Petrol queues reported now on BBC news

We have acute lorry driver shortages here too (Belgium), but no food shortages or fuel for that matter.
I am speaking from experience as my SIL is a partner in a specialist food buying and delivery company. Also an HGV driver.
They are desperate for fully qualified drivers, both white van and double rigged lorries.
A young man came to the business for a job interview a couple of months ago, he was driven there and his 'driving licence' was a sealed envelope with a stamp on the front and his name printed on it.
He swore black was white that it was legal in his Country. When asked for his normal driving licence he left and said he would report them ?,,,
It seems a bit like Chinese Whispers and I will say that I would probably be in a queue too if I kept seeing it on the news with panicking presenters.

I don't disagree growstuff.

But panicked-sounding people on the radio telling us their livelihoods are at risk and that it's carnage out there just makes it worse and people like Vine should know better. But there's nothing like a good scare story for getting the listeners excited.

There's one petrol station in my town, a Tesco one, and the queues this morning were right round the car park. For nothing. There's no shortages in Scotland. Well there will be now that people have started filling up when they don't need to. I'm really quite annoyed

The point I was making is that it doesn't matter if it's only a handful.

Smileless2012

I didn't day it didn't matter growstuff so if you're going to respond directly to a post of mine, respond to what I actually wrote.

Did I say you did? If you going to accuse me of something I wrote, at least check that I wrote it!

Alegrias1

I'm not disputing that people need to get fuel for their cars.

But just now on Jeremy Vine they had some representative of the industry saying that although some garages are temporarily shut, there was no shortage of fuel and people were going to have to go to another petrol station, which is not ideal, but there is no shortage.

Then JV started interviewing the Great British Public, including one petrol station owner who said it was bedlam in her garage but no, there weren't any queues. (No queues? Bedlam?) Now they're talking about petrol stations deciding who deserves fuel and who doesn't and should all us private drivers just park up our cars and leave the petrol for those who need it.

You might not call it panic, but I beg to differ.

Nobody has claimed that there is an overall shortage! However, there is a shortage in some petrol stations, where it's needed.

In my area, which is relatively sparsely populated, there are few petrol stations. In a town of 15,000, there is only one petrol station - a Tesco one, which has been closed for most of the last two days. The next nearest is five miles away - a BP one, which is always very busy and was closed yesterday. There are two more within about ten miles.One of them was closed yesterday. It's no fun, time wasting (and totally unnecessary) to have to drive around looking for petrol on a nearly empty tank.

say not day

I didn't day it didn't matter growstuff so if you're going to respond directly to a post of mine, respond to what I actually wrote.

What it all boils down to is abysmal leadership.

I'm not disputing that people need to get fuel for their cars.

But just now on Jeremy Vine they had some representative of the industry saying that although some garages are temporarily shut, there was no shortage of fuel and people were going to have to go to another petrol station, which is not ideal, but there is no shortage.

Then JV started interviewing the Great British Public, including one petrol station owner who said it was bedlam in her garage but no, there weren't any queues. (No queues? Bedlam?) Now they're talking about petrol stations deciding who deserves fuel and who doesn't and should all us private drivers just park up our cars and leave the petrol for those who need it.

Some might not call it panic, but I beg to differ.

Casdon

I don’t follow the logic of it being panic buying. A petrol tank only holds a fixed amount of fuel, so if everybody tops up their tank but does the same journeys as normal, equilibrium will be reached within a few days. It’s not like toilet rolls where you can stockpile, is it?

I tried to make that point earlier in the thread Casdon.

I hope they don't allow anyone to fill up jerry cans.

Smileless2012

It doesn't help does it felice. On BBC breakfast this morning at least they were emphasising it was a handful of garages with a supply problem.

Ah! So it's only a handful. It doesn't matter. If you happen to be somebody who relies on a car and a particular petrol station, it's no consolation to know that the majority aren't affected.

Some busy petrol stations have daily deliveries and can't store more than they sell in a day, so it's obvious they're going to run out very quickly if there'seven a minor disruption to supply.

I'm not disputing that people need to get fuel for their cars.

But just now on Jeremy Vine they had some representative of the industry saying that although some garages are temporarily shut, there was no shortage of fuel and people were going to have to go to another petrol station, which is not ideal, but there is no shortage.

Then JV started interviewing the Great British Public, including one petrol station owner who said it was bedlam in her garage but no, there weren't any queues. (No queues? Bedlam?) Now they're talking about petrol stations deciding who deserves fuel and who doesn't and should all us private drivers just park up our cars and leave the petrol for those who need it.

You might not call it panic, but I beg to differ.

I don’t follow the logic of it being panic buying. A petrol tank only holds a fixed amount of fuel, so if everybody tops up their tank but does the same journeys as normal, equilibrium will be reached within a few days. It’s not like toilet rolls where you can stockpile, is it?

It doesn't help does it felice. On BBC breakfast this morning at least they were emphasising it was a handful of garages with a supply problem.

felice

Perhaps if the news channels were not splashing it on TV people would not be panic buying. Just saying.

I don't watch TV. I experienced it myself. It's not just panic buying. It's simple: there is currently not enough fuel stored in forecourts for the people who need it on a daily basis and the petrol stations aren't getting deliveries to top up.

lemongrove

Of course you are right tanith there will be people who need it for journeys and those who just worry about not being able to get any...so yes, panic buying.

Every person who has ever bought fuel has done it in anticipation of journeys they will need to make.

That's prudent, not panic buying.

tanith

So we don’t normally have queues at petrol stations if everyone is filling as normal why are there queues today?

Because if your usual filling station is out of fuel, you'd go where they do have it. As would others. There's only 1 near me. So if it's out, I'll go to the next one. Surely that's logical?

felice

Perhaps if the news channels were not splashing it on TV people would not be panic buying. Just saying.

It's all over facebook and on the local sites so its no just tv

Are you saying the news should be censored

I've decided not to fill up the car I am using btw. I work from home. It will just be the children's schooling/college which I will struggle with, as if they haven't been disrupted enough.

Perhaps if the news channels were not splashing it on TV people would not be panic buying. Just saying.

lemongrove

Of course you are right tanith there will be people who need it for journeys and those who just worry about not being able to get any...so yes, panic buying.

No! Sensible buying.

I just had to go out to fetch some migraleve <sunglasses on> and there were queues at all petrol stations. I filled up my dd's car Wednesday PM and they were already closing pumps in Herts, so I guess we'll eventually just run out <sigh> I wont be able to get my youngest to school if we do, it would be an 8 hour walk and we couldn't afford the bus pass as it was nearly 2k for the year

tanith

So we don’t normally have queues at petrol stations if everyone is filling as normal why are there queues today?

Because they can't fill up as normal. Some people usually use petrol stations with delivery issues, so head to somewhere which they know has fuel. People have been advised to fill up when they still have a quarter of a tank, so are making sure they don't run out and can't find a petrol station with fuel.