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Original poster

To say that the Gov needs to take control of fuel buying

56 replies

Sarah2384 · 27/09/2021 07:52

It's not just the fuel or lack of it, it's the enormous queues in the vicinity of every petrol station.
I usually drive to work but have no fuel left in my car - so I'm currently on a bus in the London suburbs and already 45 minutes into what should be a 40 min journey - and I'm not even halfway there yet!!!
Should today not be petrol for keyworkers and blue badge holders only? Perhaps then they could create some order for fuel buying, even if it was just alphabetical by number plate.
At least then the roads would be clear for emergency services, public transport and those who are lucky enough to have fuel.
They have to get a grip on this on the ground because the country is grinding to a halt. We stayed at home for Covid, can we not stay at home for a couple of days now?

OP posts:
RobinPenguins · 27/09/2021 09:01

blue badgeholders because I was thinking that these were people who had been assessed as not being able to walk or use public transport

Blue badgeholders get free travel on public transport through the ENCTS (in England at least)

JaceLancs · 27/09/2021 09:03

So when I set off to get fuel and run out as driving on fumes and have to try a few petrol stations - I can’t walk to one and fill up a can - very sensible
How about people filling a can because it’s for someone else who daren’t risk leaving home to try and get fuel
All my family are key workers and none of us can car share as on different shifts, days or destinations
Live in a small village with infrequent bus service to get to some of my clients would involve bus to get to railway station - train then a further 2 buses plus a long walk!

Billandben444 · 27/09/2021 09:14

I've had enough of the government telling me what I can and can't do, thank you, and don't want to live in a police state. How about people start acting like adults and taking responsibility for their behaviour? How about petrol stations taking responsibility for the traffic jams and making decisions themselves about jerry cans or £30 limits? How about people not panic buying so there's plenty for everyone?

gardeninggirl68 · 27/09/2021 09:24

We sold out of Jerry cans on Saturday morning..... there's a shortage of them now!

WindBlowAutumnDays · 27/09/2021 09:27

gardeninggirl68

We sold out of Jerry cans on Saturday morning..... there's a shortage of them now!

I have one I never used, Incase I broke down. I wouldn't use one now, someone would put your picture on SM an it wouldn't occur to vocal people the Jerry can was not for stockpiling.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 27/09/2021 09:32

There have been loads of people filling jerry cans. There was a previous shortage, when people at the petrol station checked your fuel gauge and anyone with half a tank or more was sent on their way. I expect these days, there’d be a fist fight over that though.

80Dodgeballs · 27/09/2021 09:32

Why don't all of the petrol stations agree to only allow people to fill up to £40 or some other reasonable figure so that everyone has a bit in their tank. Ration it.

MapleMay11 · 27/09/2021 09:35

@80Dodgeballs

Why don't all of the petrol stations agree to only allow people to fill up to £40 or some other reasonable figure so that everyone has a bit in their tank. Ration it.
They've been doing this all weekend in many areas - £30 limit.
Horst · 27/09/2021 09:44

That wouldn’t work anyway.

Just because it’s your day to fill up doesn’t mean you have the money to fill up. Not everyone can find another way to work. My dh for example has to drive down a main A road one that actually has many accidents or the unlit back roads in the county side that have no paths. There are no busses at all, certainly couldn’t walk it without it being incredibly dangerous and taking well over an hour each way.

Car sharing doesn’t work again if people can’t get petrol, and thats providing you live near each other as to not use up even more petrol going out of your way to pick someone up.

So dh wouldn’t go to work as no petrol and hospitals and shops and Amazon etc wouldn’t get the items they store and ship to them.

TheFairyCaravan · 27/09/2021 09:47

I’ve got a blue badge and 3/4 of a tank of diesel. I’ve no need to go out this week other than a mile away to the hairdressers and 3 miles to get some stuff for the pets. However, by your logic I could take my badge and sit in all my family’s and neighbour’s cars while they fill them up to their hearts content.

We wouldn’t be in this situation if people didn’t have such a me, me, me attitude. We saw it with toilet roll and pasta, now it’s fuel. People are just awful imo.

Tippytappytoes · 27/09/2021 10:02

There is not a fuel shortage. BP had a shortage of drivers to deliver to some of their petrol stations so some ran out and were closed. The press blew it out of proportion and people (as we saw with toilet roll and pasta) completely overreacted and started hoarding, hence we find ourselves in the situation we are in now.

We have HGV drivers within the British Army and I believe it is now being considered whether to deploy them to help. The general public need to take some responsibility for this and I hope all hoarded petrol is being stored safely.

CaptaNoctem · 27/09/2021 10:04

The blame for this fiasco lives firmly on the shoulders of the media.

