Steve_M Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 6 hours ago, Throttled said: It is wrong to blame the media. They have been reporting on shortages for a while, of all sorts of products. Why people chose to react to fuel supply issues with a panic, is one for the sociologists and psychologists to explain. Like toilet roll, fuel maybe triggers a certain response that causes panic. Maybe we need this to happen a few times, before people realise that they don't need to panic. The media is an easy target. The fact that the Road Hauliers Association issued a misleading statement, and the readers of said media probably reacted to a headline without reading the whole article compounded the response. Add in Social Media and a tendency towards dramatics in some people… 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted September 28, 2021 Author Share Posted September 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Steve_M said: Add in Social Media and a tendency towards dramatics in some people… That makes me so mad I'm going to go out and throw myself into a pool of shark infested custard whilst wearing a pink leotard and playing the Monty Python theme tune on a harmonica. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiBob Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Steve_M said: The media is an easy target. The fact that the Road Hauliers Association issued a misleading statement, and the readers of said media probably reacted to a headline without reading the whole article compounded the response. Add in Social Media and a tendency towards dramatics in some people… Grant Shapps claims that Ron McKenzie of the RHA was responsible for the leak that fuel stocks were at 2/3 normal levels! .. McKenzie says he didn't brief anyone about a meeting which he knew nothing about! I wouldn't trust Shapps as far as I can spit! .. This piss poor excuse for a government will blame anyone it can for its incompetence! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie man Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 (edited) I wouldn't trust any politician, as for blaming the media, of course I do. They misconstrue every headline. I was unfortunate enough to have been on BBC Breakfast news and I wouldn't trust any of the feckers. When I have been approached by either an election campaigner or even a news reporter the first thing I say is 'fook off gob shite'. Strangely they don't ask again. anyhow I found my Key and got fuel from Tesco this evening Edited September 28, 2021 by Pie man 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_M Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 (edited) A measured assessment… “John Milbank, Consumer Editor of BikeSocial: “From a purely personal point of view, I’ve found the past few days to be a sickening reflection on the state of British media, and the general public’s inability to read past a click-bait headline. “When I read the first news story discussing the ‘handful of filling stations’ that were struggling to get fuel I was extremely disappointed with the language used in the headline (‘fuel shortage’), and the photo of a closed forecourt. The story made it clear – if the reader got that far – that other stations down the road had no such problems and it was obvious that there wasn’t a national crisis. But that’s not what gets the clicks that every media outlet is so desperately hungry for now. “As queues started to form through panic-buying, the reporting continued, with clumsily-written headlines of ‘Ministers discuss petrol driver shortages’ being used to shock. Ministers were discussing HGV driver shortages, some of whom drive fuel tankers. But that’s not as exciting. “Even as I vent this, there continues to be ‘news’ of huge queues and struggling motorists; the stories that feed the panic. Some like to see a global conspiracy in this – some quote ‘Project Fear’ – but it’s far more simple than that; every media outlet wants to be number one, and while you can rightly blame mainstream media for this ‘crisis’, the mainstream public’s rabid desire for those click-bait headlines – and the resulting unfounded panic – is why this weekend saw many of us choosing to stay at home rather than take the family out for the day and risk getting caught up in a totally unnecessary fight for fuel. That click-bait hunger dictates the way stories are presented… it’s a vicious circle. “The fuel ‘crisis’ will – I’m sure – soon be over, and blame is already being aimed at the Road Hauliers association (though the media refuses to acknowledge its part). Was this a cunning ploy to accelerate temporary visas for more HGV drivers? In a world where PR companies can offer to sell you space in news outlets for whatever message you want to push (we’ve been approached in the past), it doesn’t seem beyond the realms of imagination to wonder if some shouts of impending shortages are a new marketing tool; ‘We’re going to run out of trainers or pop or drumsticks… quick buy them now!’ “There is a problem with distribution and it’s hitting us all, but panic-buying isn’t helping. Nor is incitement to panic.” My italics Edited September 28, 2021 by Steve_M 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickly Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Starting to lose enthusiasm for the government but I don't really see how you can blame them for this fiasco. Fuel isn't made by the gov. Lorry drivers are not provided by the gov. Been ongoing chat about shortage of hgv drivers for the past few years, using cheaper drivers from Eastern Europe only makes things worse as it discourages home grown drivers to take the jobs. Funnily enough there's also a European wide shortage of drivers (400000 apparently) which isn't exactly the fault of our particular mob of incompetents. Plenty of other things are. