To disagree with NHS only petrol stations?

[pistachio20]

Some petrol stations around me have now said that they are only allowing in NHS staff to refuel - apparently checking ID.

I find this completely ridiculous and unfair - not only because the majority of NHS staff where I live can easily get public transport to work (most who I know don’t drive to work anyway, and get train/bus anyway due to lack of free parking!).

So many crucial jobs require people to drive, let alone people with caring responsibilities, mobility issues, etc.

AIBU to think that it’s unfair?

[quote user1497207191]@MatildaIThink But how many people should suffer serious consequences to save a life? Is it fair to expect some people to lose their homes, their livelihoods and businesses to save the lives of other random people? If so, how is it fair that "some" people are protected by their jobs or benefit system so that they don't lose their homes, their livelihoods or their businesses, whilst others are thrown to the wolves and risk losing everything they have? Surely, there needs to be fairness and parity as to who loses and who doesn't when it comes to saving lives of random strangers?[/quote]
Life is not fair, if people are still expecting that as adults then they have already seriously misjudged existence.

The reality is very few people would lose their homes, jobs or businesses. I would much rather we had a better welfare state, similar to Norway (or at least Germany), but we do not, because the majority of the British public are not prepared to pay the levels of taxes needed to fund it.

Society would very soon start to break down if the police stopped policing, the fire brigade stopped attending accidents and fires and the ambulance service stopped responding to medical emergencies, or people were left to die in hospital. The toilet roll, dried pasta, canned goods shortages of last year, the failure of a significant minority to abide by the lockdowns, the current selfishness of the panic buyers etc. already show that many of the public are not willing to play their part, we have to make sure that does not reach critical mass because if it does life will become significantly harder for everyone and it will be a much more sustained, deeper hardship.

That is not to say I do not feel people's frustration because of all of this, I spoke to my brother earlier, he had to get up at five this morning and take a combination of multiple trains and busses to get to a work meeting where he had to attend in person, normally he would have driven, but he does not have enough petrol and can't get any. My best friends husband is a carpenter and he has had to delay a job because he can't get diesel for his work van, his customer understands, it is a pain in the behind as he will likely have to work the weekend to catch up, when he has fuel again, but they accept it and I very much doubt my brother or my friends husband would think that someone should be left to die so they can get to work today.

@Wazzzzzzzup

I don't think many are "fetishising" the NHS, but taking the pragmatic view that it is better that people who have "normal" jobs stay at home, which may or may not mean some kind of hardship, than doctors, nurses, pharmacists etc. stay at home and people die.

There are millions of people who cannot stay at home. And I don't mean just that they would lose wages.

So what do you mean then?

I don't agree with prioritising NHS workers. There are other essential workers - especially care workers, but also utility workers, funeral directors, HGV drivers for supermarkets - who need to be able to get to work in order for essential supplies and services keep running.

Re covid jabs, no they were proper appointments at all times of the day. She kept offering to do it for us, but we declined. She said she could just "tick the box" on the system to mark us down as vulnerable and then the system would send a link for us to make an appointment.

That is fraud. Just because you have a dodgy friend who works for the NHS it doesn't mean everyone else is like that.

I work for the NHS in a clinical front line capacity but I would not want this. There are many many other people who need to go out to work, why single the police, teachers, retail workers, transport, and hey just people who need to go to work! Why single out the NHS?

The vehicles that should be able to be a priority to fill up for fuel are emergency vehicles.

So what do you mean then?

You really can't imagine that some other jobs outside of NHS can't just be stopped?
Who would deliver goods to the hospitals? Train drivers, bus drivers, energy workers (can't heat or light without gas or electricity), workers around food (which would also include skme food for nhs staff and patients), firemen, police, community support officers, teachers.
And...
Petrol station workers🤷🏻

One thing that past 18 months have reinforced is that George Orwell was way ahead of his time. When I hear about the NHS getting special treatment for petrol, I just think of this quote "all animals are equal but some are more equal than others". What a sad, depressing, selfish world we live in, we are fighting over who gets priority of petrol, or priority in supermarkets. No one job is more important than another, we all have to eat whether you're a nurse or an accountant working from home, we all have bills to pay.

It's not the fault of NHS workers if the petrol companies offer it. It seems to lead to resentment when it's not actually the workers themselves that come up with all this.

My DP - frontline NHS worker - would love to run out of petrol and not have to go to work.
Catch up on all the furlough life they have been watching from a distance for 18 months.
But who will look after all the anti-vaxxers on the Covid ward?

