It's funny how (fuel shortages)

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2005
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2,825
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SW Scotland
Our local (very rural) petrol station was mobbed this morning when I went down for my newspaper. Normally you would be lucky (even on a Saturday morning) to see more than a couple of cars getting fuel. Madness.
The lass behind the counter kept trying to point out to folks, that their supplier isn't even effected by the current issue with a shortage of lorry drivers. So deliveries are coming as normal. But the petrol shortage will
almost certainly become a self fulfilling prophecy. Got to laugh at all the lemmings I suppose.
 
Soldato
Joined
2 Apr 2009
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Location, Location!
It's perfectly rational.

https://blogs.cornell.edu/info2040/2021/09/18/panic-buying-a-simple-analysis-using-game-theory/

Mentioning the very idea that there might be a shortage (even if it was denying that there was one) is what started it. He should know better, but he's frustrated with all the bad press that other shortages have brought over the last few months so blustered and blundered right into it. Like an idiot.

So yeah. Lulwut yerself.

The media started all this, nothing to do with Boris.... but you know, any opportunity to get a pop shot in huh?
 
Associate
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19 Jan 2007
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Northampton
I waited for half an hour to get out of Garrick Road on the A5 at Hendon in my artic today, the junction is opposite a petrol station and the queues of cars were completely blocking the road. I finally managed to squeeze out but not a single motorist was prepared to risk losing a place in the queue or even to leave the 'keep clear' box empty to make way for my exit. An Aldi lorry on the A5 was completely stuck as well. A couple of work mates have had much longer delays elsewhere. Lots of driver hours wasted leading to late deliveries and emptier shelves.
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Aug 2009
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7,728
Only allow drivers with less than 25% of tank and key workers - need to provide proof such as ID card, discount card, pay slip etc through. Everyone else should be turned away.

There would need to be a police officer present or there would be fisticuffs. Was nearly a scuffle at the place I was at last night someone was blocking the road trying to cut in and jump the queue police did actually show up at one point and told them to move
 
Soldato
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18 Jul 2021
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Land of Gin (I wish)
Media should be ashamed of causing all of this. Only a handful of PS were empty on Thursday, yet they thought it was everywhere. Haven’t they learnt lessons from the loo roll gate and empty shelves?

Seeing empty shelves etc always produces panic buying and idiots with no intelligence to escape outside.

One of the posts doing the rounds on social media is about will panic buyers panic buy condoms as we don’t want them to breed idiots!
 
Soldato
Joined
19 Feb 2009
Posts
3,371
Media should be ashamed of causing all of this. Only a handful of PS were empty on Thursday, yet they thought it was everywhere. Haven’t they learnt lessons from the loo roll gate and empty shelves?

Seeing empty shelves etc always produces panic buying and idiots with no intelligence to escape outside.

One of the posts doing the rounds on social media is about will panic buyers panic buy condoms as we don’t want them to breed idiots!

Always the same with the media, didn't the media circus around Northern Rock cause everyone to panic and withdraw all their cash?
 
Soldato
Joined
9 Mar 2003
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14,056
Our local Tesco was out this morning, all the rural stations in the middle of nowhere had huge queues and were down to just super if they stocked it by the afternoon.

On my way back into our local town I saw a tanker had just pulled into Tesco and the guy had not even got out of his cab and cars were already forming a queue behind it. My neighbour came home 10 mins after me and she said the queue had now blocked the road and it was gridlock. The tanker hadn't even started unloading yet... utter madness.

Still got >1/3 of a tank which is 200 miles when driven sensibly, I'm fine for another 3 weeks based on my current plans.
 
Soldato
Joined
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23,904
Location
Hertfordshire
Local little crappy Texaco had a massive queue just now, onto a roundabout on the A1…. Quite remarkable.


We have about a 3rd of a tank of fuel in the car, should last us a few more days.
 
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