petrol stations price discussion (was ‘chaos’)

Soldato
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South of the Watford Gap!
If you’re going to panic buy, always makes sense to do it before everyone else does ;)

True.

Wife just got back from the weekly shop at the local Morrisons, she noticed the petrol forecourt was open so popped in, seems that they had all the fuel types with no queues so she filled up, so good news, the bad news is she only put in £20 as the pump kept "click-clicking" so she got miffed and left after getting to £20.
 
Soldato
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27 Apr 2012
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London
Finally managed to get some petrol but £35 was the limit and £1.45/l, Put some in the car and filled up a 10L jerry can with 95 because they didn't have 99 available, my bike still have only 50 miles range left... I'm trying to get Esso Synergy 99 as I only use that on the bike, not only it is 99ron, it is also ethanol free but if comes to worst I have the 10L of 95.

Shell V-Power still 5% ethanol only

Esso Synergy 99 is 0% ethanol (in most places, some places it has ethanol)

Quote from Esso website:
Although our pumps have E5 labels on them, our Synergy Supreme+ 99 is actually ethanol free (except, due to technical supply reasons, in Devon, Cornwall, North Wales, North England and Scotland)
 
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Soldato
Joined
1 Jun 2013
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9,315
I was out dropping someone off and passed four petrol stations on the way back. One closed (but with a tanker on the forecourt), one with just diesel, and two that seemed to be completely open with all fuel. So it seems to be easing round my way (northwest London).
 
Soldato
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7,728
If you’re going to panic buy, always makes sense to do it before everyone else does ;)

The first fuel crisis I was working early mornings and someone told me there were going to be shortages and get down to the pumps quick so I jumped in the car and got to BP at 6 a.m. and there was a shortish queue but managed to fill by the end of the day there were either massive queues or sold out everywhere and that continued for the rest of week not a drop to be had anywhere roads were earily quiet the rest of the week. Wasn't so lucky this time.

Hindsight is wonderful, a few days before this all kicked off my wife mentioned that she had heard rumours of a fuel shortage and asked me to go out and fill both our cars up, my reply was don't be so ridiculous and even if there is a shortage it will all be over before it begins :D

First hint of a shortage people will hoard/panic buy, learnt that lesson from the lockdown food/bog roll shortage if nothing else. The only mistake I made was not watching the 6pm News thursday by 10pm it was too late and the panic'd queues were well away the next day! (Spent almost an hour stuck in
a queue at Texaco and '97 was all they had left if I'd have known I'd have filled up the night before at sainsburys when shopping drove right past the pumps with no queues and no shortages).
 
Caporegime
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20 Jan 2005
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Co Durham
Beat the panic buying by panic buying - welcome to Britain.

You have to though. And I know you end up being part of the problem. The last food/bog roll shortage, I had heard enough that it might well happen and judged on the fact that once people had got wind that the shelves would be stripped bare so decided to double up our home delivery that month on tins, rins, pasta, bog roll, flour. Glad we did.
 
OcUK Staff
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17 Oct 2002
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OcUK HQ
Is this still going on, all the garages up this way seem back to normal now.
Travelling down South this weekend so guess I will see if crazy southerners are still been crazy.
 
Soldato
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18 Oct 2002
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10,632
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Notts
Beat the panic buying by panic buying - welcome to Britain.

It's like The Prisoner's Dilemma. If we co-operated, we could get better results for everyone. But people don't- they are largely driven by self-interest. Human behaviour can be quite easy to predict- we are driven most strongly by emotional responses. Rationality is rare.

Think I might have said earlier in thread- playing by the rules is great- I do it quite a lot. I'd say I'm more rational than average, and generally reasonable. But quite often, you place yourself at a disadvantage if you're always the "nice guy". I never advocated some of the silliness seen over the last month or so- I've filled up when I needed to (below a quarter of a tank before filling).

I do find that the best way is to try and correctly anticipate other people's behaviour, and act accordingly. It works for driving- assume people are going to make mistakes, then you're ready when they do. It helps keep you out of precarious situations, and should help you navigate out of them if you ever fall in.

We all place self interest fairly highly- even the more altruistic amongst us. Do you really care if I can't get to work or not? Should you?
 
Associate
Joined
12 Apr 2020
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108
I live just outside Southampton, and it’s been ok for the past week. A lot of people thinking about number 1. Petrol can filling should have been banned. The fact people were topping up drinks bottles on the forecourt was ridiculous.
 
Soldato
Joined
8 Dec 2005
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10,535
Its easing because the army have been supply deliveries since last sunday! Still plenty of tools panic buying this seems to be the new norm right now :rolleyes:
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Feb 2007
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12,699
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London
One Shell garage around my way is still empty, but I presume its because they are just waiting for there scheduled delivery, all the ones open are perfectly fine now, no queues.
Funny thing is, it's only the panic buyers that caused this. Even without the army helping out, if the panic had not started, the petrol garages would have had plenty of fuel still. All the panic, waiting in long queues, people fighting, filling up jerry cans, these people must feel like complete idiots.

There are real issues for sure, but most can be resolved or eased if people were just sensible. Then you have the media that adds to the panic, as well as large companies that spout that they will have shortages of such product, so stupid people rush out to buy said product, so large company makes a nice healthy income.
 
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