Have you topped up today?

People would work it out without ministers egging them on. Thus creating a fuel shortage when we haven't got a strike. So unhelpful that one does wonder whether they are doing it on purpose.

Oh Annobel! I thought you were psychic there.

I've just come off the website to top my phone up!

Sorry, nothing to do with thread.

I am feeling very twitched as Saturday is the start of the great family reunion when I get all my children and grandchildren together for the first time in five years. We will fill up before we cross the channel and hope for the best!

Advising people to store petrol?
How much is legal?
Francis Maude is obviously a prize prat!

Better read one' s house insurance policy, I daresay no one is covered for the above.
Ridiculous.

Queues at all the petrol stations round here today - goodness knows what it'll be like when/if the strike actually happens!

Queues at all our local supermarkets - someone directing traffic at one because people couldn't get into the store carpark! I personally think it is irresponsible to tell people to store petrol at home - I'm gobsmacked!
We are due to go up to York on Sunday - a round journey of 140 miles - to help son with some DIY and, if we go, will have to fill up when we get back so hoping for the best.

I'm afraid I have. Hoping to collect DH from hospital on Monday (round trip of over 100 miles) and going to GS's Christening at Easter, round trip of another 150 miles. In the meantime, I have to be able to get to the station to go to London to visit aforementioned DH. I hate this sort of blackmail.

At 7pm today, after dog walking , we were down to last 90 miles of fuel so needed to fill up. We couldn't believe what we saw at our local petrol stations, long queues, notices saying some of the pumps were empty and there isn't even a strike yet!
With the Olympics in a few months and the tube people also making threats, what impression are we giving to the rest of the world?

I haven't and hadn't intended too I have over half a tank and don't do many miles anyway.. but OH shouted up to me this morning as he left for work "You'd better fill up today" me "why I have over half a tank", him, "well if this strike goes ahead and I run out I can then use yours!!" I won't tell you what my reply was!! it was two words..

Instead of putting a few pounds worth of petrol in the car two days ago, I did fill it up [still only £25 poiunds worth, though]. Since our local garage closed down, I have a few miles to travel to the nearest garage and with looking after the grandson the getting to work next week I can't risk being without petrol [also don't like running the car with an almost empty tank because it's so bad for the engine]. The S.O. is oop north at the moment, and he said there is no panic buying round Berwick, but my cousin in Birmingham says there were people queuing at garages and filing up cans yesterday. I do feel bad about filling the car up, though. What is it with this country? We can't seem to cope with anything.

I hope I can find some petrol this weekend because I am going on a U3A residential course next week in the depths of Lancashire.

Our garages are coping now as the queues are shorter, then again maybe the whole of NW Norfolk have filled their tanks!

I put the usual amount in yesterday when I was at local garage and when I went past today the price had gone up a litre from £1.42 to £1.44 they had not had a delivery since I was in yesterday so how can they be justified in this rise.

I filled up yesterday as I was under a 1/4 of a tank (try to never go below 1/4 in case of family emergency) and the garage was not particularly busy. Today there were queues causing chaos on a narrow country road. I am visiting my 85 year old Mother every day as she has only just come out of hospital following a total knee replacement, and needs assistance. I may have to take to my bike (2.5 miles up hill - still it is 2.5 miles downhill on the way home). I am just glad this was not happening when I was driving 40 miles a day, some of it through heavy traffic in order to see Mum at hospital.

I expected madness today, but decided to queue at a small local petrol station rather then a supermarket. When I got there at 5 pm, there was no queue! Filled up and now will top up whenever I see a petrol station that doesn't look busy.

I filled up on Tuesday evening when it looked as if things were winding themselves up for a panic. I don't like running the tank down low either. I've only run out of petrol once but it was such a nightmare experience, I start getting twitchy when it's down to a quarter full.
The government's PR machine isn't being very effective is it? Or perhaps it is? The press have stopped talking about the granny tax. Maybe that was the plan.

It is madness where I live. Took ages to get back home today because queues for petrol were blocking roads. As there has to be seven days notice of a strike, many of the people panicing today will have used the petrol anyway before a strike starts. I wouldn't mind the panic if it was just because people are worried about the prospect of a strike but I am furious that it has been stoked up by ministers. I have to say I have my suspicions as to why they would do this. I am so angry I could spit out my pasty!!
As for Francis Maude, what happens if someone blows up their garage or worse because they are storing petrol. How irresponsible can you get.

Discussions with ACAS start on Monday. The Union has to give 7 days notice of a strike. Therefore they can't legitimately strike until Easter Monday at the earliest and, depending on how long talks last and whether or not they succeed, it could happen later or not at all. Fingers crossed.

Well i think dave et al thought they were begin smart, distracting from budget and putting pressure on ed et al. own goal. big one.

True, JessM, but Ed hasn't come out of this one too well either, refusing to condemn strike action for fear of upsetting his donors...

Well damned if he does and damned if he doesn't really.
But at least he didn't say "fill up you gerry/jerry? cans"
(why are they called that ?)
Dave's terrible week (granny tax, pasties, petrol faux pas) is overshadowing ed's problem without a doubt.
Sounds like a really good time to leave the country for five weeks folks! My bag is packed, and I am girded up for a long couple of days travelling. leave here in a taxi tomorrow morning and get to Sydney Sunday morning! (yes ok scientific pedants it will technically "only" be a day and a half)

I filled up but I do have to drive to work tomorrow and over the weekend. No different to normal though.