WTF can you get some petrol in this county ?

[Curryisgreat]

Looking at your posts your clearly a bit of a cock so keep it up

I am Sir. Unfortunately one of the side effects of this condition is that poorly structured posts deeply irritate me.

 

[Don Quixote]

At this rate Ed Miliband might actually be the next Prime Minister. Funny isn't it.

 

[Grombleton]

Popped to get something from Littlehampton Tescos and there was a 15 car queue.

Thought 'f*** that' and went home.

Waited 2 hours, popped to the BP at Crossbush - no queue and a full tank. Booyah.

 

[tedebear]

I can understand looking for petrol when you need it but why the panic buy? I have read and re-read everything that was supposedly said and I can't for the life of me see whats caused the panic. Can someone point me in the direction of who said whatever has caused this?

 

[sir albion]

Badly handled. I saw the minister on the breakfast news this morning telling everyone to go today and fill their tanks up.

It doesn't matter if it's badly handled....fact is anyone with half a brain knows we wouldn't have any problems if everyone carried on as normal.Any normal motorist would realise the whole situation,this strike if it happens could be two weeks away at least,my point is even if it was a strike for a week most garages would cope if everyone went about it normally.

Just can't get my head around it,these idiots are making things ten times bloody worse

 

[Cantona's Flying Dropkick]

I can understand looking for petrol when you need it but why the panic buy? I have read and re-read everything that was supposedly said and I can't for the life of me see whats caused the panic. Can someone point me in the direction of who said whatever has caused this?

BBC News - Fuel strike threat: at petrol stations

Queues have formed at petrol stations as demand for fuel shot up after ministers called for people to top up in case of a tanker drivers' strike.

Some garages ran dry but retailers said they were coping and normal deliveries would ensure supplies were replenished.

Ministers have rejected retailer claims their advice caused "panic buying".

Conciliation service Acas says it hopes talks will take place shortly after Monday, making Easter strikes unlikely, correspondents say.

Some 90% of UK forecourts are supplied by the Unite union's 2,000 or so members, who are calling for minimum standards of working conditions and pay.

Anticipating a strike they describe as "completely wrong", ministers had called for motorists to keep their cars "topped up" but urged people not to queue.

On Thursday, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said people "just need to do the sensible thing... get a full tank of petrol, not a half-tank."

'Self-inflicted shortages'
Brian Madderson, chairman of independent retailers' group RMI Petrol, accused ministers of "making a crisis out of a serious concern" and said they should have sought industry advice "weeks ago" on how to avoid fuel shortages.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

Norman Smith
Chief political correspondent, BBC News Channel
There are serious political ramifications in the way the government is handling the fuel dispute. Labour are trying to raise the "competence issue" of the government's response and the various bits of advice from different ministers.

They want it to become an issue of judgement, competence and effectiveness in handling what is not even yet a strike.

Labour also says David Cameron should get directly involved and bring the two sides together to hammer out some sort of deal - in a way making it a leadership issue.

Added to that the party wants to make the dispute part of their narrative about how "out of touch" with ordinary people this government is.

So there is serious politics going on while, on the other side, Labour are twisting and turning, trying to avoid answering the question: why won't they condemn the strike?

It said petrol sales were up 81% on Wednesday, with diesel up 43%.

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents around 5,500 garages, said: "This is exactly what we didn't want - people panic buying.

"Deliveries are still being made to garages and we are advising people to continue with their normal buying habits."

Meanwhile, Edmund King, from the AA, said: "If drivers followed normal fuel-buying patterns there would be no fuel shortage whatsoever.

"We now have self-inflicted shortages due to poor advice about topping up the tank and hoarding in jerrycans."

Queues were reported at petrol stations in various parts of the UK on Thursday, with Dorset Police urging people not to panic-buy and asking garages to close where queues were causing a traffic hazard.

Teresa Sayers, chief executive of retailer group the Downstream Fuel Association, said increased demand had resulted in some UK garages running out of fuel.

'Negotiated settlement'
But she added: "It is a temporary issue and we are replenishing the fuel as quickly as we can."

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

The government has sown the seeds of panic and people are reacting - there is no strike and there may not be for another two weeks - it's ridiculous.”

Fuel queues: Your views
About 1,200 of the UK's 8,500 petrol stations are operated by supermarkets, with oil companies owning some 1,800.

Supermarket Sainsbury's said "the vast majority" of its stations were open. Oil giant BP reported increased demand across its sites on Wednesday, with individual tanks running dry but no garages running out of fuel altogether.

BBC transport correspondent Richard Westcott said one of the reasons the government was advising people to fill up was that the capacity of private vehicle tanks was three or four times as much as all petrol stations combined.

Acas said in a statement it had contacted both Unite officials and the contractors involved and was receiving more detailed briefings on issues underpinning the dispute.

