[News] There's no need to panic buy petrol

[Bry Nylon]

We're doing similar for the late mother in law, which was why I was pleased we got fuel at 6am.

I pleased for you. It is just an added layer of stress that isn't needed at this time.

 

[A1X]

Are we now in the grip of the serial "topper-uppers" who's selfishness is preventing things from stabilising?

I haven't been near a fuel station since the middle of last week as I had enough to get by and hoped it would all blow over by the beginning of this week, plus I had no interest in being part of the problem when I had no cause to be. But I am now down to >50 miles and fear that I will need this just to undertake a search for somewhere I can actually get some fuel.

I have to go to the Cotswolds this weekend because as a family we will finally be holding a wake for my father. He died just before Christmas but covid restrictions in place at the time meant we could only hold a basic funeral and no gathering afterwards. This is our first opportunity to get everybody together since so that we may remember my dad. So if I finally manage to get fuel and find that person in front of me has put in less than a tenner, god help them.

Hence why I believe people should be checking how much fuel people actually have before letting them onto the forecourts and turning away anyone with more than half a tank. Unless they can prove they're driving to Aberdeen the next day obviously.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

But it does actually say a lot about our society and culture that the car is considered an absolute necessity and a right to have one. How do you tax, service, MOT and generally maintain a car if you can't afford to put £10 of fuel in it? If you can't put £10 in it, what do you do if it needs new tyres, needs a new bulb etc.? It's surely time to think about alternatives. In fact we all need to think about alternatives to using our cars so often. The desperation this crisis is causing just shows why we're so terrified of progressing on from a reliance on the motor vehicle. Why making city centres traffic free, or introducing cycle lanes is met with such resistance. It really does highlight the car obsession we have in the UK.

If I didn't need the car to do my job, I would seriously consider coming off the road for a few months.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

It's a problem because if the law says that you can only charge the price per litre that is on the pump, then it will be illegal to enforce charging a price higher than what is on the pump.

I see what you are getting at. In that case treat a refusal to buy the correct amount as refusal to pay. Send registration details to the police along with a report of theft. I’m only really just trying to come up with ideas for down South. Doesn’t seem to be much of a problem up here. Just enjoying the Northern sunshine whilst Southerners go crazy and spend the day queuing in their cars.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If I didn't need the car to do my job, I would seriously consider coming off the road for a few months.

What do you do?

 

[sparkie]

On Friday I've got to drive up the A26 and was wondering what the queues outside the garages in Crowborough had been like? Worried it has potential to really slow down my journey. (Don't want to refuel there, just worried I might need to leave earlier).

I only know the garages actually on the A26 in Crowborough but "hit and miss" would be an optimistic assessment. Sometimes the one down the hill from Crowborough Cross has been open with a "challenging" queue.

I think the Morrisons one has been open once that I've noticed and I've been going past roughly every other day both ways.

On Saturday night I went past 12 garages going from TWells to Littlehampton. All forecourts shut. That evening was a particular low point, it is is now marginally better with the occasional garage open.


Don't worry about queues blocking you there.

 

[Norman Potting]

I only know the garages actually on the A26 in Crowborough but "hit and miss" would be an optimistic assessment. Sometimes the one down the hill from Crowborough Cross has been open with a "challenging" queue.

I think the Morrisons one has been open once that I've noticed and I've been going past roughly every other day both ways.

On Saturday night I went past 12 garages going from TWells to Littlehampton. All forecourts shut. That evening was a particular low point, it is is now marginally better with the occasional garage open.


Don't worry about queues blocking you there.

There is also an M & S Simply Food and petrol station off the A26 - Google will show you where.

 

[Bodian]

That would rule out the wife driving - Fiat 500, 35l tank

The way prices are going, it will soon be £50 for her!

 

[BrightonCottager]

I've not gone through 112 pages of comments to check if anyone has already referred to this. I've been in Portugal in recent years when the fuel tanker drivers have gone on strike or work to rule and some enterprising person almost immediately made some software based on Google Maps that showed where fuel was available. It was updated using people power. Does such a thing exist for us here and now?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I've not gone through 112 pages of comments to check if anyone has already referred to this. I've been in Portugal in recent years when the fuel tanker drivers have gone on strike or work to rule and some enterprising person almost immediately made some software based on Google Maps that showed where fuel was available. It was updated using people power. Does such a thing exist for us here and now?