YANBU not because NHS staff can use public transport as they may not be able to. Buses are often unreliable, don't run at times suitable for shift workers or the routes mean it takes 2+ buses to actually get where you are going.

However, it isn't just NHS staff who are essential. What about fire service personnel, police officers, HGV drivers - particularly those who deliver fuel and food, care home and community care staff etc.

There are many people who need to be doing their essential jobs and for a whole host of reasons can't use public transport. It shouldn't be prioritised for one group only.

I work in a nhs front line capacity and complete home visits in my own car. We are rural so can't do buses, and have had to cancel urgent work including multiple home injections for isolated people due to the size of our patch and petrol concerns. Us not visiting patients will lead to admissions. My car was down as essential on my job application form

My base isn't a hospital, and our local mh unit isn't well served by public transport at times we need staff

It's not to say we are the only people that need petrol (like carers etc) but its naive to think its just about getting to work. Lots of the home visits will be done in peoples own cars in the nhs

@clara443

I lost all respect for NHS workers when there was a queue of THREE people at Aldi and someone showed up, flashed their NHS badge and pushed in.

it was a five minuet queue...

This pandemic has taught me that everyone is essential and should be treated fairly!

Only FIVE dances? The bastard.

It seems a bit excessive to lose respect for all NHS workers because one person used their card once in ASDA.

@Isitreallyme177

One thing that past 18 months have reinforced is that George Orwell was way ahead of his time. When I hear about the NHS getting special treatment for petrol, I just think of this quote "all animals are equal but some are more equal than others". What a sad, depressing, selfish world we live in, we are fighting over who gets priority of petrol, or priority in supermarkets. No one job is more important than another, we all have to eat whether you're a nurse or an accountant working from home, we all have bills to pay.

With the minor exception that Orwell was referring to communist dictators and the bourgeoise been more equal than others as opposed to the workers! Strange comparison!

Also stop being so horrible about NHS staff. Many didn’t want the clapping anyway. Have some bloody respect! Those who ‘back office admin roles’ do vital work and services wouldn’t be able to function/ improve efficiency and get through waiting lists without them

Well said. I've often said I'd like all NHS managers and admin staff to stop work for a couple of weeks.....that's the only way anyone would really see what they did.

I would be really annoyed if I needed fuel and they wouldn't let me buy any, I don't work for the nhs but I'm a keyworker (had a letter to that effect during covid) and no public transport options

For some of us it’s needed others not

I’m in management forensic mh I need to be at work as many of my colleagues do but some don’t

But there are others who needs to be present at work and they should have priority too

Some community staff it’s absolutely essential they are at work

I know a woman who does admin for the NHS...at a party, everyone clapped when she arrived...

And I'm absolutely sick of places offering discounts for NHS staff. Plenty earn decent money...they're not all poverty stricken angels ffs.

Sorry meant it’s essential community staff are able to work ….

@SecretSpAD absolutely yes. Without my admin team, my service would collapse, and noone would be treated. Absolutely indispensible.

@Comedycook

And I'm absolutely sick of places offering discounts for NHS staff. Plenty earn decent money...they're not all poverty stricken angels ffs.

I agree. I was on secondment to the NHS last year at the start of Covid. I had an excruciating moment in M&S food shop where I rushed in after work to pick up some stuff for tea, forgetting I had my NHS. Work badge on. The manager came over and insisted on giving me a 50% discount. I kept trying to explain I wasn't frontline, wasn't an essential worker, and really didn't deserve special treatment. In the end, it was easier to accept than not, but I then didn't go in there again in case she did it again.

@Comedycook

And I'm absolutely sick of places offering discounts for NHS staff. Plenty earn decent money...they're not all poverty stricken angels ffs.

The businesses do not do this because they think NHS workers are poverty stricken angels, but because they want the extra business. Going on the Blue Light card increases their business, the same with the NUS discount card for students (it has a new name now), family discount, kids eat free, kids half price etc. Very few of these things are out of the goodness of their hearts for the large companies, it is a combination of increased business from the target audience and free advertising/good publicity from the offering.

@Comedycook

And I'm absolutely sick of places offering discounts for NHS staff. Plenty earn decent money...they're not all poverty stricken angels ffs.

No, but the NHS is the largest employer in the world, places are keen to attract them to spend money with them. The same reason emergency services, teachers, students and other professions are given discounts; a lot of private companies also have discount schemes for different places. Why do you particularly dislike NHS staff getting them? And where have they demanded them whilst claiming to be poverty stricken?

No, but the NHS is the largest employer in the world,
No it isn't. In top 10, still respectable, but not THE biggest