The Mock Turtle

Are the newspapers stoking panic or reflecting reality?

My Facebook is full of people saying the petrol shortages are all lies.

Ah, thanks for explaining.

Frome is out of petrol according to FB. I drove back from London this afternoon and most of the petrol stations I saw were either closed or queuing out to the road. I stopped to fill up on the A303 and each pump had a car filling plus 2 waiting but further west the queues were definitely smaller.

God, this thread has made me feel really panicky now.

The sainsburys I go to was a bit busier but nothing mental. I has just over quarter of a tank but planned to go today anyway as I was there doing my food for the weekend shop so I probably contributed but I've my mot tomorrow and probably would have needed to go then anyway as I have a tiny tank.

smalex wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 4:51 pm Are the newspapers stoking panic or reflecting reality?

I find this really hard to reconcile. Obviously we don’t want them to ignore the issues, but telling us not to panic never actually ends with us not panicking.

It’s lose:lose really. If they report fuel shortages people will panic buy. If they report unnecessary panic buying people will panic buy.

To me, this is irresponsibly encouraging panic buying:

Bloody hell, that Sun cover.

I think petrol is out all around here but I have an electric car so I don't go to petrol stations any more. I hardly drive anywhere anyway. I almost bought more logs earlier in a panic but I'll wait until I'm paid next week and I'll panic buy chicken thighs next week too.

One of my friends asked how long each of our household food stores would last if shit completely hit the fan and I said three months maybe four at a push. It wouldn't be nice meals but there could be very bland food eaten in weeks' time but most of them said a couple of weeks and one only a week.

Gosh, only a week! It’s not just having space to store it, it’s the money too, isn’t it.

J is genuinely out of petrol as if this evening. The two petrol stations he passed on his way home had no petrol. He’s now on a dog walk / petrol hunt.

It’s bonkers. I have a full tank. If J doesn’t find petrol by Sunday afternoon I’m going to have to go over and work from there next week so he can use my car to get to work.

We are 75 miles apart. I don’t particularly want to leave my house but if it means J can get to work, I will. FFS

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 7:05 pm

smalex wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 4:51 pm Are the newspapers stoking panic or reflecting reality?

I find this really hard to reconcile. Obviously we don’t want them to ignore the issues, but telling us not to panic never actually ends with us not panicking.

Yes, I mean, it IS an actual problem which IS entirely newsworthy. To not report it (and a lot of the brexit supporting press haven't been reporting things which I think they ought to have been) is irresponsible. But in doing so it obviously makes it worse.

I was agreeing with you, that’s exactly it.

Sorry, I was agreeing with you too!

All the 10 days to save Christmas talk is getting on my wick. If you want to instill panic, threaten bloody Christmas in mid-September.

Indeed, not helpful at all.

My local Facebook page is full of people stuck in queues trying to get fuel. My nearest petrol station is closed as it's run out. It's madness, with panic buying making any shortage so much worse. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but if I can't get a full tank before my niece's wedding on Friday (a 300 mile round trip, and public transport not an option), I won't be able to go. However, I'm not even going to try this weekend.

I hope you can go to your niece’s wedding, Rosa!

I nipped out earlier and the petrol station had a queue of 37 cars, not counting the ones on the forecourt. It looked like they only had two pumps (out of 4) working, just to compound things. I have a quarter of a tank in this courtesy car which I hope I will be returning next week (and I have to hand it back with a quarter of a tank) but I’m pretty certain that when I handed my own car to the mechanic it had less than half a tank. And they then drove it to the repairer’s and will drive it back to me, so I will need to buy fuel in one or other of the cars (or both) next week. I’m definitely going to buy an electric car next time!

Everywhere is out round here too. The DPD driver told me to not bother ordering anything else as he’ll have no petrol after today to do his deliveries.

The local garages ran out yesterday, and whilst Tesco was open, there were queues of about 60+ cars (to the point that Tesco staff were having to direct traffic, as no-one could actually get to the supermarket).