Sounds like the sort of thing that should be incorporated into Waze

 

[Bry Nylon]

I've not gone through 112 pages of comments to check if anyone has already referred to this. I've been in Portugal in recent years when the fuel tanker drivers have gone on strike or work to rule and some enterprising person almost immediately made some software based on Google Maps that showed where fuel was available. It was updated using people power. Does such a thing exist for us here and now?

This is EXACTLY the sort of well-intentioned undertaking that is prolonging this fuel issue via the law of intended consequences.

Like all these mad Facebook groups that are communicating fuel stations that have just had a delivery. Everybody from miles around is descending on them and bleeding them dry as quickly as they are replenished, resulting in no confidence that supply and demand will re-balance. People see the queues and believe that the situation isn't going to rectify anytime soon.

What we really need is to just let supply rebalance a bit, restore confidence to stop people panicking and we'll all be back to normal. All things like this do is drain the system as quickly as it is refilled with abnormal demand levels.

It's not quite on the same level as running into a crowded theatre and shouting "fire" but a little like running into a crowded theatre and shouting, "That fire that was put out? How do you know it's really out?"

This isn't a problem that can be solved by some homespun software that undermines what the fuel-retailing industry is trying to do and is entirely counter-productive to the national and collective good

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Both Texaco and Esso in Peacehaven both out of fuel.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Both Texaco and Esso in Peacehaven both out of fuel.

Probably because the moment they had a delivery, some dick put it on a Facebook group and those that could got straight down there whether they needed fuel or not and bled it dry. And so we go on.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

Tilgate garage in Crawley got plenty of petrol - went there about 30 mins ago


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[southstandandy]

Asda at Craigavon has plenty of petrol. No shortage here.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

Probably because the moment they had a delivery, some dick put it on a Facebook group and those that could got straight down there whether they needed fuel or not and bled it dry. And so we go on.

Your right. I don't have a Facebook account, and I'm glad in some way. Waiting to hear about Tanker deliveries just adds to the fuel anxiety.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Your right. I don't have a Facebook account, and I'm glad in some way. Waiting to hear about Tanker deliveries just adds to the fuel anxiety.

Me neither. And Facebook being used for this situation is entirely counter-productive. It would be like having an app that tells you which kiosks currently have the shortest queue at the Amex. Guess what you find when you get to the kiosk with the shortest queue? Yes, a ****ing huge queue. Just let supply and demand balance itself without intervening.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Me neither. And Facebook being used for this situation is entirely counter-productive. It would be like having an app that tells you which kiosks currently have the shortest queue at the Amex. Guess what you find when you get to the kiosk with the shortest queue? Yes, a ****ing huge queue. Just let supply and demand balance itself without intervening.

Isn’t NSC doing exactly the same ? When I read this morning on here that Shell in Burgess Hill had fuel I sent a text to my cousin and mentioned it on a phone call to my brother.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Isn’t NSC doing exactly the same ? When I read this morning on here that Shell in Burgess Hill had fuel I sent a text to my cousin and mentioned it on a phone call to my brother.

Yes. It is doing exactly the same. But I consider myself to be among friends here, so I reserve my ire for dicks on Facebook.

Plus giving family members a nudge is quite understandable and in my view different from setting up a dedicated Facebook page viewable by all, that simply prolongs the situation and works against the logistical planning that the fuel companies are endeavouring to put in place to get us out of this shitstorm.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Yes. It is doing exactly the same. But I consider myself to be among friends here, so I reserve my ire for dicks on Facebook.

Plus giving family members a nudge is quite understandable and in my view different from setting up a dedicated webpage viewable by all, that simply prolongs the situation and works against the logistical planning that the fuel companies are endeavouring to put in place to get us out of this shitstorm.

Mrs Wz has to find some petrol tonight/early tomorrow as she's lending her car to our daughter tomorrow to go to a wedding in the Midlands. Subtle hints will be fine