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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To say people are totally over reacting about the fuel issue

439 replies

TikTokNutcases · 27/09/2021 22:54

People adamant they can't go to work, so get a train.

Ride a bicycle.

Use the bus.

Talk of closing schools for god sake, whatever next.

It's ridiculous that people rely so heavily on the use of their car that life appears to stop still when they can't drive it.

You don't see this type of hysteria among non drivers, ever.

I don't drive and never have. I've never flapped like this about not being able to go to the supermarket, work etc.

OP posts:
Thomasina79 · 28/09/2021 07:44

And it’s not just a getting to work issue either. My other half is retired. He volunteers for a food bank run and obviously needs his car for this, so no food bank equals hungry people.

On a personal basis I can get a bus to my part time job (in the NHS), but at the moment I have an adult son who has just had major heart surgery. For the last couple of days the hospital have allowed him home as long as he is brought back in the evening for blood and other tests. He wants to come home during the day as he has a wife who is eight months pregnant and also has a two year old to see to. He will need picking up as he cannot drive at the moment.

This I’m all right jack attitude you seem to have typifies a lot of what is wrong with modern day society.

skodadoda · 28/09/2021 07:45

@nancy75

Try getting to work on a bus carrying a scaffolding tower & 35 tins of paint. Be sure to get back to us & let us know how it went.
Well OP?
queenrollo · 28/09/2021 07:47

I live in rural Lincolnshire. You are absolutely right, there are lots of train stations dotted about.
They don't actually have any trains stopping at them, though.

BoomChicka · 28/09/2021 07:47

The smug "carry on and you'll be homeschooling again" posts have really wound me up, as if teachers are the only profession affected (yet again) Hmm. How often are they going to threaten working parents with this? I saw a post yesterday about a school getting ready to close! The knock on effect on working parents is huge, whilst they sit at home on full pay berating those parents on social media. The disgust they have for parents and children is horrible really.

Longdistance · 28/09/2021 07:47

What if the train or bus driver can’t get to work as they have run out fuel for their car?
It’s caused mass hysteria like the bog roll shortage.
I’ve a quarter of a tank, I’ll panic when that runs low. I’m in no hurry as can thumb an awkward lift to work.

FixTheBone · 28/09/2021 07:50

This post might be the first example of transport privilege I've ever seen...

SunShinesBrightly · 28/09/2021 07:50

@ILoveJamaica

My DH is a Police Officer covering a huge area on his own - yes - one Officer covering miles and miles. When a 999 call comes in he has to blue light it to the destination. How do you suggest he gets there super quick if his police car has no fuel?
Exactly!

I don’t think the OP has the ability to see past the end of her own nose.

The emergency services fill up at local garages here. Their depots don’t have refilling stations (rural).

Our nearest Tesco forecourt closed to everyone except for emergency services Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

skodadoda · 28/09/2021 07:51

@TikTokNutcases

I bet you wait at home with glee whist some mug delivers your Amazon parcels in a car. People like you make me incredibly angry. You sound like a smug twat

I don't shop on Amazon Biscuit

You shop somewhere. How do you think stuff gets to the shops?
FixTheBone · 28/09/2021 07:54

Commute by bike - 4hrs 6mins

Commute by public transport - 3hrs 4 mins

In order to do the round trip I'd need to get up at 3am, would get home at 11:15pm, and have 3 hours sleep.

You probably don't want your orthopaedic surgeon working on you in that condition.

banivani · 28/09/2021 07:54

I agree with you OP but you're going to get such a slating. You should never have admitted you don't drive. Don't you know that you're a lesser member of society then and must not have an opinion.

I remember reading a Golden Age detective story once set in a rural village, and there was a passage where the local doctor said something like "I need to catch the train for town, it's a half hour's walk across the fields so I'd better get started" and I thought "how times have changed". Grin

People who genuinely know they cannot manage without a car ought not to get defensive, but feel comfortable in their decision (and understandably very worried about how to manage without petrol). If you're getting defensive you probably know at some level that your dependence on driving is more comfort/convenience based, ie a lifestyle choice. A lot of people seem very surprised that their lives might be less convenient for a bit.

FuzzyPuffling · 28/09/2021 07:56

I was once asked why I couldn't access our nearest hospital by public transport.
Because the round trip would, literally, take a week to complete.

Onairjunkie · 28/09/2021 07:57

I live 30 miles from the nearest town, on top of a hill, on a farm. I also work myself two days a week in London. I need my farm staff to get to work, it is the BUSIEST time of year for us… it’s harvest.

My dad also can’t get fuel (also rural, petrol stations closed) and can’t leave the house as he has just enough in the tank to get to the hospital for cancer treatment.

This thread is very embarrassing for the poster. What a fool they are.

Ducksarenotmyfriends · 28/09/2021 07:58

I used to live somewhere I could easily travel miles by train, bus and bike. Now, there's no train station near my work and only a very slow steam train in my town. It would take 2 1/2 hours for me to get to work at least and impossible to cycle as involves a motorway. Throw in the school run (no breakfast or after school clubs here and very limited childcare) then you can see why it's necessary to drive. I hate it - I'd much rather have a more robust public transport system and safer cycling, or even just the time to do such a commute. But I don't. It's not that easy for everyone. Luckily I work somewhere with people with half a brain who've told everyone to stay at home this week rather than risking getting fuel. But if I was a nurse or carer or delivered other frontline services, I'd be fucked.

ivykaty44 · 28/09/2021 07:58

skodadoda

its always all or nothing - never a happy medium

The argument about not travelling by car is if you can't move scaffolding by bus then everyone needs to drive.

