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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

OK, this isn't funny any more. Where's the army?

999 replies

Orangejuicemarathoner · 27/09/2021 18:53

One quarter of staff and students late to school this morning, and 10% didn't get there at all. It has been announced that, excepting physical disability, any student within 4 miles or adult within 6 miles will be expected to walk in, but Its expected to be worse tomorrow with a good chance we will be closed by Wednesday.

AA reporting over 100 "incidents" on the road within a 10 mile radius of the school - mostly roads blocked, and mostly by queues outside petrol stations.

I struggled to get home by bike, because of the chaos on the roads - I got off my bike and walked several miles of it.

I called in at a supermarket on the way home. The shelves were more than three quarters empty. No bread or milk. So I'm sitting here drinking black tea planning rice for dinner instead of cheese on toast.

I know its not a catastrophe that I spent an extra hour getting home, and dont have milk in my tea, but what is that saying about the state we are in?

AIBU to say the army should be called in. What have we got an army for? Surely, an organisation of thousands of fit, capable, organised individuals, with vehicles and capacity and skills in logistics is exactly what we need to be utilised in this situation right here right now.

PS, is it ok to feed dog food to cats? does anyone know?

OP posts:
Talktalkchat · 27/09/2021 18:58

Plenty of petrol in manchester

Lillylope · 27/09/2021 18:58

Where are you OP? Where I am in East of England there were queues at petrol stations but traffic was flowing and plenty of food and drink at my local Morrisons.....

Bluntness100 · 27/09/2021 18:59

We don’t need the army, we just need the absolute twats panicking to stop.

SW1amp · 27/09/2021 19:01

@Bluntness100

We don’t need the army, we just need the absolute twats panicking to stop.
This. A million times this.
Bagelsandbrie · 27/09/2021 19:03

I think it depends where you are how bad it seems. Like someone else upthread we are in the east of England and although there are queues it’s still possible get fuel. However, I spoke to my dad tonight who lives in Croydon and he said he had to drive to 9 different petrol stations before he found one with fuel!

Shellfishblastard · 27/09/2021 19:03

I am scared to tempt fate - we have plenty of food in our local shops. Local petrol stations have petrol (not as much as they should because of the panic buyers!)

Are there pockets of the U.K. that are worse off for drivers?

sittingonacornflake · 27/09/2021 19:03

Jesus. That actually sounds rather frightening.

All normal here. No queues. Although that's probably because the fuel stations have no diesel so.... Confused

lynntheyresexpeople · 27/09/2021 19:03

@Bluntness100

We don’t need the army, we just need the absolute twats panicking to stop.
This. What are the army going to do? They can't stop people buying petrol, how can you choose who needs it and who doesn't?? It'll settle down when everyone panic buying realises they're being melodramatic bellends.
Shirleyphallus · 27/09/2021 19:05

I have friends in the army who get a little frustrated at the “army being called in” to be the answer for everything.

VanGoghsDog · 27/09/2021 19:05

What have we got an army for?

Well, not to bring you a pint of milk, that's for sure.

And not to plug the gap in this chaotic government's shambles of a policy.

I think you could probably do with calming down just a tad.

rocklamp · 27/09/2021 19:05

You can't feed dog food to cats because it won't have some essential nutrients in like taurine. I suppose it's better than them having nothing at all, but only for a day perhaps.

Cocomarine · 27/09/2021 19:05

You can feed dog food to cats in that there’s nothing in it that will make them sick. However, it’s not nutritionally complete for cats as they need taurine - so long term you can’t. But this week - yes.

QueenoftheKarens · 27/09/2021 19:06

Plenty of petrol where I live, no queues no nothing. It must be a southern thing. I feel for you though it's getting silly - didn't people learn the first time with the toilet roll?

bizboz · 27/09/2021 19:07

I don't like the blaming the public attitude - standard Tory government tactic. Panic buying isn't helping but it is understandable in the circumstances and there is a definite supply/delivery issue.

CorrBlimeyGG · 27/09/2021 19:07

We need the government to come out and say, no one needs to panic, we have a solid plan to ensure the supply chain for fuel and food does not face issues. Except they've not, and they're not trustworthy. People have been conditioned to fight amongst each other, survival of the fittest. This is more of the same.

Anxietyandwine · 27/09/2021 19:07

Not sure what the army could actually enforce?

I have 13 miles left in my car and school run is an hour round trip. No petrol at all when I tried 5 local garages today and roads just seemed to be chaos.

Can’t comment on food situation as I can’t get to a supermarket!

PurBal · 27/09/2021 19:07

@rocklamp

You can't feed dog food to cats because it won't have some essential nutrients in like taurine. I suppose it's better than them having nothing at all, but only for a day perhaps.
This. 4 miles is a lot for a 5 year old. Are you at secondary?
cardibach · 27/09/2021 19:07

They could fuck off telling me I had to walk 6 miles to work to be honest. That would take minimum 2 hrs (fittish person walking briskly) and more likely longer. No chance I’m leaving for work at 6 and arriving home at 6 having walked 12 mikes as well as a full work day. That’s unreasonable. Luckily a) I have a full tank, b) I have a bad knee (not normally lucky, but in this scenario) and c) I live 30 miles from work…

The army aren’t coming though. That’s just a thing Johnson says when things look tough. And it’s not all panic buying. If we had good supply (including transport) it would be sorted by now.

Jimjamjong · 27/09/2021 19:07

My cat kept stealing the dog's biscuits, my vet said it was ok so on the short term I think you are fine (however my vet said to make sure the dog didn't get to the cat food).

bizboz · 27/09/2021 19:08

There are at least 6 petrol stations within a 5 mile radius of me (East) and none have had fuel since Friday.

Ichangemynameagain · 27/09/2021 19:08

I don't understand how or why it is this dire in some parts of the country and relatively normal in others.

I went for petrol earlier. Got it fine. Local Asda petrol station had no queue but has set limits on all pumps to £30. Shelves relatively normal too.

But I've seen things on the media about fist fights on forecourts. Why is there such a difference?!

Snoozysnoozy · 27/09/2021 19:08

What have we got an army for?

To close with and kill the enemy.

lannistunut · 27/09/2021 19:08

Welcome to Brexit Britain, nothing quite works anymore.

Expect the people who voted for it are moaning loudest too.

They can't get the army in to do this in Scotland as they are already helping with ambulances aren't they? Everything is breaking.

HugeAckmansWife · 27/09/2021 19:09

Do you have no other shop at all that might have something useful in stock? L8cal corner shops often had milk, loo roll etc during the worst Covid shortages when the massive supermarket didn't. I'm in the NE, it's pretty normal here. Unleaded is fine, though diesel possibly an issue judging from the pumps. There was a tanker outside tesco a few minutes ago though. I don't think we're quite a martial law state yet

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 27/09/2021 19:09

There’s no fuel shortage and no empty shelves, media needs to stop telling lies.