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 im in Cornwall and its ok here , seen a few garages with not all pumps working ... but there are no ques , just pull in and get your gas.... the garages are ripping the arse out of it though whacking the prices up, they shouldn't be allowed to get away with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 No prizes for guessing what the que is about…. Now planning my day around petrol stations literally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Someone just shared this to me. Apparently there is a man on horseback trolling people who are queuing up at a petrol station 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted September 29, 2021 Author Share Posted September 29, 2021 What's the difference between paraffin and petrol? There are two f's in paraffin. There's no effin petrol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyrider Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 On 28/09/2021 at 18:03, Mississippi Bullfrog said: That makes me so mad I'm going to go out and throw myself into a pool of shark infested custard whilst wearing a pink leotard and playing the Monty Python theme tune on a harmonica. enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy sugger Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 On 28/09/2021 at 18:03, Mississippi Bullfrog said: That makes me so mad I'm going to go out and throw myself into a pool of shark infested custard whilst wearing a pink leotard and playing the Monty Python theme tune on a harmonica. Ah, but can you play the harmonica? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted September 30, 2021 Share Posted September 30, 2021 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 (edited) I heard on the news yesterday 3/4 of garages nationally have fuel. I don't know how anyone else is doing. It seems Southampton has some fuel if you know where to go. Bournemouth I cannot say but the near by garages are at best intermittent with large ques. The day before yesterday one of our local garages (we have 6 garages in a 4 mile radius) got the first fuel delivery to the area in 2 days it caused mayhem the garage is on a fairly main junction tail backs & gridlock described as carnage, until they sold out. So if I want fuel it's a 20 to 40+ mile round trip for a maximum of £30 of fuel. So I could easily be using 1/4 of my fuel allowance to get fuel My commute is only afew miles however as my guage is getting lower I am at the stage I need to think do I use some of my existing fuel to look for more fuel? My nephew who commuttes to college on his bike lives in a village (40 miles away) went for ride to get fuel on his 125cc came back 20 miles later with his needle in the red, having found no fuel. He's now wondering when his mum will be allowed to fill up a fuel can so he can ride again to try and find fuel All seems ironic when Fawley refinery is closer to home than the nearest garage with fuel Edited October 2, 2021 by onesea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 (edited) Anyone who has hgv entitlement has probably had this letter ... Edited October 2, 2021 by TimR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onesea Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 I bet the tanker driver had a big smile on his face like the Pied Pipper… https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/02/fuel-crisis-man-who-tailed-tanker-driver-angry-he-didnt-stop-15353574/?ito=facebook|social|metroukfacebook&fbclid=IwAR22jty5Hx2wMAyklSmF93nlQ3iZBVhFiBJPJ_tn8GRrxURt9iYiLMm033Y 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throttled Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 All petrol stations are open where I live, but all also have a good few yellow "pump not in use" signs on display. No queuing. When the news first broke, I think the intention was to just let people know that they would see more yellow signs than normal, but not to worry...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Westerly Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 4 hours ago, onesea said: I bet the tanker driver had a big smile on his face like the Pied Pipper… https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/02/fuel-crisis-man-who-tailed-tanker-driver-angry-he-didnt-stop-15353574/?ito=facebook|social|metroukfacebook&fbclid=IwAR22jty5Hx2wMAyklSmF93nlQ3iZBVhFiBJPJ_tn8GRrxURt9iYiLMm033Y The man said it right "absolute morons". A cement Tanker looks nothing much like a fuel Tanker to say nothing of not having the various dangerous goods labels plastered all over them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted October 3, 2021 Author Share Posted October 3, 2021 According to the news the crisis is over in most of the country, except the south. That's brilliant news - but I just wonder why none of the petrol stations near us have any fuel? Therein lies the problem - a breakdown of trust. When HM Govt said there wasn't going to be a crisis nobody believed them. So people who needed to travel to work / visit sick or elderly relatives / and a host of other perfectly sensible reasons for needing fuel made sure they got fuel while it was available. Which meant demand exceeded supply and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Do they think that telling us it's all over will stop people being concerned? Not when they can see with their own eyes that it's clearly wishful thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonio Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 13 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said: According to the news the crisis is over in most of the country, except the south. That's brilliant news - but I just wonder why none of the petrol stations near us have any fuel? Therein lies the problem - a breakdown of trust. So presumably a break down of trust in the news? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rennie Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 I need more diesel for the car in the next day or 2, I hope it's all calmed down a bit by then 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted October 3, 2021 Share Posted October 3, 2021 I'm off to Scotland in two weeks. Really better of calmed down by then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Bullfrog Posted October 3, 2021 Author Share Posted October 3, 2021 22 minutes ago, rennie said: I need more diesel for the car in the next day or 2, I hope it's all calmed down a bit by then It's a pity you don't live near us, there's loads of diesel going free - all over the roads. It must be far too cheap considering how much of it gets thrown all over the place. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.