Gas Prices, Supply Issues and Collapsing Suppliers

[rosy]

The only petrol station where I live is a Sainsbury’s one (and it’s a good half-km by road from the Sainsbury’s store) but the same thing there; Sainsbury’s staff out on the road managing the queue and making people arriving from the north go past the petrol station, round a roundabout to join the queue from the south so that it only blocks one side of the road.

[Flora Poste]

My local high street was chaos this morning as so many people were queueing for the petrol station that it has managed to block the lot. We've got 1/4 tank left and don't use our car that much fortunately, so we should be ok. Other than the fact that I need to get a cab back from the hospital on Tuesday as I'll have had sedation, so hopefully that won't be an issue!

[Kenickie]

We've got 1/2 tank so hopefully will be fine. The main issue will be not being able to get kids to nursery if we run out.

[purple_dress]

It just took me an hour to do a 15 min local drive due to the petrol station queues blocking the roads. I've cancelled my trip to drive to see my friend because the traffic is so bad.

[rosy]

I can feel my anxiety rising, like to pre-Brexit and mid-pandemic levels.

[bramblerose]

The local petrol station to us is out of fuel.

D has enough fuel to get to work and back two more times. Hopefully Monday will see more fuel and less selfish arse-holery.

[Pippedydeadeye]

I’ve just parked at Sainsburys in Loughborough (bad idea, students are back this weekend) and their petrol station is completely closed.

[Texaco Shirley]

Sainsbury’s in Frome have closed theirs too.

[Lola]

As I said on the daily thread, I was supposed to be going up north to visit family today but have cancelled because of the petrol situation. I don’t even know if I could get there & back on a full tank because I’ve not had the car long enough to do a big trip yet. I should probably check the manual ;)

[rosy]

It’s a shame you had to cancel but I can understand why. The petrol station in the village here ran out of fuel about two hours ago so has closed; it’s hard to take the risk of not being able to get back home.

[Froozy]

I had to drive to Bath for work this morning and every petrol station I passed had queues out onto the road. I stopped at Sainsburys on my way home and they’d run out of fuel but had a delivery tanker there and by the time I left the queue was insane again. Staff directing traffic there too.

But, someone on the news on the radio on my way home said that because there isn’t actually a shortage once the panickers have refuelled things will go back to normal as deliveries will continue and people aren’t driving any further than normal so their tanks will last the normal period and by the time they need to refuel again there should have been enough stability to reassure them. Mind, I've no idea if he was an actual expert or just some bloke they'd found on the street but it sounded reassuring

[Lola]

It’s just annoying as they were all going to my brother’s house and I can get there & back in one day & would have seen everyone. Now I’ll have to do separate trips later & have to stay overnight.

Anyway, what’s that saying about only regretting the things that you don’t do

[Beena]

People can be arseholes. The photos in the press of bootloads of Jerry cans is infuriating. I'm so sorry about your cancelled trip, Lola.

We went for our usual swim this morning and there were queues at 6.30 am. Big signs reading no diesel outside everywhere we passed. We decided to do the supermarket shop on the way home, to save another trip and the shelves were half empty.

We're just going to park the car until all this passes over. It does mean a 4.30 am start to walk Bambs to work tomorrow morning as there's no chance I'm letting my 18 year daughter go alone through the lanes in the dark.

[Heebie Jeebie]

But, someone on the news on the radio on my way home said that because there isn’t actually a shortage once the panickers have refuelled things will go back to normal as deliveries will continue and people aren’t driving any further than normal so their tanks will last the normal period and by the time they need to refuel again there should have been enough stability to reassure them.

That's my assumption and why I am not concerned on a personal level. People can't buy and stockpile ridiculous amounts of fuel the way they did with toilet roll.

[Pippedydeadeye]

Or they can, like that idiot man in Derby a few years ago who caused his whole street to be evacuated. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1220240.stm

[smalex]

When is it ok to panic about petrol? We've got 60 miles left in the tank apparently, I need to do a 15miles round trip tomorrow, and then a 50mile round trip on Wednesday. The petrol station nearest me is out already this morning. If I 'buy normally' I'd roll up to my local station on Wednesday morning and fill up before driving my 50mile round trip but I can't really risk doing that, can I? Which is why the buy normally stuff does my head in. I'm thinking leave it today and then hope for the best tomorrow.

[dizzyd]

Personally I'd aim for tomorrow give the idiots a chance to fill up today unless you come across one on your travels today

It's absolutely ridiculous out there at the moment and surely all those buying just because have now filled up ?

[smalex]

Thats the thing, I'm convinced most people are just making small adjustments (like I'll have to)... you'd think the system would catch up pretty soon but who knows really.

[Derek Nimmo]

Who knows is right - so glad we have a government who understands how to run the country and the importance of maintaining supply chains :woteva:

J will be staying over tonight - he usually goes home on a Monday night - because he has juuuuust enough fuel to get home but then that's it, so he's hoping to nip out tonight and find some petrol but knows he can't count on it. I think he'll be bloody lucky, we went down the coast to Seaford yesterday - in my car - and every. single. petrol station on the way (and there are a good few) was cordoned off.

[smalex]

Who knows is right - so glad we have a government who understands how to run the country and the importance of maintaining supply chains :woteva:

Right!? If only we'd recently experienced a big disruption to a fundamental supply chain accompanied by high public anxiety, we might have learnt something

I'd have my doubts too Del! My local garage was out by 9.40.