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

[Lemons1571]

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.

@MrsTophamHat

This is so strange. People aren't behaving like this where I live. I drive 80 miles per day past a dozen petrol stations, all of which are operating normally without abnormal queues. Nevertheless it's all I heard about yesterday in my commute so of course, I'm on edge myself about fuel.

The flames are well and truly being fanned.

I thought the ones near me were operating normally too, until I tried to use one. Some of the ones near me don't have enough comes/ signs etc to say only 1 single pump is working. So they look fine, but aren't.

@JoborPlay i have filled up myself over the weekend and have had to go back again to put air in my tyres (not for more fuel) and they really were fine. I think they were out of premium unleaded at one point but there was regular available.

Our local garage only has E5 unleaded petrol left. We've had no diesel within 30 miles since Sunday night, either. We were due a delivery yesterday but nothing showed up.

Do you admit that flapping over black tea and dog food is exaggerating the crisis somewhat?

I have lived with black tea when I could not afford milk - no problem. I have lived with black tea when I lived somewhere with poor and unreliable supply chains - no problem

The issue is that I did not expect to live with black tea and no pet food because of a break down in supply chains in the UK in 2021

It isn't the lack of milk and pet food. Its the loss of the assumption that we live in a country capable of supplying milk and pet food to the supermarkets in a regular and reliable fashion

I had a long term store of petfood - its been run down in recent months, due to supply problems -now it has gone completely

@MakingM

YANBU

It's highly unlikely that a government that won't allow schools to close because of a pandemic will allow schools to close because teachers have run out of petrol.

If it's a real possibility just make sure your local MP knows that schools may close and I'm sure they'll ensure deliveries are made ASAP.

well, several year groups in my school have closed today, and I have been teaching online from home.

And its not because of car owners not having enough petrol - its because of the buses not having fuel, including the school buses

@saraclara No, not really. The government have army drivers on standby and I have absolutely no doubt they will be deployed before the government allows schools to close because of the petrol shortage.

If any school of reasonable size (i.e. not those ones with ten kids) closes due to the petrol shortage, I'll eat broccoli - and I hate broccoli. It's like eating carpet. ;)

The biggest problem with the petrol shortage might not the just this week. We did our normal fill up the day before it hit but will run out early this week because we're having to drive longer journeys to avoid queues blocking the roads outside petrol stations, and occasionally getting caught in those queues so burning up extra fuel ourselves.

The government need to make sure there is extra capacity because the disruption is itself burning fuel and, on top of everything else, that is a environmental problem.

Petrol stations where I live have been running out. I was lucky enough to fill up before this started and a full tank normally last me a month. I still ended up stuck in two queues for petrol yesterday just because I needed to drive past the petrol stations and cars were queued into the main road. Local road closures mean I can't avoid them on my way home.

Some school buses weren't running this morning due to a lack of fuel and we have been told to prepare for further possible cancellations tomorrow. There are no petrol stations with fuel in our town today. A nearby village had some this morning but had sold out by this afternoon even with a cap. I haven't filled up since this started and fortunately have over half a tank so enough to last for a few days. I was in Tesco today and saw the petrol station staff ushering in an ambulance so thankfully they've had the sense to keep some aside for emergency vehicles.

I pass 4 petrol stations on my way to work. Saturday and Sunday was insane. Yesterday 3 were closed, one had fuel and was busy.

Today 2 out of 4 are open, one has diesel only, the other has both types and was pretty quiet considering.

My guess is the panic buying nobheads have got it out of their system now so hopefully things will get a bit more normal in the coming days.

Itsnotallaboutyoubaby Tue 28-Sep-21 14:56:35
I don't understand this panic… there is plenty of petrol where I live in the midlands.

There's none where I live in the Midlands.

[quote MakingM]@saraclara No, not really. The government have army drivers on standby and I have absolutely no doubt they will be deployed before the government allows schools to close because of the petrol shortage.

If any school of reasonable size (i.e. not those ones with ten kids) closes due to the petrol shortage, I'll eat broccoli - and I hate broccoli. It's like eating carpet. ;)

The biggest problem with the petrol shortage might not the just this week. We did our normal fill up the day before it hit but will run out early this week because we're having to drive longer journeys to avoid queues blocking the roads outside petrol stations, and occasionally getting caught in those queues so burning up extra fuel ourselves.

