it. Buy seeds. You will need them. Fourth... The economy has already collapsed. We are currently printing money at a ridiculous rate to keep things going a little longer while they prime you for whats coming. The same is happening all over the world. Listen to the repeated phrases all world governments are using.

The take away is this. I dont care if you believe me or not. The government cares even less. Iv seen whats coming for years and there is nothing i or anyone else can do about it other than to be in the best position possible when it does.

Wow, this has really got me thinking! Could you clarify who is the “higher authority”?

notimagain · 28/09/2021 11:25

”They want to use up all the petrol that has amassed from lockdowns as petrol has a shelf life like most other things”.

When did the last UK lockdown finish?

How much refined petrol is actually kept in store in the UK and what is the shelf life of refined fuel properly stored in industrial conditions?

Blossomtoes · 28/09/2021 11:40

Could you clarify who is the “higher authority”?

God?

rocklamp · 28/09/2021 11:47

Could you clarify who is the “higher authority

The Reptilians? George Soros? The Bilderberg Group? The Clintons?

blueboocat · 28/09/2021 12:05

Well as exciting as that all sounds, it would be parliament. I was just interested to hear what NorthbyNorthwest had to say.

the80sweregreat · 28/09/2021 12:09

North by northwest22:
I read your post with a growing sense of doom.
You wrote ' .. while they prime us for what is coming ' but you didn't state what ? What is next ?
Can you tell us any more ?
It sounded bad and I have heard other people saying the same things too, but I did write them off as just conspiracy theories?
Your post is very worrying