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?

@Firkinhavinalaugh

There are plenty of British Jobs for British people, they just don’t want to do them.

There still isn’t any fuel where we live 🤷‍♀️

Those jobs don't pay enough to meet the high cost of living - particularly housing. Often crap working conditions too.

It's not ok to exploit workers - whether British or migrant. All should have a decent standard of living.

It's not immigration that's the problem. It's exploitation of cheap labour, failure to value essential jobs, and insufficient funding for increased demand on infrastructure, public services including schools and the NHS, and housing.

A diverse, open, tolerant, cosmopolitan society is fantastic. A race to the bottom isn't.

@Muchmorethan

Excuse the complete ignorance ... but what do Army and the other forces personnel do when we aren't "at war".

I don't mean those that have active jobs eg radar monitoring, but those who's job isn't needed unless we are actually in a conflict

The armed forces are all around the world even though we’re not at war atm. None of them have a job that’s only needed at a time of conflict.

@Granjeanne

In reply to my criics.... All I know is that the French would be rioting if this were happening in France. We all need to make our discontent public. The current government has proved time and time again that they are incompetent. They could be unseated by a parliamentary vote of no confidence. This will only happen if enough MPs are aware of public feeling.

What are you talking about? Boris has nothing to do with idiots stockpiling the fuel.

There was some brigadier general on sky news this morning, he said the army aren't on standby and that there should be an element of human resilience.

So we withdraw the army from Afganistan, where they were protecting the country from extremist militants taking over the nation and causing anarchy, so they can do what exactly in this country, get us tea and petrol?

@Tealightsandd

I live in France and everyone I know got to work today. I filled up my car full tank today with just a 2 min wait behind a man who was filling 3 Jerry-cans in his boot and his tank. No limits, no panicking, no threats to bring in the army, no media stories about not enough truck drivers in the country and having to make up visas to get other countries France has insulted to come bail them out…. I went into the supermarket also and all the shelves were full. No energy companies have gone bust here recently either.

The Gillets Jaunes were about the government thieving from pensions not fuel shortages. It’s incomparable.

Macron may not be overly popular but honestly, the majority of French people I know here would rather have him than Boris Johnson. I have had so many French people tell me they feel so sorry for Britain since Boris got in.

No no where is perfect. But nowhere in Europe is facing the current shitstorm the UK has created for itself right now.

@MajorCarolDanvers

Although I was at a restaurant the other day and duck was off the menu and they were blaming brexit for that.

I survived though and had lamb instead.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Johnson has everything to do with the government having been warned about HGV and fuel problems in June and doing nothing about it though.
There was a report from the Transport Select Committee a few months after the referendum, warning of precisely this scenario if we left under a hard Brexit. And he did nothing. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to chalk this one up as yet another catastrofuck at the hands of the known liar whom the Conservatives chose to put in charge.

We have had no problems getting petrol or food. On the coast east of Newcastle. DH is a secondary headteacher - no problems with staff or children being off because of petrol shortages.

The NE seems to have been spared for some reason.

@Whatamess582

The yellow vests have become about more than that. France too is suffering from the same race to the bottom consequences.

Barnier is running on an a rather Frexit like ticket. Not that that's necessarily the answer. But the reason why he's doing it - why he knows it will get him votes - is because definitely for many French, outside of a privileged affluent bubble, life is not all roses.

It might not be as bad as here but they have their own issues. Including serious racial tension.

I dont eat meat - I was trying to buy bread and milk -and cat food - obviously a rare and exotic shopping list. I couldnt get any of iT”

Not sure where you are, Orangejuice, but here on NW coast Home Bargains had good stock of cat food today 😸, if you have HB in your area worth a look.

@Doris86

Only difference being that Europe don’t have panic buyers.

We had panic buyers in Spain at the start of our only lockdown but we have no fuel shortages or food shortages so nobody is panicking. There may be fewer hgv drivers in Spain than before, but as we're in Europe it's easy enough for drivers from other countries to work here. It is only Britain that is having these particular issues and it is only Britain that had brexit.

I would do well out of being in the EU. I want to be able to easily buy a house in continental Europe and move there easily without residency visa worries.

But - failure to address the reasons why people voted for Brexit will only make matters worse.

The problems today go back long before Brexit.

I am shocked by the absolute braindead idiots on the news and in the papers queuing for hours, filling petrol containers and even plastic water bottles- which is really dangerous. Men fighting and being aggressive at petrol stations. It is plain stupid. If people were just sensible and stopped this 'all our cars have to be kept topped up all the time just incase' stuff, there would be plenty of petrol. I saw a woman today in Sainsbury's with a trolley full of loo rolls, washing stuff and cleaning products. She must have had 100 loo rolls and 10 large boxes of washing capsules and the same of dishwasher tablets, cleaning stuff etc. Bonkers. Yet again the British public show how ignorant and selfish they are.
And, apparently, the Tories would still win another general election - which confirms how stupid British people are.

I live in London, use public transport (no car) and haven't experienced any problems so far. Supermarkets are still full. But I have noticed no Ubers around!

Dadvdtret

re the cats - cats can eat dog food, but dogs can't eat cat food. Just for future ref. Don't panic buy all the dog food“

Was told the opposite by a vet! Something to do with taurine and cats’ vision.

@antoniawhite

Johnson has everything to do with the government having been warned about HGV and fuel problems in June and doing nothing about it though. There was a report from the Transport Select Committee a few months after the referendum, warning of precisely this scenario if we left under a hard Brexit. And he did nothing. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to chalk this one up as yet another catastrofuck at the hands of the known liar whom the Conservatives chose to put in charge.

But the problem isn't with hgv drivers. There isn't a shortage of fuel or drivers bringing it. It's people queuing to empty the pumps as soon as they are refilled

@bizboz

The usual MN response of the problem not existing because individual posters haven't experienced it 🙄.

This

South western UK seems OK. We got petrol as normal when our tank was running low yesterday.
People here seem to panic less since being subjected to nerve agent attack as well as biological (Covid). There are only so many crises you can get worked up about. We only go to buy petrol when we need it and it is there as required. Ditto food.

@MrsSkylerWhite

Dadvdtret

re the cats - cats can eat dog food, but dogs can't eat cat food. Just for future ref. Don't panic buy all the dog food“

Was told the opposite by a vet! Something to do with taurine and cats’ vision.

Me too!

Cats are obligate carnivores, and dog food contains non-meat ingredients in varying proportions, and whereas it won't kill your cat it is an insufficient diet which will cause harm idc.

Dogs will find all-meat cat food too rich. If it's all you've got in, then it's safe to use, but add vegetables and rice.

Reassuring to hear Johnson pretty much admitting we could have problems for months.

Thanks to all the Brexit voters, but extra special thanks to those who led the Brexit campaign!

Oh. It’s strange, then, that Johnson is offering 5000 temporary visas. Somebody needs to tell him there’s no shortage of drivers.

It’s because of a shortage of HGV drivers amongst other issues such as Brexit and Covid. But yes, carry on blaming everyone else. Shocking how people who have cars might need fuel 🙄

It’s absolutely because of a shortage of HGV drivers

@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

Other countries in Europe are NOT experiencing fuel and food shortages.