Last edited by number2; 29th September 2021 at 10:51.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Well in my part of semi rural Essex there are no shortages just been out to get some provisions and the shelves in Asda are full, the freezer compartments are full and the booze is there in plenty oh and on driving out people are filling their vehicles without queuing.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
Interesting. First, where did I suggest that EU drivers had left the UK in the post you quoted? I only mentioned that some of those who were coming have stopped, and that is nothing but factual. Time wasted with red tape make it highly unprofitable coming over, and many will go back empty.
Second, those who came over are by definition mobile. Remember the Polish plumbers who came to the UK in the early 2000? They came because the rates were better. Many went back when they had enough savings, and as Polish rates increased. This was not started by Brexit, it is part of the deal when you're going abroad to work.
Brexit only added to the deal the hostile environment. So I don't find it hard to believe at all that some drivers have left, but I have no figures to document this. I know it happens all the time, from one country to another. The difference Brexit makes is that those who go are not replaced because those who would have come won't, or/and can't.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
How many HGV driver changed career or retired last year? There is always churn. In recent years we'd recruit from the UK and the EU to fill the gap, now we only have one place to source new people. People don't have to leave to create a gap.
The same issue exists in IT, but there I can absolutely point to people I know leaving the UK because of Brexit.
My wife isn't from these shores. She moved to the UK as it was famous for being sensible, risk free and a country that follows the rule of law and does the right thing. Oh how she's changed her mind. She would love to leave, but the kids are settled in good schools and the places we'd go aren't much better right now.
I don’t know anything about HGV drivers, but I know for damn certain some excellent European scientists are leaving the U.K. (the place they’ve called home for many years) as they no longer feel welcome here.
Personally, I find that very distressing as they are good friends of mine who I will miss enormously. Our loss, 100%
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
So after spending two weeks working away and seeing the news about petrol etc etc I arrived back home today thinking arghhh I didn’t too the car up before I went back to work and I’ll need the car to get the shops and have my daughter this weekend.
Absolutely dreaded going to the local petrol station expecting no fuel or huge que’s.
Well the station has 12 pumps and there was about three cars in there, a limit of £35 which is fair enough and that was it?
There were a few HGV’s there but then there generally always is.
Talk about a storm in a teacup, honestly the bloody media in this country have a lot to answer for.
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That may be where you live. I’m in Barnet and any road nearby that has a petrol station has been log jammed for the last couple of days. On some roads through traffic drivers are having to drive on the wrong side of the road with hazard lights on. I went out for petrol Monday night at midnight, got home 1.40am, thankfully with petrol.
Relating to tanker driver numbers what is the difference today to 3 weeks ago. None. There would occasionally be empty pumps, the "Lemmings" reacted to media outlets saying there are fuel stations without fuel and the demand went up from an average spend of £25-30 to over £40 at the pumps. The selfish amongst us immediately went out and filled up. It is but a blip in demand. Storm in a teacup.
Post the picture from Sunday.
Passed my local petrol station on the way out and could see cars on the forecourt with no queues.
I figured sanity had resumed, so pulled in on the way home... Not a single pump was available, so, presumably, no fuel.
Not sure why they had their price still displayed on the digital sign if they have nothing to sell, but at least there was no queue!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
To change the subject completely..
hows that whole brexit thing working out in the UK. Any update?
Last edited by mart broad; 29th September 2021 at 16:07.
I FEEL LIKE I'M DIAGONALLY PARKED IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE
No problem getting Diesel at Tescos in Glossop midday today, drove straight in and on to a vacant pump. Busy but no crazy queues. No idea what Sunday was like.
I lot of people I know tend to fill up on Friday evening (for the weekend) or Saturday as part of the “big shop” therefore the MSM running the story Thursday night and all day Saturday was always going to create havoc.
As for the Army being called in. Why not? If it means that the great unwashed are placated and normal service is resumed faster, then happy days. Plus it demonstrates that the government reacted.
Plus I don’t remember anyone complaining when the army were bussed in to help during the pandemic, the fire fighter strike or the last petrol tankers strike (which was much worse that this shortage).
Not sure I totally buy the Brexit excuse myself, given that Brexit occurred 18 months ago, so I would have expected that all these EU lorry drivers might have departed quite some time ago.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Anyone in the north Kent coast area, perchance? Reason I'm asking is that I'm meant to be taking a break over 8th-10th October, staying in a Whitstable Air BnB and riding round the coast on the new motorbike for a couple of days. If I'm going to cancel I have until the 3rd to do so, so I'm interested to know what the fuel situation has been like over the last week (on the basis that it will have been the worst case scenario).
TIA!
This made me laugh
https://youtu.be/hthhAvG6O1k
Went for an evening walk with my son and the queues are back, walked past a Tescos express and it was complete mayhem.
Also watched an argument between van drivers, one had parked his van at the pump but the store workers were refusing to enable the pump, no idea why but apparently he had been there for ages arguing with the staff. The guy behind got sick of waiting and asked him firmly to move his van as he wasn’t going to get any fuel but he refused. Much shouting later the guy behind grabbed him and marched him to his van to move it and eventually he moved it out of the way but then got out to continue arguing with the staff who flat refused to serve him.
Tony I am in Maidstone - my little local petrol station has had deliveries throughout - we had queuing but it was worse at the supermarkets… but nothing like was shown in London.
Whitstable is lovely - think you should be ok - i am doing a round trip to Bristol that weekend so I will also need to fill up.
Good place for food if you can get a booking !
https://jojosrestaurant.co.uk/booking/
Stolen from twitter. Guess this appeared somewhere here already
We have a small EG station near me in an urban stretch that isn’t on any main routes. They sell fuel at roughly 3 or 4 pence per litre more than the BP garage which sits just off the motorway approx half a mile away . Probably about 8 or 9 p more than the Tescos which is less than a mile away. They were the first one in the area to put up the ‘No Fuel ‘ signs.
This morning , I filled up in Trafford Park ( No queue) and, on my travels drove past three Morrisons and an Asda petrol station in Eccles, Warrington, Trafford Centre and Cheadle which all had working pumps and no queues.
I came back past my local EG garage which had a tanker on the forecourt delivering fuel. Not an hour later I walked past the same garage and the road was gridlocked in all directions as it sits on a roundabout. It was obvious the local jungle drums had been beating and folk had come out to play .
It’s obvious that some folk can’t think for themselves and need to follow the masses. Baffling.