There could be many suggestions made as an alternative for many people - but if you can't do it for a scaffolder then everyone should travel by private car.

Many people live rurally but, there are many people that don't and can access alternatives.

ec.europa.eu/transport/themes/research/challenge/projects/carla-cargo-heavy-load-bicycle-trailer_en

they'll always be a reason why this wouldn't work for a minority but that shouldn't prevent the majority using alternatives if they wish

and most have electric so its not hard work

looking and working at alternatives for some people isn't blinkered

wombat1a · 28/09/2021 07:59

Nearest train station is 18 miles away, one train each direction every hour. Four busses out a day - one direction only, out at 7am, 10am, 2pm and 4pm. In at 10am, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.

Cycling not really an option as the roads are too narrow, dark and potholed.

supermoonrising · 28/09/2021 08:00

OP' post is obviously a bit silly and OTT, though our society is obviously dysfunctional in some aspects with regards to over reliance on millions of people hauling themselves 50 miles to work and back every day, children all being carted on the >1 mile school run etc.
The one that makes me puzzled is why the majority of teachers seem to insist on living "wherever their school isn't", I choosing to live in a town 10-20 miles away when the town in which the school is based is equally nice and equally affordable.

ivykaty44 · 28/09/2021 08:00

Onairjunkie

im sorry to hear your father is having cancer treatment

perhaps if everyone hadn't over reacted then your father wouldn't be house bound as petrol would be plentiful

FirewomanSam · 28/09/2021 08:02

I’m a non driver too and I’m still affected because the queues for petrol around here are so bad they’re holding up traffic, which means buses aren’t going anywhere either.

I agree that people need to calm down because it’s the panic buying that’s actually causing the problems now, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t currently genuine problems for people trying to get around, be it by car or public transport!

OnwardsAndSideways1 · 28/09/2021 08:02

Many bus drivers use....cars to get to work! You only need a few off to really disrupt services.

Same with train drivers

Same with delivery/lorry drivers who need fuel to even move at all

That's without even going into emergency services

I agree that many people can cycle or walk and don't, but you can't suggest public transport as a solution to not having petrol or cars because they depend on them!

lljkk · 28/09/2021 08:03

A lot of people could try a lot harder to be less dependent on their cars. This would help everyone -- improve air quality and make journeys faster for people who must depend on their cars.

I dunno why so many people don't want to less dependent on their cars. They don't think about public transport or walking distances when deciding what job to take or where to live, they just plan to use their car. I meet people all the time who could live anywhere but moved to this area from many miles away, knowing their job is 1 hour drive away from new home, and with no personal links here: they moved here simply because they "like" this village. So then they get locked into a car-dependent lifestyle.

Yesterday rainy morning there was much more school run traffic than usual. We all know people who might usually walk places but will Not walk in the rain.

My corner shop: I recognise a lot of customers in their cars there as people who live within half a mile of the shop. Leaving the car empty and engine idling if it's before 7am

My mother used to drive to the store quarter mile away -- she was simply too lazy to walk.

tigger1001 · 28/09/2021 08:03

It really can't be so hard to understand that different people have different transport needs and different areas have very different public transport provisions.

I cannot get a bus to work. There simply isn't one. I could spend an hour getting the bus to the train station then wait for the train. But I would be hours late for work every day. Despite it only taking 30 minutes to drive.

The kids get the school bus though as their school is 10 miles away and on a main busy road with no cycle path.

If I lived somewhere with a great public transport system I would happily use it, but for lots of people that simply isn't the case.

Onairjunkie · 28/09/2021 08:03

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DroopyClematis · 28/09/2021 08:03

Just hanging around to see more gobshite from OP.
Doubt they will be back now.

Imnothereforthedrama · 28/09/2021 08:05

People are overreacting and it’s the media fault again . Yes there is a shortage of drivers and yes there has been a supply shortage for a few weeks for certain but we’ve not all rushed out buying certain things .
We had the same at the start of pandemic with toilet rolls , bread , medicines etc but was quickly rectified it was a mass panic short term problem that suppliers couldn’t keep up with demand. If people just got their fuel as normal the last few days fuel stations wouldn’t have had to close . I suspect most people that filled up last few days won’t need to for a bit so I think this next few days will quieten down .
There is a problem of course but I doubt it will be we run out completely. But typical mumsnet if your not running around panicking your denying there is a problem which is not true it’s how you handle it . It’s the same with Covid if your not panicking about the cases rising your a Covid denier .
The cynic in me is this whole ‘fuel crisis’ has deflected media attention away from Covid .

Sally090807 · 28/09/2021 08:07

This thread is clearly a wind up. From a safety aspect I would not want to finish a late shift somewhere rural and then walk home for miles. Many buses to our local villages stop at around 5.30pm.

The OP probably sits home all day stoking their cat waiting for the Waitrose food delivery van.