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?

@Ddot

It will calm down, once you have a full tank you have a full tank.

It will head of some petrol organisation this morning

A few things stood out

• tanker drivers aren’t as in much of shortage as HGV
• demand went up 500% over weekend
• there may even be a dip next

But some tankers can’t access to deliver due to demand

It was an example of behaviour change which is understandable imo but this should mean once filled up and can move past it quite quickly

@cricketmum84

Come back and update us when your next doctors appointment or hospital visit is cancelled because NHS staff couldn't get to work.

YABVVU

It is you being unreasonable.

And everyone should have a carbon monoxide monitor.

We did have a monitor, but it's set to go off when the carbon monoxide is above a certain level - our carbon monoxide was below that level, but even at the low level caused both of us poisoning. We both felt ill for months! Apparently, people should have a digital monitor, which shows what the level actually is!

@toooothacheee totally agree.

There is a petrol station on the news this morning that is opening for an extra 90 minutes on a night for frontline workers only. Not just NHS.

The nhs is not the only essential service that needs fuel to function.

This.
Most NHS staff work in one location only. Obviously District Nurses, Community physios etc don't, but the majority do. On the other hand, domiciliary care workers all travel considerable distances to visit people who need support with basic care in order to live.

I once shadowed a care worker for a morning. Between 7am and 2pm we visited 12 people and covered almost 100 miles. That was extreme as she was also covering for another worker who was off sick but having to drive 40 - 50 miles a day isn't unusual for a care worker in a rural area. Without those visits, people will go without medication and food, will not be assisted to the toilet and so on.

I would prioritise care workers and community NHS staff over NHS staff who work exclusively in a hospital or clinic. I would also prioritise people working in power stations, HGV drivers transporting food, train and bus drivers etc. The list goes on.

As there is no way of doing that, there shouldn't be any prioritisation.

@EmmaGrundyForPM

The nhs is not the only essential service that needs fuel to function.

This.
Most NHS staff work in one location only. Obviously District Nurses, Community physios etc don't, but the majority do. On the other hand, domiciliary care workers all travel considerable distances to visit people who need support with basic care in order to live.

I once shadowed a care worker for a morning. Between 7am and 2pm we visited 12 people and covered almost 100 miles. That was extreme as she was also covering for another worker who was off sick but having to drive 40 - 50 miles a day isn't unusual for a care worker in a rural area. Without those visits, people will go without medication and food, will not be assisted to the toilet and so on.

I would prioritise care workers and community NHS staff over NHS staff who work exclusively in a hospital or clinic. I would also prioritise people working in power stations, HGV drivers transporting food, train and bus drivers etc. The list goes on.

As there is no way of doing that, there shouldn't be any prioritisation.

It needs some sort of system the same as the pandemic where certain occupations were deigned Essential workers. Carers , NHS, fire, police, teachers etc.

Although that does become open to abuse unfortunately. My DH is an office worker with a job he could easily do from home yet his employer wanted everyone in the office so gave them all letters saying they were classed as essential workers!

@cricketmum84

Come back and update us when your next doctors appointment or hospital visit is cancelled because NHS staff couldn't get to work.

YABVVU

Agree bu, perhaps the poster will come back and update us when they can’t work anyway as there kids are off school and the house is freezing cold as no one can get there to fix the boiler

A more appropriate system would be to have a cap on how much petrol anyone can buy in one transaction.

Say £15/20, unless you have proof you are an essential worker that needs fuel for work.

@toooothacheee

A more appropriate system would be to have a cap on how much petrol anyone can buy in one transaction.

Say £15/20, unless you have proof you are an essential worker that needs fuel for work.

But then surely that means that if you were, for example, a home carer driving between peoples homes you are going to have to go and sit in that queue for your allotted £15 of fuel every single day.

Similar issues with a minimum amount you can buy. Not everyone can afford to fill their tank every time. But it would stop those pesky panic buyers who are topping up every day refusing to let their tanks drop below the full line!

@cricketmum84 that's why I said unless you can prove you are an essential worker that needs fuel for work.

So show your ID and fill up as much as you need in that position.

@toooothacheee ah I had missed that but. It's obviously too early for me

Still though I do think a maximum cap will mean more petrol station visits even for non essential workers. So the queues won't go down.