"This will enable us to determine more clearly the form substantive talks should take to provide the best opportunity for a negotiated settlement."

It said it hoped a format for talks would be fixed by Monday, with face-to-face discussions starting soon afterwards.

'A shambles'
"With seven days notice of any strike, this process makes a strike over the Easter weekend very unlikely," said BBC political correspondent Iain Watson.


Unite's drivers, who deliver fuel to Shell and Esso garages and supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury's, have called for minimum standards covering pay, hours, holiday and redundancy.

Chancellor George Osborne said people were concerned about fuel supplies because of the strike threat.

"The government has a responsibility to everyone in this country to take sensible contingency plans and the trade union has a responsibility to call off the threat of strike action."

He rejected criticism of the government's handling of the situation.

Much attention focused on a suggestion by Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude that people store fuel in a jerrycan in the garage. It was later withdrawn, having been condemned as potentially dangerous.

Labour leader Ed Miliband called on Prime Minister David Cameron to apologise for "presiding over a shambles" and accused the government of diverting attention from criticism of the Budget.

Conservatives hit back at Labour for failing to condemn the stance of Unite - the party's biggest donor.

 

[Driver8]

My local has plenty and there were no queues when I ran past earlier.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

Did you get some cold pies though as that's the solution ?

nah, i got a GRAB bag size of walkers ready salted though

 

[tedebear]

BBC News - Fuel strike threat: at petrol stations

Thanks although I've read all that and I still can't see what these ministers said that has caused a panic? If people are panic buying based on a mnister saying they should keep their tank topped up then frankly they should be ashamed - surely its more than that?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

nah, i got a GRAB bag size of walkers ready salted though

Job done !

 

[bluenitsuj]

It doesn't matter if it's badly handled....fact is anyone with half a brain knows we wouldn't have any problems if everyone carried on as normal.Any normal motorist would realise the whole situation,this strike if it happens could be two weeks away at least,my point is even if it was a strike for a week most garages would cope if everyone went about it normally.

Just can't get my head around it,these idiots are making things ten times bloody worse

Totally agree. Luckily I have about half a tank but not rushing to fill up. If I was running on empty then I would have to join the queue. It is crazy, can people not think for themselves or are they all sheep.

 

[sir albion]

Totally agree. Luckily I have about half a tank but not rushing to fill up. If I was running on empty then I would have to join the queue. It is crazy, can people not think for themselves or are they all sheep.

I always used to think it was the Americans who were the only gulliable ones,now we're becoming far worse in many aspects.Its like we're a nation who needs spoon feeding.

Shocking beyond belief

 

[The Peanut Roaster]

Thanks although I've read all that and I still can't see what these ministers said that has caused a panic? If people are panic buying based on a mnister saying they should keep their tank topped up then frankly they should be ashamed - surely its more than that?

On Thursday, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said people "just need to do the sensible thing... get a full tank of petrol, not a half-tank."

Went on to say fill jerry cans etc.

Personally, I think this is a government PR balls up that's backfired, in so much as that they want us common people to blame any disruption and hardships on the union movement, and away from this government's bollocks budget for the rich.

 

[Seasider78]

P-A-N-I-C

What is it with this country the first sign of snow and people stock up on beans, at xmas we stock up enough food to feed a rugby team because the shops will be closed for 1 day, now we are panic buying petrol when a strike has not even been confirmed

When did we all become retards?

 

[tedebear]

On Thursday, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said people "just need to do the sensible thing... get a full tank of petrol, not a half-tank."

Went on to say fill jerry cans etc.

Personally, I think this is a government PR balls up that's backfired, in so much as that they want us common people to blame any disruption and hardships on the union movement, and away from this government's bollocks budget for the rich.

Ahh thanks - being in work overload mode I missed all that...I can't seem to find it printed either....

Hey ho - I filled up oblivious on Monday morning...what a stroke of luck considering I only do about 16 miles a day....so I should run out right when the real strike is called

 

[Husty]

how the hell am i getting home from Kent i have no idea, we went to look for petrol today and it was mental, if my misses goes in to labour and i miss it due to having no fuel due to the government being idiots and telling people to panic buy when there clearly is no need to yet can i sue there ass

Or you could phone for an ambulance?

 

[Lindfield by the Pond]

P-A-N-I-C

What is it with this country the first sign of snow and people stock up on beans, at xmas we stock up enough food to feed a rugby team because the shops will be closed for 1 day, now we are panic buying petrol when a strike has not even been confirmed

When did we all become retards?

This - First time I have used "this" response. I have waited for a proper post to lose my "this" virginity, and this is it. When did we all become retards is a very good question?

 

[Gangsta]

Went past a petrol station in Uckfield this afternoon - completely open, no queues and petrol still 136!!!

 

[Seagull on the wing]

Not just petrol...have you tried buying stamps,went to 3 shops before I got some....stocking up before the price rise!

 

[Falkor]