Page 2 | Head talking about moving to homeschooling as staff are running out of fuel

Lemons1571 · 2021-09-27T20:08:28+00:00

This is one of our local secondary schools. South England. No fuel in our town, within 30 miles, or maybe more. DH is a teacher and he has about 2-3 days worth of petrol left. The Head of his school is putting in plans to close year groups and move to homeschooling again. Is anyone else in these dire straits? AIBU to be a bit scared? We didn’t panic buy because the government said not to, and now we’re completely stuck.

Monkeytennis97 · 27/09/2021 22:06

@Soontobe60 they were on the way to and from work. No extra driving around... not that stoooopid.

VaccineSticker · 27/09/2021 22:07

There’s a HGV drivers shortage. This crisis is not ending this week, but yeah keep blaming others who you think are panic buying when they all need is petrol to go to work to get on with their lives, just like yourself.

minionsrule · 27/09/2021 22:12

Good.... maybe Boris will take a smidgeon more notice of the state of the UK.
And if any if the parents moaning panic filled their cars unnecessarily it will be poetic justice (that's not aimed at you op, just think it will apply to quite a few)

VaccineSticker · 27/09/2021 22:13

Unlike panic buying toilet rolls last year, where people can store a massive supply of loo roll in their garages, you can’t do the same with petrol.
I’ve seen the same old couple of pictures rotating on social media of some people filling up Jerry cans, but most people are not hoarding, they are just filling up because they need to move from A to B.
The issue here is shortage of HGV drivers. Panic buyers might have caused a small spike, but most people genuinely need the fuel.

RedToothBrush · 27/09/2021 22:18

So the first option is to close the school, rather than try and organise car sharing...

Fallagain · 27/09/2021 22:20

@BioTeacher2020

I’m teaching from home tomorrow because my child is poorly. But I’m also completely empty. The rest of the week I will be reliant on lifts from my parents (who have an electric car) - it will be a 30 mile round trip for them twice a day amd they’re nearly 80.

Can’t you just borrow their car for a couple of days to save them doing all this driving?

Whaatszup · 27/09/2021 22:22

I live near Nottingham and I got petrol after school drop off this morning without any problem and my mum and my sister have both got petrol at different petrol stations from each other and from me today without any problems either.

How can it be so different in different areas?

Original poster

Lemons1571 · 27/09/2021 22:23

@RedToothBrush no one really lives near anyone. And who wants to share with someone who’s red light is on and they’re driving around on fumes. We’re not starting from a point of having full tanks. The Heads petrol gauge says he has 5 miles left.

OP posts:

ApplesAreTheBaneOfMyLife · 27/09/2021 22:23

Similar situation here OP. Several teachers at my children’s secondary school were off today because they had no fuel. Children were told that the school may have to move to home learning in the next few days. Public transport in our area (East Mids) is quite limited.

FellInLoveWithABanana · 27/09/2021 22:24

My next journey must involve me getting fuel. Live rurally so it’s a long drive to get fuel. Social media/local Facebook groups showing every petrol station as out of fuel.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 27/09/2021 22:26

I’d prefer this than carers and district nurses not being able to get to their patients to be honest

BustopherPonsonbyJones · 27/09/2021 22:28

This isn’t my problem to solve. I will drive until I am close to running out of petrol and I will then stay at home and teach online. It’s the government’s mess so they can sort it out and explain to parents why they have to supervise their children at home again.

I definitely won’t be spending more money than I earn on taxi fares.

CallmeHendricks · 27/09/2021 22:33

@RedToothBrush

So the first option is to close the school, rather than try and organise car sharing...

How do you know that hasn't happened also?

Muchtoomuchtodo · 27/09/2021 22:34

@CallmeHendricks - car sharing isn’t advised in many schools’ risk assessments at the moment.

BentBastard · 27/09/2021 22:34

@BustopherPonsonbyJones

This isn’t my problem to solve. I will drive until I am close to running out of petrol and I will then stay at home and teach online. It’s the government’s mess so they can sort it out and explain to parents why they have to supervise their children at home again.

I definitely won’t be spending more money than I earn on taxi fares.

