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

[Orangejuicemarathoner]

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?

@NotMyCat

I've actually just looked at the bus timetable and to get to work for 8am I would have to get the 6.10am bus to not be late. Instead of driving 3.7 miles

can you walk?

@Fizbosshoes

I used to live in London zone 5 with multiple options of tubes and buses within walking distance. I moved to a commuter town with a station (one train line) but I was really shocked how expensive and infrequent the bus service was compared to tfl. I know several people who work 5-10 miles away and drive to work because there isn't a realistic option using public transport.

My MIL lives on the very edge of London (literally - about a quarter of a mile from the boundary). She has buses and a brilliant tram system.

She didn't understand why it's not practical for me to use buses, until I showed her our bus timetable: first bus 8.30am, last bus 5.30 pm, hourly service and no buses at all between 2 and 4.30, as the buses are used for school transport. And I live in a county town with several big employers.

We used to have 3 buses an hour from 7-7, but spending cuts (service is subsidised) have meant service cuts every damn year.

@DixonD

Brexit is NOT causing a fuel shortage. There isn’t one. There’s a driver shortage. There was a driver shortage before Brexit. Made worse by COVID and “some” drivers heading back to the EU.

There’s no fuel shortage!

Well, I am starting to wonder. I was following the news story about the imminent bankruptcy of Stanlow oil refinery, until yesterday, when all news about it stopped.

Why did all news stop? Surely it has either gone bankrupt or been saved. Either eventuality is news worthy.

Why has the news stopped?

Same with fuel here in Herefordshire. Not with food yet. Sure it's people panicking but the why doesn't really matter now. There isnt any.

Offmyfence

HappyDays101010
You got off your bike and walked several miles - really? confused
My thoughts exactly!“

My thoughts were not really what most people would be happy to do after an exhausting 12 hour shift: we don’t know what this poster’s work is.

Walking a few miles is not a big deal if you wfh or have been sitting in a chair for 8 hours in an office. Not so if you”ve been on your feet all day.

@YouAreEnough

It would be interesting to know the split of how HGV drivers voted in the referendum.

Forums and surveys from 2016 suggest a large vote in that sector for Brexit (shakey research I know) but if that is in fact correct then rather than rolled eye emojis, sarcasm and accusations it would be far better to understand why the very people we need most now voted they way they did.

As time has gone on, we now know that the effects of the free movement of labour varied in different sectors. Some positive; some negative. I'm writing this as someone who did not support leaving the EU but wages for HGV drivers were driven down by employers encouraging lower paid EU citizens to work as HGV drivers in the UK. However, a union leader pointed out that wages and terms and conditions had already been on a downward spiral way before EU workers came to the UK in substantial numbers. By contrast, HGV drivers in France have much better terms and conditions so they find it easier to recruit and haven't ended up with the situation we have in which the majority of UK born HGV drivers are in their 50s.

There was a good article about HGV driver shortages on the BBC website in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-57656327

This highlights how the driver shortages have happened for a number of reasons - including Brexit and Covid. What it also shows is that the shortages could not have come as any news to the government.

@Wabola

I didn't know that cats couldn't eat other food, damn cat up the road comes to our garden and feasts on the hedgehogs pellets, don't seem to have done it any harm as it comes every night troughing away - poor hedgehogs hardly get a look in

Buy a big plastic box with a lid, cut a hole in big enough for a hedgehog but too small for a cat ( sizes are online if you google hedgehog cafe) put the food in this and hoggy gets it all, also keeps it dry.

@ilovesooty

I wait for the onslaught

Can't be bothered.

It wouldn't be an onslaught from one person

Everything feels a tad dystopian at the moment, but the phrase ‘hedgehog cafe’ has given me a little lift so thank you @StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes for introducing me to such a concept.

OP - Always handy to have a couple of cartons of long life milk in the cupboard, in case of not being able to get fresh milk.

@waterlego

Everything feels a tad dystopian at the moment, but the phrase ‘hedgehog cafe’ has given me a little lift so thank you *@StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes* for introducing me to such a concept.

You are welcome, wont people thing of the hedgehogs 😁🦔🦔🦔

It was never funny.

We don't need the army.

Twats need to be stopped. Anyone turning up to petrol stations, with a jerry can should be turned away. Minimum spends should be enforced to prevent anyone putting 2 miles worth in tank.

No way I could walk/cycle that at 8 months pg.

OP - Getting a bus at 6.10am isn't that bad, it will only be temporary.

@HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend

My local M&S yesterday, Scotland:

I live in south Wales Vale area and my husband had to queue for 45 minutes to get fuel, at 6am! Asda was out of fuel.
Hopefully this calms down over the weekend. So sick of people bloody panicking, just buy what you need when you need it then we wouldn't have this problem.

I'm in the East Midlands, DH managed to get diesel last night and I got unleaded first thing this morning. Only two cars ahead of me in the queue and all very civilised. Hopefully this is a sign that things are easing?

@Coffeepot72

I'm in the East Midlands, DH managed to get diesel last night and I got unleaded first thing this morning. Only two cars ahead of me in the queue and all very civilised. Hopefully this is a sign that things are easing?

I hope so... I need fuel on Thursday to get to a dentist appointment. Hoping it might have settled

In my area they've cancelled some buses because of the gridlock due to queues for fuel 😬 I've been walking in the torrential rain, which wouldn't be my choice (the torrential rain, not the walking).

This absolutely cracks me up.

“I’m not using the roads, they’re too dangerous…”
“I’m not catching a bus at 6.10 it’s too early…”

Then the same people are saying “Oi, you solider over there leave your families yet again. Get up early, get on the roads and sort us out!” You absolute bloody hypocrites.

@TheFairyCaravan spot on.

We are in Somerset. Managed to get petrol this morning.

The queues were very bad and disrupting usual city traffic, but it was very organised in the petrol station with queues being organised from both directions and they were directing people to the pumps.

I can now relax a bit about doing childcare and school runs this week.

My daughter is struggling as she has two primary aged children, has a full time job and is a single parent. Doesn't have time in the morning and petrol is all gone by the time she finishes work. 45 minute commute and also long drive needed this weekend. Hope it eases soon.

@HalzTangz

It was on the news last night that several countries in Europe are having these issues in that their is a massive shortfall of drivers. Not sure why you think it's only the UK

Several countries have driver shortages. No other countries have fuel or food shortages. The UK is the only country so short of drivers it's affecting the supply chain.

@BatshitCrazyWoman

In my area they've cancelled some buses because of the gridlock due to queues for fuel 😬 I've been walking in the torrential rain, which wouldn't be my choice (the torrential rain, not the walking).

That's my concern. Too far to walk. I can just about do school pick up using buses, but they are unreliable at the best of times.

I was following the news story about the imminent bankruptcy of Stanlow oil refinery, until yesterday, when all news about it stopped.

Why did all news stop? Surely it has either gone bankrupt or been saved. Either eventuality is news worthy.

Local (Labour) MP said that the situation had nearly been resolved a couple of days ago.

Given that the issue revolves around payments due to HMRC I would imagine there are some reasons to keep quiet about it. Neither Labour nor the Tories will be keen to shout about how the taxpayer is being leniant to a billionaire owned oil refinery and their role in facilitating this in the current climate...