Have you topped up today?

Johanna, I agree with you completely.

Filled up yesterday as we had no petrol in the tank. There was a queue at Tesco so we drove away to do some business. Came back a while later and the queue was much reduced. The funny thing is, i don't think the strike will affect us here in N.I. but people are panicking anyway.

I hope it calms down now that people have filled their tanks. I had to drive to Oxford yesterday and must fill up at some point next week. However the queues [and some were VERY long] made me go to the next town on the TRAIN and I was really surprised at how cheap it was with a Senior Railcard - much cheaper than parking in the multi-storey. I met a friend for lunch and bought a couple of bits which made for the only downside - the bits I bought were on the heavy side. Still, it made me think that perhaps I shouldn't be relying on the car as much as I tend to do - better for me too, and the environment of course . [There should be a halo emoticon ]

I filled up the car with the usual amount. It was quiet bizarre seeing cars queuing and adding to the congestion. People have understood there may be a strike, but have not picked up on the time scales required, a strike will be after Easter at the earliest.

We all have committments and places we need to get to. But it's the
drivers that need to get to work that I feel sorry for.
What were these two men thinking of causing a panic? Now there is no petrol
to be had at our local station.

I would have filled up if i could have found a garage with some petrol sorry diesel left but all in the area had sold out. No I was not panic buying i am going on holiday have to drive to the midlands then to manchester and reverse, how many more mistakes is this goverment going to make hopefully will manage to get some over the weekend

Well, I did fill up today at Tesco, because I need it next week and I happened to be at Tesco anyway. The queue was not by any means excessive. I only had to wait a few minutes.

Oh and by the way, there are garages and sheds up and down the country storing petrol in cans because they have petrol mowers etc.

So if the government said "Right you must all go to Beachy Head and jump" you would do it, yes? Ofcourse not. If you watch and listen we were repeatedly told the Union would have to by law give 7 days notice of strike action. It was very foolish of Francis Maude to say what he did but he has been misquoted time and time again by the media. He has never said "FIILL up your garage with gerry cans full of petrol" He has said "A liitle bit of petrol in a gerry can would'nt hurt". As for the theory the government have created a panic to stop bad coverage is pure nonsense

I urge you all to take a good, long ,hard look at the media coverage since Leveson. I think there is a backlash against the government for implementing Leveson and if you want a conspiracy theory this hype by the media has let ALL of them off the hook with the new revelations have they practically ALL paid money to the so-called Motor Man for covert information. They can play a good game of brainwashing, as we are all experiencing now.

People will be doing exactly the same panic buying in the future unless this is resolved. It is human nature, it happened during the last petrol tankers strike, If the government had said "Don't fill up your tanks there is no problem" are you all so sure this would not have happened!

Thanks for your good wishes. And for that utopian vision of the near future Carol .
Woke up early to wave off DH who had to go to a meeting in Hampshire And then to the Midlands to look after his mum. Bless him.
Woke up to the news that GG elected in Bradford. What is it about that man that makes me feel uneasy?
I'll be in touch. Intermittently. Have a nice party and love to super xxx

JessM have a fantastic time! We'll be thinking of you. Xxxxx

Or Carol will have woken up from a lovely dream! Have a wonderful time with your family, JessM.

Jess have a fabulour trip and when you come back the country will have put itself back in order. We will have tanks full of cheap petrol, the strike will have fizzled out, our no-VAT pasties will be nice and hot, Call Me Dave will have resigned, Francis Maude's house fire won't be sorted on his void insurance, and the Granny Tax will have been rescinded. All sorted by the Gransnetters during our party with Supernana.

I have done 1500 miles in the last year. I filled up my tank after my last drive to see my DD, and have not driven since!
The trib service pay for me to have taxis to attend hearings, so,so long as my driver has fuel I'm ok! He's also insured to drive my car, so , I should be able to carry on working!

Jess Have a good trip.

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

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.