It's an entirely artificial shortage driven by the idiots who panic buy.

SweetBabyCheeses99 · 27/09/2021 10:47

There’s already a law on Jerry cans though? You can only store 30L. The queues will die down soon enough as there’s only so much petrol people can have!

It’s also a complete myth that emergency service vehicles fill up at commercial stations - yes they can do if they have no other choice but they really aren’t supposed to. They have depots and bunkers with their own filling stations. London Ambulance Service alone have 20 of them! You will find mention of it if you google them but you won’t find the locations for obvious reasons.

LindaEllen · 27/09/2021 11:10

It's crazy at the moment, but I don't know what the solution is. Luckily I was running on fumes last weekend so I filled up then, but DP's light came on on Friday so we had to try and find some fuel for him on Sunday or he wouldn't be able to go to work. A lot of places have run out of diesel (luckily he's petrol) and there were a) ridiculous queues and b) ridiculous prices. We eventually found a Morrisons with only 4 people in front of us and filled up. We're sticking to essential driving only until this mess calms down.

thenightsky · 27/09/2021 11:33

The blame for this fiasco lives firmly on the shoulders of the media.

Absolutely this. They're a fucking disgrace. The Guardian are still at it today too.

Normandy144 · 27/09/2021 11:39

If everyone just bought petrol as per their normal pattern then this would not be a problem. Instead you hear from people in media interviews who thought they'd better top up because they only had half a tank left which is ridiculous. I have just under a quarter of a tank left and haven't been to a petrol station in two weeks. Will I go and top up this week just because? No of course not. That will last me for any journey I need to do this week (which isn't many) and I will fill up on Saturday morning before I make my long journey by which time my petrol light will be on.

rookiemere · 27/09/2021 11:50

But everyone's circumstances are different @Normandy144 .

I filled up on Friday as I had a quarter tank of petrol. I wfh and don't generally do long journeys unexpectedly, but I have very elderly DPs who live an hour away and sometimes have to visit them at short notice for various reasons. I was also planning to visit them next weekend and didn't have enough petrol for that.

I don't know why I'm justifying myself as tbh I don't really care any more who calls me selfish. There was ample notice for petrol stations to restrict amount bought/ban jerry cans, they didn't until it was too late.

Popkids · 27/09/2021 11:57

@SquirmOfEels

Well, if the government was competent, with a track record of sensible measures in lightning time, and if this was a situation that was expected to last more than a few days, then maybe.

Traffic is somewhat lighter in this part of London (we'll see how it goes through peak school running time though) and the bus journey is taking a normal length of time.

Is it a 40 min bus journey that's being held up, or simply a bus route that takes a different route to the one you drive and therefore takes bit longer?

The buses in my area of South London are completely stuffed. We had to abandon a journey this weekend when the bus company started cutting short journeys due to tailbacks caused by petrol station queues. The scenes on the road today are still terrible and lots of buses were snarled up in tailbacks in rush hour. If we now can't drive or use public transport lots of people are going to be stuck workwise this week.
SquirmOfEels · 27/09/2021 14:08

Oh joy! I'll look forward to the journeys the rest of the week, as it looks as if I might have got off lightly today. The traffic I've seen so far is normal or slightly lighter than normal, but realise that might not be representative.

I've just heard there were big queues (impeding traffic flow) at the second closest petrol station to home. Others AFAIK still closed. So I think there could be a few more days of disruption

GreatPotato · 27/09/2021 14:12

I'm hanging on the the fact that surely all the tanks must be full and by the end of the week petrol stations will be deserted.

HotPenguin · 27/09/2021 14:13

I think the police need to get a grip on queues for petrol stations that are blocking traffic flow, and I can't believe there aren't already contingency plans to put in place 30 pound limits etc.

AGreenerShadeofKale · 27/09/2021 14:16

I don't know what the media were playing at.

GreatPotato · 27/09/2021 14:20

@HotPenguin

I think the police need to get a grip on queues for petrol stations that are blocking traffic flow, and I can't believe there aren't already contingency plans to put in place 30 pound limits etc.
Our local police have put out a message ridiculing people for calling them about traffic congestion, but I agree they should be dealing with it when it's blocking main roads.
AGreenerShadeofKale · 27/09/2021 14:21

Now we have cool police. 🤷

HairyToity · 27/09/2021 14:28

I live in a rural village in North Wales. The garage in our village still has fuel. They seem to have a steady stream of cars, rather than queues. It's more expensive than the supermarkets, but I just thought when I get down to a quarter full, I will go to the village one. Surely a few more days, and this madness will be over. We've decided not to have any long journeys for days out at moment, and just stick to work, shops and school.