PANIC BUY!

[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.

[crust]

Poor obs.

[Walker mode] Anyone want to buy some diesel? [/Walker mode]

[DefTrap]

It could be the end of the World though - it has to happen some time after all.

[irie]

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?

How would you identify those who do from those who are taking the piss?

[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?

How would you identify those who do from those who are taking the piss?

Dead simple, ask em if they work in politics.

[Taipan]

I can see the panic buy cnuts from my bathroom window!

[Potter]

To be fair, let them have their moment, the end is nigh, it's Boris and the lizard people plotting their downfall, it's definitely not a straightforward JIT logistics problem because of a bit of media hype.

[Docca]

As much as I agree about the media being abhorrent in their own actions, I find it equally egregious to take a fingers-in-eat approach re: the governments response to…well, just about anything.

Brexit through to the pandemic they have consistently demonstrated that they can’t plan. What’s worse, it’s that they can’t plan against the consequences for situations they’ve perpetuated.

[Potter]

As much as I agree about the media being abhorrent in their own actions, I find it equally egregious to take a fingers-in-eat approach re: the governments response to…well, just about anything.

Brexit through to the pandemic they have consistently demonstrated that they can’t plan. What’s worse, it’s that they can’t plan against the consequences for situations they’ve perpetuated.

I agree with poor planning and execution on some things, like the traffic light system, it was a farce. I could equally stab a finger at road traffic management, etc, but just to pick something simple, not a worldwide pandemic or anything, but just a bit of petrol - how would you plan and provision for motorists buying 4x as much petrol as usual over a few days, at some point every decade or so?

[Count Steer]

It's worth remembering how this started though. It was the fuel companies that stuck their heads over the parapet and said 'I say chaps, we have a bit of a problem with the driver, shortage. We may have a few petrol stations closing from time to time'.
Our glorious media* picked up the story and megaphoned it. Next thing, the great unwashed are queuing at the petrol stations trying to squeeze an extra gill of juice in the tank.

*A Brit was telling a Russian that their media is state controlled and full of lies. The Russian laughed until tears were running down his cheeks but eventually managed to splutter 'Yes, is true, but you believe what your media says' and collapsed in hysterics.

[weeksy]

Wasn't easy this morning but I got some fuel in the end.

[Nordboy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58687026

BBC still reporting via their main story, that it's the hgv driver issue that are causing fuel supply shortages!!

They're totally oblivious (or being very smug) to the fact that it's their fault because they're causing the panic buying, and that's what's causing the shortages!!!!

[Skub]

Not a queue in sight on my run out today.

[slowsider]

It's a logistics balance that is purposely that way, the shortage is just a lot of people that want stuff right now and not many stockpiles of those things, the demand exceeding supply happens so infrequently that it's not economically viable to stockpile it.

From the FT 2019: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com ... 6ca66511c9

"The UK’s emergency petroleum stocks will more than halve in the event of a no-deal exit from the EU, reducing the buffer of strategic reserves available in the event of severe global supply disruption.

The government would no longer require industry to hold the EU-mandated levels in the event of a hard Brexit, defaulting instead to much lower reserves stipulated by the International Energy Agency, the UK’s energy department said."


Taking back control.

[Count Steer]

I've not noticed any shortage here.

Oddly enough, NI isn't impacted by the carbon dioxide shortage either. I wonder why?
Oh. Silly me, I forgot. NI is still part of the single market for goods. They just bought in from somewhere else to tide them over. What a neat idea.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've just been out around MK to run some errands, I did a little reconnoitre of the garages just for shits and giggles.

Full panic here! People queuing out onto the 70mph grid roads...