It's a bit more than supervising home learning, it's kids who have exams in 8 months and have already missed loads of face to face learning.

Not that this is your fault or your problem to solve but it's not just about parents wanting childcare.

Lougle · 27/09/2021 22:42

It seems to be the diesel that is the biggest problem. My local (20 mins drive) supermarket garage had petrol but no diesel. No diesel anywhere until this afternoon, but as soon as my local village station had some they were absolutely swamped, which makes the road very dangerous.

Kudos to the staff though. Cheery, polite, efficient and the chap guiding cars was paying attention to which side the filler cap is on each car, so that filling was as quick as possible.

bumblingbovine49 · 27/09/2021 22:45

@Whaatszup

I live near Nottingham and I got petrol after school drop off this morning without any problem and my mum and my sister have both got petrol at different petrol stations from each other and from me today without any problems either.

How can it be so different in different areas?

Because it's a distribution problem. The very definition of which is that some places will have more of a shortage than others. How is that difficult understand?

ifIwerenotanandroid · 27/09/2021 22:46

@Chloemol

Petrol is being delivered. All that needs to happen is the muppets stop panic buying

The media have so much to answer for

'Muppets' can't panic buy when there's no petrol available for days on end & the petrol station stafff have no idea when they'll be getting any more.

TikTokNutcases · 27/09/2021 22:49

What a load of fuss over a temporary inconvenience. Whatever will people do without the use of a car for a few days, max. Total overreaction from most people

You don't see non drivers panicking that they can't get to work / the shops.

Ride a bicycle. Get a train.

CallmeHendricks · 27/09/2021 22:49

[quote Muchtoomuchtodo]@CallmeHendricks - car sharing isn’t advised in many schools’ risk assessments at the moment.[/quote]
Well, my Head suggested it just this afternoon. 🤷‍♀️

Original poster

Lemons1571 · 27/09/2021 22:54

@TikTokNutcases

What a load of fuss over a temporary inconvenience. Whatever will people do without the use of a car for a few days, max. Total overreaction from most people

You don't see non drivers panicking that they can't get to work / the shops.

Ride a bicycle. Get a train.

For a long rural journey with no public transport, oh and kids to drop off at school en route. What on earth are you talking about? Non drivers have already organised their lives to fit around being a non driver. Should we all be constantly planning contingencies in the event of being car-less all the time “just in case”?

OP posts:

JoborPlay · 27/09/2021 22:58

@TikTokNutcases

What a load of fuss over a temporary inconvenience. Whatever will people do without the use of a car for a few days, max. Total overreaction from most people

You don't see non drivers panicking that they can't get to work / the shops.

Ride a bicycle. Get a train.

Oh yes, because we all have train stations near by that go in the direction we need. And we all have bikes that can carry multiple children on them as well as their nursery bags and my work stuff.

Maassi · 27/09/2021 23:01

@TikTokNutcases

What a load of fuss over a temporary inconvenience. Whatever will people do without the use of a car for a few days, max. Total overreaction from most people

You don't see non drivers panicking that they can't get to work / the shops.

Ride a bicycle. Get a train.

What an idiotic response.

Myself and many of my colleagues who work in the NHS cannot get into work because we cannot get petrol or diesel. Paramedics and district nurses can't get to see patients. People are unable to get to hospital appointments. Ambulances are being held up in gridlocked roads. This is the reality. This isn't something I'm bleating about that I've seen the media say. This is what I am SEEING first hand at work.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 27/09/2021 23:03

@TikTokNutcases

What a load of fuss over a temporary inconvenience. Whatever will people do without the use of a car for a few days, max. Total overreaction from most people

You don't see non drivers panicking that they can't get to work / the shops.

Ride a bicycle. Get a train.

You do know that not everybody (a) owns a bike, is fit enough to ride one, works fairly close to home & doesn't need to carry anything with them (b) lives near a railway station (c) works near a railway staion, etc, etc?

If you know how long this will last, do tell the rest of us.

KeyboardWorriers · 27/09/2021 23:05

I was speaking to the admin assistant in my team today and she is quite happy to get two buses and a bit of a walk to get to work if needed. I am also planning to do a short car journey then train then a fairly long walk.