PANIC BUY!

[demographic]

If it's just panic buying it takes a week or so and just levels out cos everyone fills up at three quarters of a tank instead of when its knocking on empty. They don't really use more fuel though.

However, if its a labour shortage (in this case drivers) then it may last longer or as the wages in that area rise the problems move onto another area where the drivers wages are less and they move to the greater money.
Then maybe the farmers don't plant as many crops because they've had labour shortages as well and had crops they had to plough back into the ground.
That gets harder to hide and claim its just media scaremongering.

A bit like this year really then.

[Taipan]

[Mr. Dazzle]

Forcing people to live a life which isn't based on cheapest possible labour and right-now-whatever-you-want thinking probably isn't a bad thing long term.

[Count Steer]

LOL. Red light on fuel gauge, need shopping. Only fuel for one trip. Buy food to last longer than normal, working around the gaps on the shelves. Panic shopping!

[Yorick]

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[Trinity765]

It's the panic that just keeps giving.

[Noggin]

Even when there are no shortages panic buying quickly overwhelms the system doesn't it? The same thing happened back in the early noughties with the fuel protest thing.

People are stupid. A person might be smart, but people are stupid

My favourite quote from Men in Black!!! Use it often!

[Count Steer]

Forcing people to live a life which isn't based on cheapest possible labour and right-now-whatever-you-want thinking probably isn't a bad thing long term.

That's a very positive and constructive attitude* Mr Dazzle

I'm slightly more dystopian and hoping for the Brexiters to start stringing each other up from lampposts claiming it was the others stupid idea.

* if somewhat Panglossian.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Panglossian

Who you callin' a scaley mammal?

FWIW I don't think Brexit has helped the issue, not by a long stretch. Nor has Covid. But if the structural weaknesses hadn't been in place to begin with then 'the system' wouldn't be creaking.

You could have argued that 'they' were expecting to have a reliable supply of drivers in the long term - but come on, Brexit wasn't a surprise. Covid was, but then again "Pandemic" has been number 1 on the list of possible disasters since forever hasn't it?

This is another one of those issues that was always going to come up (TBF, I didn't see it coming but this isn't my game!) and circumstances have just fast forwarded it.

Many bollox have been dropped!

[Mussels]

Google maps is showing local petrol stations are quieter than usual this morning, panic buying over.

[Pirahna]

The government has relaxed visa rules for truck drivers. The visa rules are in place because of Brexit. Therefore the driver shortage is caused by Covid.

I could be a government spokesman.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Google maps is showing local petrol stations are quieter than usual this morning, panic buying over.

I can think of 2 reasons they'd be quiet

[DefTrap]

Time to move over to fuel that can be sourced locally.
Steam power was a lot of fun wasn't it?
And there must be still loads of coal down those mines? Just ship in a load of furriners* to dig it out.

*Northerners

[Mr. Dazzle]

Time to move over to fuel that can be sourced locally.

Maybe they could send it down a long thin metal strand straight to your house.

[DefTrap]

Time to move over to fuel that can be sourced locally.

Maybe they could send it down a long thin metal strand straight to your house.

I don't think they've really tried very hard, the quitters.

[Mussels]

Google maps is showing local petrol stations are quieter than usual this morning, panic buying over.

I can think of 2 reasons they'd be quiet

That crossed my mind and may be the case for Morrissons which is very quiet but the BP on the main road is just slightly quiter than usual, I'll find out later as I'll be coming back with a nearly empty tank.

[Taipan]

Time to move over to fuel that can be sourced locally.
Steam power was a lot of fun wasn't it?
And there must be still loads of coal down those mines? Just ship in a load of furriners* to dig it out.

*Northerners

Nah, they fooked it up last time!

[irie]

I've not noticed any shortage here.

There are no shortages here either, just a queue of dicks panic buying. One local petrol station has a great way to filter the queue, they're serving at the pumps and are turning away anyone whose tank is over a quarter full.

[demographic]

One local petrol station has a great way to filter the queue, they're serving at the pumps and are turning away anyone whose tank is over a quarter full.

Good job nobody ever has a long drive ahead of them eh?

[Docca]

I like the idea of turning drivers away.

I charged my car at the local shell today. Sat there for 30 minutes and saw dozens and dozens of drivers pull in to the forecourt only to have to come straight out. A ‘we have no fuel’ sign might have helped.