The government need to make sure there is extra capacity because the disruption is itself burning fuel and, on top of everything else, that is a environmental problem.[/quote]
The army will apparently provide 50 drivers and tankers. I don't think that will go far, countrywide.

But my point was that writing to our MPs is likely going to do absolutely nothing, nor do they have that sort of power even if they can be bothered (for once) to read our emails.

Our MP is all but invisible, and takes months to reply (on the rare occasions that she does at all)

Our secondary emailed parents at around 1.30pm saying they had just heard that one of the buses wasn’t picking up kids this afternoon How are working parents meant to turn that around and get kids home!

@saraclara No, not really. The government have army drivers on standby and I have absolutely no doubt they will be deployed before the government allows schools to close because of the petrol shortage.

If any school of reasonable size (i.e. not those ones with ten kids) closes due to the petrol shortage, I'll eat broccoli - and I hate broccoli. It's like eating carpet. ;)

over a thousand students. Partly closed today, expecting to be fully closed tomorrow

Shall I fetch you some broccoli?

@MrsTophamHat

This is so strange. People aren't behaving like this where I live. I drive 80 miles per day past a dozen petrol stations, all of which are operating normally without abnormal queues. Nevertheless it's all I heard about yesterday in my commute so of course, I'm on edge myself about fuel.

The flames are well and truly being fanned.

Or, maybe, just maybe, different areas of the country are experiencing different things [hmm[

Our local garage has had no diesel since Sunday and it's the same for all garages within 30 miles. We only have V5 unleaded left now. We were due deliveries yesterday and today but nothing has arrived.

Luckily I filled up yesterday but DH hasn't been able to get to a garage since Friday (queues of 1-2 hours) and now there's no diesel to fill up with anyway.

No need to worry, Boris has a plan.

(In case it isn't obvious, WWN is satire)

waterfordwhispersnews.com/2021/09/28/johnson-drafts-in-ira-fuel-smugglers-to-help-with-fuel-shortage/

would it be too much for people to car share? put 5 in a car and thats all your days covered with one person doing the driving one day a week or is it just to simple an idea?

@takenforgrantednana

would it be too much for people to car share? put 5 in a car and thats all your days covered with one person doing the driving one day a week or is it just to simple an idea?

But what if those 5 people live nowhere near each other? I live 6 miles away from my closest colleague.

@HarrietPierce

Itsnotallaboutyoubaby Tue 28-Sep-21 14:56:35 I don't understand this panic… there is plenty of petrol where I live in the midlands.

There's none where I live in the Midlands.

Then try Northampton or Kettering.

Perhaps I was just incredibly lucky. Who knows

@takenforgrantednana

would it be too much for people to car share? put 5 in a car and thats all your days covered with one person doing the driving one day a week or is it just to simple an idea?

Yes - not everyone who works in place A lives in place B.

If someone has to drive 60 miles each morning and another 60 miles each evening to do pick ups and drop offs, the fuel they have won't last long.

The person doing the driving may also have children to fit in the car, or they may have to be at nursery for a certain time for pick-up.

I would also add that if any of you have Facebook then join your local groups. Someone will know where there is petrol local to you so you don’t have to drive around on fumes

Were still homeschooling due to covid here, which is helpful since theres also no fuel.

@Itsnotallaboutyoubaby

I would also add that if any of you have Facebook then join your local groups. Someone will know where there is petrol local to you so you don’t have to drive around on fumes

Both my local Facebook groups aren't accepting such posts. The admins felt that they were adding to the panic and aggravating the queues. I tend to agree.

I wouldn’t be surprised if home schooling starts at all, the country is in crisis.

I'm reassured to read of a school where the Head Teacher is planning for such an eventuality. I don't think you should be scared, you should be reassured that somebody is planning for the worst, as it were.

As others have posted..it's not petrol that's the problem it's diesel. My local Tesco had petrol this evening and no queue but no diesel at all. My brother has been driving about near where he lives about 20 mins away from me and it's the same.
I have a diesel car and about 2 days left. I'm within walking distance to take kids to school but can't get public transport to work and it's too far to walk or cycle. I am also in a rural area. I'm hoping that possiblity of diesel by the weekend. As a lot of others if I don't go into work I won't get paid.
Good luck everyone