People just need to buy fuel as they normally would before all this craziness started. That's the only way it will stop.

[quote cricketmum84]@toooothacheee ah I had missed that but. It's obviously too early for me

Still though I do think a maximum cap will mean more petrol station visits even for non essential workers. So the queues won't go down.

People just need to buy fuel as they normally would before all this craziness started. That's the only way it will stop. [/quote]
In the short term though it would stop fuel running out at stations quite as quickly because not everyone would be permitted to fill their tanks to bursting. Then hopefully people would calm the fuck down when they realise if everyone just fills up as they normally would it should settle down.

There is no perfect solution but something needs to be done to slow down the panic buying. Similar to when certain items in a supermarket were limited to say 2 per transaction to stop people buying crates of beans

[quote toooothacheee]@cricketmum84 that's why I said unless you can prove you are an essential worker that needs fuel for work.

So show your ID and fill up as much as you need in that position.
[/quote]
But how would one prove they are unpaid carer we have no ID for that ?

@AliceAbsolum

Jesus everyone is so obsessed with the nhs. I work for it and don't want special bloody treatment. Emergency service vehicles yes that's just sensible. An OT on his way to work as usual. No.

And admin staff who work from home Just no way!!!!

@cricketmum84

Come back and update us when your next doctors appointment or hospital visit is cancelled because NHS staff couldn't get to work.

YABVVU

Come back and update us when you've got no electricity because the power generation staff can't get to work. Oh, wait...

I do agree essential staff should be able to access fuel as a priority. (Including carers etc)

What’s frustrating me is for example my sister who works in NHS admin, can WFH and did during covid. Isn’t a nurse on a night shift trying to get fuel - she isn’t an essential worker. But because she has a NHS card got priority for supermarkets discounts etc I didn’t feel that was right we both do similar jobs paid similar just in different sectors.

I can WFH, kids walk to school , supermarket nearby so have refused to buy into the panic buying have a little over half a tank left what will be when I run low will be!

People should be made to post pictures of the giant queues and closed petrol station whenever they claim they are near them.
Not just here, everywhere, like fb, twitter....

I thought it was bad last weekend when I went out at the crack of dawn to the 3 local stations using precious fuel to do so and failed. The queues were impossible. Today there are no queues because there is no fuel anywhere.

@Xenia and the government says its improving?!

It will improve

HCV is separate to tanker if they can access it will be delivered

500% increase on weekend will strain the system

Then maybe a dip in demand even

HGV rather

Reactions to "there is no petrol anywhere" shoulda absolutely be "pics with today's newspapers or it didn't happen"

@cricketmum84

Come back and update us when your next doctors appointment or hospital visit is cancelled because NHS staff couldn't get to work.

YABVVU

But if people can't get to their appointments as they can't get fuel then there's no point. You are the unreasonable one.

I can drive and have a car ,but rarely drive to work during to parking issues and I hate driving. Im an NHs worker. Key role. In a busy city hospital
I'm lucky, that living in a city, public transport is excellent.
Lots of staff do drive.
However, lots use the Buses too in all fairness. Not necessarily my colleagues though.

Out of the many people I work with, I'd say a maximum if 10 work in another county and would be unable to get to work by public transport. Or it would be very difficult.
Most staff drive as they prefer it!!!
Many are snobbish about public transport And lazy.

It takes me an hour to travel to work. Many of my colleagues live much closer
Even one of my work friends yesterday was musing how she would get to work if petrol ran out. She lives approx 5 miles from work.
There are at least 4 bus routes to the hospital!!!

It was the same with the NHS being prioritised with supermarkets. It was embarrassing.
My young fit colleagues pushing in the queue after a night shift so they didn't have to wait. Being an nhs worker doesnt make you more in need ffs.
I could quite easily wait my turn.i didn't need my shopping any more than a woman who doesn't work.

But how would one prove they are unpaid carer we have no ID for that ?

Would an unpaid carer need priority treatment for fuel the way an employed carer would?

An employed carer will travel from home to home throughout the day and require more fuel than an unpaid carer who generally only looks after one person/relative etc? Which is why I said someone who needs fuel to actually carry out their job would need priority over someone who say only travels to one place and back home again?